51 chevy 3100 5 window build

[lower50's]

I have a 25" tall front and rear. Front are 255/50/16

[big_moss]

Hey fellas got some progress done over the past few weeks. De humped my lower control arms almost done cutting out the filler pieces. Got my back half frame section all cut out and welded together. And cut the stock s10 frame in half and joined the 2 pieces together.

[joedoh]

your body mounts look pretty low really, I dont know if you will even need dehumped lowers to lay out because the lowest part of the truck will be the running boards. I bet even stock springs will look slammed on those low body mounts!

[99 to Life]

i agree, you'll need alot of tunnel on floor too. I was about 2.5" off frame on my 49 and it needed a tunnel on whole floor. also are you concerned with the bed depth? most s10 notches are max 8" tall and it leaves some bed.

[big_moss]

I'm trying to get everything as low as possible. The frame is gonna lay out with the running board level to it. And I'm cool with the trans tunnel we do them on almost everything we body drop. Just want the truck to lay hard

[99 to Life]

Keep in mind the running boards set about 4" or so below bottom of cab, also front fenders will hit before your frame hits. all you need to do is get your body on there and moch it up then see where the rest of frame and your body mounts will go. You'd be surprised on how little of a notch you'd need and how low you can go without modifying too much. its not like a car where you have to channel it over the frame.

[lower50's]

The bottom of the cab sits below the s10 frame. The only way to physically go lower than mine would be to use a smaller tire. I cut 3" off the bottom of my front fenders and only have 1" above the tire. For the rear I cut 2" out and had to take the fender support out and only have 1/4" above the tire. My tires are 25" tall. I'm just trying to help, not shut you down. Bolt the front fenders on with the cab sitting on your mounts and have a look.

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by big_moss

I'm trying to get everything as low as possible. The frame is gonna lay out with the running board level to it. And I'm cool with the trans tunnel we do them on almost everything we body drop. Just want the truck to lay hard

my advice is always to mount the body then bag it, for this reason. what 99 is saying is true, the running boards hang below the frame with even taller mounts than yours.

on an s10 frame with normal mounts (slightly taller than yours), you barely need any notch and you dont need dehumped arms, and you dont need much of a tunnel either. if you are setting the frame up to lay on the ground, you can have body mounts almost 7" tall off the frame, and no tunnel at all. if you put the truck together as you have the mounts now, you wouldnt use even an inch of that big notch even with big tires, the frame will be 5-6" off the ground with the running boards on the ground.

do what lower 50s is saying, pop the cab on, pop on a fender, you will see, the bottom of the fender and the running boards will be way below the frame.

better to find out now than get down the road. or get down the road, experience is a great instructor, probably the best.

edit: its worth saying too that the front sheetmetal gets really hard to mount the lower you put the body on the frame, the frame horns end up around the middle of the grille and you need a reaaaly short radiator.

[steve aleve]

I set my front mounts at about a half inch above the frame and with the stock s10 suspension (not bagged) and no blocks, my running boards are about 4 inches off the ground. The frame is closer to 11 or 12 and I've got a pretty good sized tunnel! I also used the 19 x 22 radiator but had to angle it to clear the steering box. Also, another note is that setting the cab this low will make your engine sit pretty high in the engine compartment, shallower bed etc. I love mine and I wouldn't change it but if I were to bag one I would set it much higher.

[big_moss]

Sunday I set the cab on just to test fit it and see where it was gonna sit I had about 2.5 inches under the cab to the bottom of the frame. Also stated to box in the stock section with 1/4 ,inch flat plate just to beef things up

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by big_moss

Sunday I set the cab on just to test fit it and see where it was gonna sit I had about 2.5 inches under the cab to the bottom of the frame. Also stated to box in the stock section with 1/4 ,inch flat plate just to beef things up

looks good, but just for yuks and grins put a fender up there and check out where the bottom of the fender will be. you may be surprised.

[youngrodder]

The frame looks good..

Marc

[big_moss]

Tonight threw the cab back up and mocked up a fender and it's hanging below the frame 3 3/4 inches so I'm planning on cutting the lower fenders 2 inches and trimming down the running boards so imma cut the cab mounts loose and raise it up.

[joedoh]

frankly thats less than I expected. I had 3.5" tall mounts with another 1 inch S10 bushing on top of the mount and I think the bottom of my cab was 3 inches over the bottom of the frame.

but enough on that, you measured it and can see what we were talking about. My advice would be to raise it a little, to maybe the height I talked about above, and the reason would be:

S10s laying frame, especially with anything larger than a tiny tire, have stupid crazy toe and camber issues. to get an s10 to lay frame on say a 27.5" tall tire you will need tie rod notches or no-notch tie rods, dehumped lowers, drop spindles, tube uppers, and some kind of toe correcting steering linkage setup or tall balljoints for the uppers and lowers. Even with all these parts, the front wheels will pull rearward in the arches more than an inch and a half. In the rear you will need a big notch, and a link setup that is mounted more to the middle of the frame rather than under it to keep the wheels from pulling forward in the arch.

But to get an s10 to lay OUT (no more air in the bags, no more drop possible, but the frame 2-3 inches off the ground) you need.... bags and cups. and a 3" c notch, literally a 6" pipe cut in half. even the cheapest bag and cup setup. the camber stays pretty stable, the tie rods dont hit the frame, the wheels dont pull back in the arches. any rear bag setup will get you within 3 inches of the ground, even two leafs and helper bags (although a link setup is better). setting the running boards to be 2.5" lower than the frame will let you do this, and just beef up the running board mounts in case you lay on crooked ground. you will have dynamite ground clearance under the truck for exhaust and expensive dangly bits like the oil and transmission pans.

the first way with the running boards even with the frame, you dont need ANY trans tunnel or driveshaft tunnel. the second way you will need a small trans tunnel and maybe a driveshaft notch if you use a one piece.


looking good moss, keep it up!

[lower50's]

I know it sucks Moss I almost made the same mistake trying to get it as low as possible. But sounds like you have a good plan.

[big_moss]

Good evening guys last night was in the shop late trying to correct my cab height error and I believe I've got it where I want it the fender is hanging 2.25 underneath the frame and with a 26 inch tall tire under the fender I have about a half inch between the fender and tire

[joedoh]

nice freakin work!

[lower50's]

Boy that tucks really nice!!!!! Did you rise the cab at all?

[big_moss]

Yeah I raised the cab almost 2 inches. I believe it's right where needs to be. Thanks guys Im taking the weekend off my fiancee and I came to our land on East Texas just to relax gonna jump back on it monday

[big_moss]

Good morning fellas well so far this week I've landed a rear end put of a 85 El Camino and I mocked it up on the frame rails just to see how it would look not sure what the gearing is on it or of I'm even going to use it I've got some research to do

[big_moss]

What's up every one been pretty busy lately but tonight got to get out and fiddle with the truck a bit since my last post I've got wheels air bags built my lower link bars and started on the link bar cross member and under slung. It looks like we are gonna lay pretty damn hard to

[DeanTX]

Looking good! I can't wait to see the underslung in action.

[99 to Life]

nice getting back at it.

[big_moss]

Started getting the driver side under slung mocked up think I like the angle of the kick up not 100% sold on it yet though. Also picked up a sbc 350 from a good buddy of mine for 250 couldn't pass the deal up.

[joedoh]

what is the purpose of the underslung part? the bed sits higher in the rear so all of that will be visible from the rear?

looking good, keep it up