K10 with Independent Front Suspension

[lowrollin70gmc]

A quick FYI, hobart is miller's economy brand. My handler 140 (bought at least 6 years ago) even had miller on the side of the torch handle. I did step up to a Miller Maxstar 200, but that's mainly for TIG. My Hobart 140 is still the welder that sees the most use on little projects, even convinced my dad to buy one when I moved further away and he couldn't borrow mine anymore.

For reliability and economy, I would keep it as a 2wd and do basic maintenance and cruise it as is. Long term put an LS in front of that 4l60 if the current 350 goes south. They're so much more enjoyable when you can hop in and drive or only tinker with a little thing here and there. Once they're torn apart it's easy to get burned out and have progress halt.

For a 4wd swap, toss in an entire LS/auto/transfer case out of a newer truck and put a Ford Dana 44 on leaves under the front (driver's drop to match t-case) and once built you would have a dead reliable rig if properly maintained.

I'm partial to solid axles, they just need to be set up for what you want to accomplish. I've daily driven my 68 K20 and it's not as smooth as my dad's 2011 F150, but about par with my prior 1988 K2500. I would suggest a good set of leaves, bushings, and shocks. It's all about spring rates and controlling the axle. DIY4x and Off Road Design both offer parts to put leaves on a C10 (52" kits) and OFD also offers parts for stock IFS trucks.

If you're still stuck on IFS, a frame swap is possible by fabricating body mounts but often leaves too much frame exposed. That's just my humble opinion, as in contrast I have at most an inch of frame rail below my 68 K20's rockers. You could also use a longer chassis than necessary and move the rear spring hangers to gain your desired wheelbase and trim off the extra from the rear and that would be a lot stronger than chopping rails in half.

Sorry for the rambling, cliffnotes: tinker and drive it, they're no fun torn apart and choose IFS / SA wisely, knowing they can both work well.