can you move leaf spring rear ahead to make swb

[dilling]

Would this be easier then cutting frame ?

[glock35ipsc]

I don't think so. Too many thing would be off, upper shock mounts wouldn't be in the right place, etc.

Shortening the frame isn't that big of a deal.

[Scott68-93-97]

Anything can be moved the shock angle on these trucks isn't great anyway you can move it were ever you want

[Boog]

A real good example of how it looks is on one of our Texas members trucks. I believe his user name is 2Bits. It was a 71 long bed that was shortened by moving the leaf springs and hangers forward, then shortening a short stepside bed on top of that. Do a bit of searching and you should come up with a few of his threads with a good many pics too.

[cdowns]

its better to cut in the middle because the framerails are straight . trying to move the rear foward would run into the frame rail kickup and generally look like a hacked and wacked bubba project

[2bits]

Yah, This is something I had always wondered too... It isn't the "right" way to do it, but could it be done anyway because cutting and welding the middle of the frame is a big deal but anyone like me can lop off the back!

I never did it, but I found this truck at a used car lot and it was done just as you say, they cut off the trailing arms and bolted a leaf spring rear end in 18" forward, then cut the front and rear of the bed off, and took the extra frame off of the back. The PO wanted to go radical with it so instead of just cutting off the excess in front and behind the rear fenders, he cut the fenders too and made them even smaller

It definitely looked like a hubba bubba redneck engineered rig when I got it too, the repo man must've caught him in mid-project but I liked the way it looked and with a rust free cab and front clip, I took a chance.
It was all messed up when I got it, but after I got the shocks mounted right and some stock leaf springs in, it is now rolling just fine.

It rides good, better than you would think. It is a little hard, but just like a truck with 3/4 ton springs behind it, nothing too abnormal. You would think it would sit way up high because the axle sits in a lower location of the frame and you would be RIGHT, but if you look at the latest pics, even with Blazer springs on the rear, (once I get the stock height front springs in), it is going to look just fine, and with 60's instead of 50's on it, the tires will fill up the wheel well nicely.

Now... My truck rides great but if I were starting from scratch with both options available would I do it? Maybe, but it depends if I could weld or not. I would really look around to see if you can find someone you know who can refer you to a buddy who can chop the frame. Mainly, because if you can't do the rear end yourself, then you are going to have to pay someone to measure (correctly being the key), and mount the rear axle, and shock mounts, so you might end up paying the same money doing it the rig way rather than the better engineered way which is cutting the middle of the frame. So yeah it can be done.

Check out my thread for more info and pics on it:
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=220419

and click on my signature line for my site which has much more photos and story of what I've gone through with it!