Need advice for diet plan for 1970 Stepside - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

tommy graham · 10-10-2005, 12:05 AM

I am new to the sight. Needing some advice on front suspension kits for '70 stepside truck. I am wanting to lighten the front end of the truck this winter. I am going to cage it while making the front end changes.

The truck has a 509ci engine. It has ran some pretty quick et's as it sits. I was hoping someone would have some pro's & con's on front suspension changes to these trucks. I hope not to lose any rigidness that is in the truck now. Is the Fat Man Fab kit worth the price?

Your input is appreciated. Trying to post a pic of the truck if I can figure this computer out.
thanks
tg

Portmod7 · 10-10-2005, 12:21 AM

FIberglass?

www.usbodysource.com

Premium72 · 10-10-2005, 12:27 AM

holy crap those guys make whole fiberglass cabs....geez

djracer · 10-10-2005, 12:36 AM

My 67 has the fatman kit it has to save a ton of weight! I bought the truck with it on there! I would guess it was good for a 200lbs diet! Is this to be a street truck or strip truck!

Also WELCOME from ALABAMA!

tommy graham · 10-10-2005, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djracer

My 67 has the fatman kit it has to save a ton of weight! I bought the truck with it on there! I would guess it was good for a 200lbs diet! Is this to be a street truck or strip truck!

Also WELCOME from ALABAMA!

Thanks for the reply. I was looking through websites today and saw your truck on this site. I have been wanting to make the change on the front for sometime. I run it now at the strip, it is street driven also.....but on c-16 fuel. I put ladder bars in the rear, 14x32s with 4.33 gear. I built the 509 for a friends dragster. He put it all up for sale, I bought and sold it all but the engine. I have to cage it due to the et's. A couple of tracks have been letting me run, but they have kinda said "you have wore out your welcome". It needs a cage, still has tank behind the seat, I have just been too busy/lazy to work on my own stuff.

So the fat man kit is a good deal?
Thanks for the response. Still trying to figure out how to post a pic!
thanks
tg

68LSS1 · 10-10-2005, 12:53 AM

Welcome, I am going with the Fatman stage III and fiberglass US Body tilt front end to save weight also. Trying to loose as much as possible so my cage (S&W) doesn't kill me. Of course I'll have a lot lighter powerplant with the LSx engine. Some pictures in link in sig. Check out the FAQ for the picture posting questions so we can check it out.

tommy graham · 10-10-2005, 01:11 AM

[IMG]
Trying to post a picture.

djracer · 10-10-2005, 01:13 AM

cool how fast have you been so far?

djracer · 10-10-2005, 01:24 AM

have you been here?

http://www.dragtruk.com/

72wascal · 10-10-2005, 01:30 AM

Yikes! looks like I have some competition. Thank God you guys are in the mainland. I was looking at the Fatman stuff also. Seems very similiar to the stuff that No Limit has on his shelf. I have to stay with steel because it aims to be a street rod. I just will alter the weight difference by throwing some of my Samoan friends in the back for weight transfer. 2 buddies = 550 lbs, that should make the 49/51 split.

Nice ride guys... Send me some pics and we can compare notes.

tommy graham · 10-10-2005, 01:30 AM

Well:
1995...427...12.55 @ 112mph
1997...454(iron 990 heads)...11.20 @ 118mph
2001...468(alum Brodix BB2 heads)...10.95 @ 121mph
2002...same engine with spray...10.33 @ 132mph(175hp)
2004...509 Big M block, AFR 335's, Lunati Pro Series crank & rods, Jesel, Wilson Manifold, 2" Hookers with 4" exhaust. Turbo 400 with no brake, 9" hughes GM93 converter. Best no spray 10.09 @ 134mph. 175hp shot 9.55 @ 141mph. Changed converters to TCI 9", went 9.78 @ 137mph and lots of rpm's. Got a TCI converter for sale! Hughes is back in the truck. Would like to drop at least enough weight to compensate for the cage weight.

The 509 ran 7.80's in the dragster.
tg

tommy graham · 10-10-2005, 01:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djracer

have you been here?

http://www.dragtruk.com/

I just went to this website today. Some mean @$$ trucks on there!
tg

djracer · 10-10-2005, 01:48 AM

you are a brave fellow to go that fast without a cage! I have a merlin headed 468 with a dominator and a fogger going in my truck! I ran the motor in my camaro normally aspirated with bb-2's and went 9.20 @ 143

Kevin

tommy graham · 10-10-2005, 01:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djracer

you are a brave fellow to go that fast without a cage! I have a merlin headed 468 with a dominator and a fogger going in my truck! I ran the motor in my camaro normally aspirated with bb-2's and went 9.20 @ 143

Kevin

Going to be a bad boy sounds like. What trans are you going to run? Gear? I want a brake(break!) in mine. The local tracks let me run for a while, but early this season I started spraying it and crossing the center stripe about every third pass. I have not been to the track since March of this year.

I think I got the picture deal to work.
tg

djracer · 10-10-2005, 02:08 AM

I have a glide with a 1.80 straight cut gear set, ultra case, ultrabell and a pro brake! I have 4.30 gear 35 spline 9 inch! I bought the truck but it was step and quite heavy so I'm putting on a glass nose and doors and lightened fleetside bed! It has been 5.32 in the eighth on a 10.5 inch slick! It had a 512 and 2 stages of NOS!

djracer · 10-10-2005, 02:09 AM

what rearend do you have?

tommy graham · 10-10-2005, 02:24 AM

I have a 9" ford housing out of a 1957 wagon. It is not even narrowed. It has the big bearings and 33 spline now. I run a 4.33 gear. I shift at 6200/6500/cross at 6800 with the hughes converter on spray.

I put ladder bars and coil overs, still drum brakes. I hope to run a little faster someday if I go to where the air is good. We average 4200' to 4600' d/a on the good fall nights. Summer the air stays 5800' to 6800' d/a.
tg

10-10-2005, 12:05 AM	#1
tommy graham Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 21	Need advice for diet plan for 1970 Stepside I am new to the sight. Needing some advice on front suspension kits for '70 stepside truck. I am wanting to lighten the front end of the truck this winter. I am going to cage it while making the front end changes. The truck has a 509ci engine. It has ran some pretty quick et's as it sits. I was hoping someone would have some pro's & con's on front suspension changes to these trucks. I hope not to lose any rigidness that is in the truck now. Is the Fat Man Fab kit worth the price? Your input is appreciated. Trying to post a pic of the truck if I can figure this computer out. thanks tg __________________ 1970 stepside 509 Best E.T. 9.41 @ 142mph (Oct 2004) Street Legal through the exhaust Last edited by tommy graham; 10-10-2005 at 12:29 AM.

10-10-2005, 12:36 AM	#4
djracer Registered User Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Wetumpka, Al, U.S. Posts: 8,891	My 67 has the fatman kit it has to save a ton of weight! I bought the truck with it on there! I would guess it was good for a 200lbs diet! Is this to be a street truck or strip truck! Also WELCOME from ALABAMA! __________________ Kevin Special Thanks to All who have helped on the TRUCK! My Pass Time Show http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p...Chapter1-0.mp4 So Far my best Times are: Motor only: 6.44 1/8 @ 104.13 10.39 1/4 @ 125.83 Nitrous Times: 5.785 1/8 @ 118.65 with a 1.336 60ft 9.168 1/4 @ 142.58 with a 250 shot dead out of the hole!

10-10-2005, 12:53 AM	#6
68LSS1 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Tampa Posts: 1,191	Welcome, I am going with the Fatman stage III and fiberglass US Body tilt front end to save weight also. Trying to loose as much as possible so my cage (S&W) doesn't kill me. Of course I'll have a lot lighter powerplant with the LSx engine. Some pictures in link in sig. Check out the FAQ for the picture posting questions so we can check it out. __________________ '68 Short Step LS1/T56, Hydratech, Fatman Fabrications Stage III, Baer, Hot Rods to Hell, US Body, S&W, etc

10-10-2005, 01:11 AM	#7
tommy graham Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 21	[IMG] Trying to post a picture. Attached Images __________________ 1970 stepside 509 Best E.T. 9.41 @ 142mph (Oct 2004) Street Legal through the exhaust

10-10-2005, 01:13 AM	#8
djracer Registered User Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Wetumpka, Al, U.S. Posts: 8,891	cool how fast have you been so far? __________________ Kevin Special Thanks to All who have helped on the TRUCK! My Pass Time Show http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p...Chapter1-0.mp4 So Far my best Times are: Motor only: 6.44 1/8 @ 104.13 10.39 1/4 @ 125.83 Nitrous Times: 5.785 1/8 @ 118.65 with a 1.336 60ft 9.168 1/4 @ 142.58 with a 250 shot dead out of the hole!

10-10-2005, 12:21 AM	#2
Portmod7 Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Aztec, NM Posts: 388	FIberglass? www.usbodysource.com

10-10-2005, 12:27 AM	#3
Premium72 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Villa Rica Ga Posts: 889	holy crap those guys make whole fiberglass cabs....geez

10-10-2005, 01:24 AM	#9
djracer Registered User Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Wetumpka, Al, U.S. Posts: 8,891	have you been here? http://www.dragtruk.com/ __________________ Kevin Special Thanks to All who have helped on the TRUCK! My Pass Time Show http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p...Chapter1-0.mp4 So Far my best Times are: Motor only: 6.44 1/8 @ 104.13 10.39 1/4 @ 125.83 Nitrous Times: 5.785 1/8 @ 118.65 with a 1.336 60ft 9.168 1/4 @ 142.58 with a 250 shot dead out of the hole!

10-10-2005, 01:30 AM	#10
72wascal Hawaiian Member Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Maui, Hawaii Posts: 28	Yikes! looks like I have some competition. Thank God you guys are in the mainland. I was looking at the Fatman stuff also. Seems very similiar to the stuff that No Limit has on his shelf. I have to stay with steel because it aims to be a street rod. I just will alter the weight difference by throwing some of my Samoan friends in the back for weight transfer. 2 buddies = 550 lbs, that should make the 49/51 split. Nice ride guys... Send me some pics and we can compare notes. __________________ 72 C-10 ProStreet - 331 cu w/ T350 trans 9" shortened w/ disc brakes - Mild body modifications 3/5 drop - More in the works

10-10-2005, 01:48 AM	#13
djracer Registered User Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Wetumpka, Al, U.S. Posts: 8,891	you are a brave fellow to go that fast without a cage! I have a merlin headed 468 with a dominator and a fogger going in my truck! I ran the motor in my camaro normally aspirated with bb-2's and went 9.20 @ 143 Kevin __________________ Kevin Special Thanks to All who have helped on the TRUCK! My Pass Time Show http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p...Chapter1-0.mp4 So Far my best Times are: Motor only: 6.44 1/8 @ 104.13 10.39 1/4 @ 125.83 Nitrous Times: 5.785 1/8 @ 118.65 with a 1.336 60ft 9.168 1/4 @ 142.58 with a 250 shot dead out of the hole!

10-10-2005, 02:08 AM	#15
djracer Registered User Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Wetumpka, Al, U.S. Posts: 8,891	I have a glide with a 1.80 straight cut gear set, ultra case, ultrabell and a pro brake! I have 4.30 gear 35 spline 9 inch! I bought the truck but it was step and quite heavy so I'm putting on a glass nose and doors and lightened fleetside bed! It has been 5.32 in the eighth on a 10.5 inch slick! It had a 512 and 2 stages of NOS! __________________ Kevin Special Thanks to All who have helped on the TRUCK! My Pass Time Show http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p...Chapter1-0.mp4 So Far my best Times are: Motor only: 6.44 1/8 @ 104.13 10.39 1/4 @ 125.83 Nitrous Times: 5.785 1/8 @ 118.65 with a 1.336 60ft 9.168 1/4 @ 142.58 with a 250 shot dead out of the hole!

10-10-2005, 02:09 AM	#16
djracer Registered User Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Wetumpka, Al, U.S. Posts: 8,891	what rearend do you have? __________________ Kevin Special Thanks to All who have helped on the TRUCK! My Pass Time Show http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p...Chapter1-0.mp4 So Far my best Times are: Motor only: 6.44 1/8 @ 104.13 10.39 1/4 @ 125.83 Nitrous Times: 5.785 1/8 @ 118.65 with a 1.336 60ft 9.168 1/4 @ 142.58 with a 250 shot dead out of the hole!

10-10-2005, 02:24 AM	#17
tommy graham Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 21	I have a 9" ford housing out of a 1957 wagon. It is not even narrowed. It has the big bearings and 33 spline now. I run a 4.33 gear. I shift at 6200/6500/cross at 6800 with the hughes converter on spray. I put ladder bars and coil overs, still drum brakes. I hope to run a little faster someday if I go to where the air is good. We average 4200' to 4600' d/a on the good fall nights. Summer the air stays 5800' to 6800' d/a. tg __________________ 1970 stepside 509 Best E.T. 9.41 @ 142mph (Oct 2004) Street Legal through the exhaust

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