C10 Full Length Belly Pan?

[Gromit]

Anyone have any photos or experience adding a custom full length belly pan to a C10?

I'd anticipate maybe someone ask or think "why would you want to do that?"

I'm not sure that I would want to do that yet but the thought would be to keep the road dirt and salt and mud out of the nooks and crannies of the chassis and suspension once you have it restored.

Also maybe better aerodynamics and possibly quieter ride and easier to keep clean with just a single smooth surface.

I was thinking something like an aluminum or even formed polyethylene or glass-reinforced nylon pans running the full length of the undercarriage and with some kind of quick-release fasteners and or hatches for access. (photo circa 1957 from Hot Rod magazine website attached)..

[RustyBucket]

... additionally, maybe less goo on my shop floor also

[Cbo]

I'd be curious too see one of these ad well

[OARNGESI]

Would cutting off the air flow negatively effect the performance keep heat in cab etc

[special-K]

Why would you want to do that? The reasons you give I don't think stack up. If your truck is leaking, it will eventually start running off the edge of the pan somewhere. It would probably bounce sound back at the cab that would normally just fly with the wind. The crap you don't want up under and inside your nooks and crannies is what gets sprayed, bounced, deflected up from the tires...the road spray. Any pan you put up under your truck will hold onto that crap and you'll have no straight shot at washing anything that was sprayed up back out. There's no way around it. Don't run in the road salt and chemicals of winter if you don't want the body to last

[Gromit]

Fluid leaks haven't been a problem for me since the advent of thread locker products... just a dab on the last four threads or so and not a single drop of leaks. Also Gasgacinch on the valve covers.

Heat probably is the limiting problem with a belly pan - with the exhaust in a confined space with fuel and brake lines and cab above probably not a good idea.

Plus the exhaust routes up and over the rear axle so I can't imagine a belly pan being inboard of the pipe in that section.

Needless to day then nylon and poly are out too as prospective materials since those likely withstand under 200F of heat.

I did find a photo of a DIY ABS belly pan (attached) - it is not a C10 and I don't know where his exhaust pipe is - maybe he is running stacks ha ha - photo attached:

I think some of the NASCAR trucks do some aero undercarriage fitments but so far no good photos of those.

[71cheyennesuperlongb]

I have no experince with one but unless your going to bonnyville or lemans there wouldnt bemuch of a need for one in IMHO.

[jocko]

Concur with all the why would you do that's - but as for noise, I can only imagine it would cause more noises than it would suppress. I just hear a giant piece of aluminum sheet roofing material blowing in a windstorm in my mind.

[cleszkie]

My wife's Audi has a full width plastic belly pan under the front third of the car secured with 1/4 turn-type fasteners. I dread having to remove and reinstall that bastard every time I have to change the oil. That alone would keep me from ever considering a belly pan under my truck.

[special-K]

I was thinking what a PIA it would be for servicing but didn't want to be too negative

[Gromit]

Few more photos.. not disavowed of the original notion yet.

Jet planes have belly pans. And Airstreams.

Though I admit there is a rivet about every inch...would really discourage an oil and filter change having to drill 'em all out every time.

Poor guy in the pit at Jiffy Lube too.