How to Create The MOST Cab Room?

[Mapearso]

So I've been looking thru threads on how to squeeze some more space out of the small-ish cabs our trucks have.

It seems like there are 3 categories of mods that will 'open things up' -- and some specifics to each one to maximize the benefit

1) Change the Seat
*From what I've read, the 88-94 Chevy seats have a very thin back and are the best choice for a seat swap

2) Change the Steering Column
*Seems like the best option is to use a Van tilt column and collapse the shaft

3) Change the Pedals
*Customize / Modify the gas and brake pedals to get a little more legroom. REquires some welding and fabrication.

Anything else???

PLEASE let me know your thoughts on all the above. I'm 6'5" so I can certainly use all the extra room I can get!

Thanks for the input!

[Unionwelder]

Take the seat out and sit in the floor. Sounds funny but I had mine out to move the tank and sat in the cab with no seat. All the head room you need, although your rump would probably hurt after a while lol. I feel your pain buddy I'm 6'4"300 lbs and these are not forgiving cabs for a big man.

[68shortwide]

Cut steering wheel to Kitt style and sit on a plastic bucket though I do feel your pain 6'4 250 I need to lose weight and extend the firewall out

[leftybass209]

I'm short, but I can agree with the 88-94 seats. You can also reduce the height the brackets as much as you need until you run out of room to fit a wrench on to tighten the bolts down. Also look into a flat steering wheel as opposed to a dished type.

[doo142]

A local guy here sells shortened steer shafts that move column forward a bit. Relocate tank and mod the slides.

[BruthaMan]

I don't see how you tall guys do it. I'm 5'9 and with the seat all the way back, tilt wheel and 15" Monte Carlo SS steering wheel, the fit is perfect for me. I can't imagine being eight inches taller and trying to drive the truck "comfortably."

[Kennuck]

I worried about this too. When I bought the truck it had a bench seat and the stock steering wheel, it was a tight fit. I put in 71 buckets seats and put on a smaller steering wheel with less dish and I fit great no problem with the pedals or headroom and I'm 6'3" and 275.

[Mapearso]

Originally Posted by Kennuck

I worried about this too. When I bought the truck it had a bench seat and the stock steering wheel, it was a tight fit. I put in 71 buckets seats and put on a smaller steering wheel with less dish and I fit great no problem with the pedals or headroom and I'm 6'3" and 275.

So the stock buckets helped? I'd like to do that and keep it stock, but it seems like the 88-94 seats are the way to create the most room...

[Lattimer]

I did a flaming river column and moved it as far into the dash as it would fit. Then used their shaft and u joints to connect it up. Procar buckets with their c-10 mounting frame, which I shortened as far as it would go.

I'm 6'3", 400, and most of my height is in my torso. I needed head and belly room the most .

I still want to find a steering wheel with about 1" of dish, mine has 3" I think.

Leg room is still a little lacking, but I'm used to it. When I put the power brakes in the brake pedal got closer to the floor, which helped, so I modified the clutch pedal to get it closer to the floor as well. Still plenty of travel on both pedals, and I don't feel like my knee is in my face to get my foot on the pedal.








Oh, and to give you an idea how big I am, this is when I was prepping the firewall for paint:

[Jim53066]

I still want to find a steering wheel with about 1" of dish, mine has 3" I think.

I had a C1 Corvette wheel laying around and tried it on my 65. It works great and has almost no dish to it.

Here is a guy selling blems on Ebay for $100. (you will need the hub)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/58-corvette-...item566e4cfbb0

Jim

[Lattimer]

Originally Posted by Jim53066

I had a C1 Corvette wheel laying around and tried it on my 65. It works great and has almost no dish to it.

Here is a guy selling blems on Ebay for $100. (you will need the hub)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/58-corvette-...item566e4cfbb0

Jim

I have a $100 flaming river billet hub for a 3-bolt wheel. Not real interested in buying another hub.

That corvette wheel looks like a pretty big diameter also. Smaller diameter wheels help with the belly room. I think my grant is like 13".

That's why I still have this wheel----I haven't found anything I like that meets all of my requirements. It probably doesn't exist. The couple I have found in the right size get too costly quick because of the wheel itself, or the wheel plus a new hub, or they don't have the appearance I'd prefer.

[Lattimer]

Originally Posted by Jim53066

I had a C1 Corvette wheel laying around and tried it on my 65. It works great and has almost no dish to it.

Here is a guy selling blems on Ebay for $100. (you will need the hub)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/58-corvette-...item566e4cfbb0

Jim

From a style perspective, I'd want this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevelle-Cam...c7f4b5&vxp=mtr

Except in about 13.5" diameter with 1-1/2" dish.

Too bad its a unicorn.

[Andy4639]

I have always wondered why a good metal man could cut the back side of the cab under the window like the corvett's and mold the seat into it so it could slide back further and then your head would be up against the window. You would gain several inches of leg room. And the look would be one of a kind for sure.

Something like this. Then have it go into a center console.

[PanelDeland]

Stretch the cab 4 in or 6" and you'll be fine. Add in the other suggestions and you may not be able to reach the controls comfortably.

[68racer]

I cut that panel out under the window for a roll cage. Once the tank is gone it doesn't do much.

[Lattimer]

Originally Posted by PanelDeland

Stretch the cab 4 in or 6" and you'll be fine. Add in the other suggestions and you may not be able to reach the controls comfortably.

Yeah, 'cause that's easy and cheap......LOL

[Possmguts]

I just created a thread in the paint and body section about this subject... no response yet... Im just getting into the project and really think Im going to look at extending the foot wells a few inches... Not the whole firewall but just the foot well sections... both sides. I think the only real problem would be the inner fender wells...

The buckets I bought are not so thin in the back, but Im only 5'9" and 180 lbs but would love to sit the seats low so I can stretch my legs forward instead of downward... bad back. Its hard for me to get comfortable, and I plan on doing some touring in it and not just cruising around town.

Any thoughts on that?

[C10Greg]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

[B][COLOR="Red"]I have always wondered why a good metal man could cut the back side of the cab under the window like the corvett's and mold the seat into it so it could slide back further and then your head would be up against the window. You would gain several inches of leg room. And the look would be one of a kind for sure.

Look at post #409 in this build thread

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...512373&page=17

[Mapearso]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

I have always wondered why a good metal man could cut the back side of the cab under the window like the corvett's and mold the seat into it so it could slide back further and then your head would be up against the window. You would gain several inches of leg room. And the look would be one of a kind for sure.

Something like this. Then have it go into a center console.

Funny, I was at the junk yard today looking at a 71 cab and had a similar thought -- relocate the gas tank and cut away that upper piece of metal that sits above the tank and under the window. Gotta be worth a couple inches!

[4oldcars]

This is my 4th 67-72. Cab was too small on the truck (70 & 72) so I got suburban (72). Wife didn't like driving it on long trips - too big a vehicle. I now have a 2 wd Blazer (71). Small vehicle -lots of leg room, and I have a 61 Impala steering wheel which in itself takes up a lot of room and a 3" dash extension.

[okyankee]

i have im 6'5" big guy also. I got the billet specialties 14" wheel I believe. the shortest ididit column. which is 2" shorter than stock. gas tank is under the bed. I got a middle 90s chevy bench bucket combo in there. my guy cut the brackets for the seat way down and welded them back together. it even keeps the slider operating. like I need to slide it up. haha.

[PanelDeland]

Originally Posted by Lattimer

Yeah, 'cause that's easy and cheap......LOL

Nobody specified cheap. lol I was just thinking of this at the beginning of a project, but if you're going to go to that much trouble, you might as well do an extended cab. It would be a good way to get room on a LWB to SWB truck since you could cut the frame and bed to match, but would require a lot of bodywork.