47-55.1 Split the rear frame support in half? s10 frame swap

[suburban99]

Do I need to cut the rearish frame support in half to get the bed to fit? I have seen pictures of this on here. I assume for clearance to get the bed flat?
1950 GMC shortbox on a 93 s10 frame...Thanks

[joedoh]

post a picture, or find a web picture and describe it.

i havent ever needed to cut the frame in the back, but I start with a bed that is just 4 sides, no crossmembers in it. then I get the bed height set and reisntall the crossmembers. depending on how tall you made your cab mounts you may need to raise the bed floor slightly. here is how my friend mark did his. he is using my mount kit for the cab so about 4" off the frame. I always use the factory s10 bed floor, it fits nice and gives you free tubs.

[suburban99]

Like this..(Stolen from another thread)

[mr48chev]

i was thinking that most of the S-10 swaps use body and bed mounts that set the body and bed higher off the frame. That seems to be on of the selling points of the 1500 buck swap kits, the cab and bed sit high enough off the frame that you don't have to cut up sheet metal. The thing there is it is hard to get them as low as most frame swap guys want.

[joedoh]

i am not sure why someone did that, the part of the frame over the axle is at the same height as the top of that crossmember so they havent gained anything.



you can set the crossmembers to be 1.5" tall over the front bed mounts and rear part of the frame and the wood will lay on that crossmember and the flat frame over the axle and you will only lose about an inch of bed depth, plus the thickness of your wood.

[gigamanx]

I've got a few pictures from my build if it helps. I set the body and bed in a way I wanted to save as much bed depth as possible. Did it by making rear mounts that sat under the bed sill. I don't recall cutting any of the cross beams on the S10 frame and actually used a 4 link kit in the rear that bolted to the existing frame rails.

[dsraven]

I like joedoh's idea of using just the sides of the box till you get stuff figured out, then use gigamax's idea of square tubing frame to support the floor instead of messing around with the old cross sills, then joedoh's idea of using the s10 box floor as that solves problems and gives you tubs and a steel bed floor you can paint, spray box liner in, whatever. dont be all concerned about bed floor height as it is what it is when it gets done. an inch here or there in bed height isn't gonna matter.