Got another truck. 78-74 something stepside

[INSIDIOUS '86]

Well I bought this months ago but just got it home. Truck is a 78 frame with mixed year parts everywhere cab is original to the frame buys a Sierra grande gmc with some fat leaf springs in back and had some big 10 emblems stuck to the rear fenders and big elephant mirrors hacked into the side (what do you need one ton gear for a stepside shorty?) Needs bed wood and floor boards and wiring but its basically a shell right now. Plans are to get it painted but I'm keeping the cool white patina on the back tailgate and doing a sm465 manual conversion and dropping in a H/O 305 (exciting!) temporarily till I get my mystery motor dropped in. Trucks a non ac too! Thinking of cutting the front springs for a 3" drop up front and relocating rear hangers for 4" rear drop and getting rid of the silly two piece driveshaft.




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[Reziel_1983]

Cool truck... What color you going with?

[INSIDIOUS '86]

Originally Posted by Reziel_1983

Cool truck... What color you going with?

Not sure yet. Thinking of keeping it brown or maybe Hawaiian blue
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[Shyguy]

If you go with a SM-465 I don't think you can get rid of the two piece drive shaft because the SM-465 does not have a slip yoke.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

Originally Posted by Shyguy

If you go with a SM-465 I don't think you can get rid of the two piece drive shaft because the SM-465 does not have a slip yoke.

You can with a slip yoke driveshaft kinda like the 4x4 driveshafts
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[Pyrotechnic]

The Big 10 package was 3/4 ton springs all around, plus a bunch of other heavy duty parts. Larger brake booster, two piece drive shaft, wider rear brake drums, etc.

Doesn't make much sense on a half ton short wheelbase now does it?

The REAL reason that GM offered this package was to create a loop hole for emissions laws. By appropriately beefing up the truck to have a higher GVWR, the truck silently slipped out of the clutches of any catalytic converters or emissions spaghetti because it's GVWR rating was higher than that required to comply with emissions regulations. They save money on not having to install the emissions stuff, and the customer gets a simple and tough truck that's not choked out by band aid emissions junk. Win-win! Except for the EPA, I'm sure they didn't like this move.

My 77 has this package and I'm glad that it came that way. The best part is the dual exhaust transmission crossmember, rather than the funky catalytic converter crossmember that makes the exhaust a nightmare to fabricate.

My only complaint is the rear springs being way too stiff. Taking the overload springs out, plus another leaf that didn't seem to be doing much got the ride to be smooth enough.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

I'm looking at it and it looks like that's possible since the booster looks longer than most but wouldn't gmc be "heavy half"?
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[Tx Firefighter]

Consider a metal bed floor. It's cheap and permanent compared to bed wood replacement. I used a long wide bed floor, modified of course, in the stepside I'm building now. It sure works out slick and cheap.
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[y5mgisi]

Subscribed.

[GM-power]

Originally Posted by INSIDIOUS '86

I'm looking at it and it looks like that's possible since the booster looks longer than most but wouldn't gmc be "heavy half"?
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It would be. What rear end is in it? Certainly could be anything haha!
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[Pyrotechnic]

Originally Posted by INSIDIOUS '86

I'm looking at it and it looks like that's possible since the booster looks longer than most but wouldn't gmc be "heavy half"?
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Yes a GMC would be a Heavy Half. Chevy was Big 10. Someone probably had some fun with some stickers on your truck.

Either way, it all boils down to the "F44 Heavy Duty Chassis Equipment" option. That will be listed on the SPID sticker if it's still with the truck.

[cory d]

still left in the truck? thats like the first thing that little kids rip off. dibs your driveshaft! i can hardly fit u-joints into mine anymore. i love that hawaiian blue. match that with a white cab top and white on the tailgate and she will be a looker for sure. im between a light blue (not as bright as hawwaiian), brown, tan or some other browny tan color

[INSIDIOUS '86]

Originally Posted by Pyrotechnic

Yes a GMC would be a Heavy Half. Chevy was Big 10. Someone probably had some fun with some stickers on your truck.

Either way, it all boils down to the "F44 Heavy Duty Chassis Equipment" option. That will be listed on the SPID sticker if it's still with the truck.

I will probably send in to the heritage center since the front inner fender was replaced and glove box is MIA It looks like a ten bolt in the rear but I will check the drums and front spindle thickness to see what size they are. Last I remove reading was 8000gross lbs which would be the weight of the truck + load =total weight? On a plate in by the door Stryker on cab.

I may make my own bed wood kit. Prob get some stainless hardware down the road and my buddy is a carpenter
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[INSIDIOUS '86]

Btw how do you fix this?! Both sides are this bad but everything else on this cab is real solid


Then I need floor panels. Where would you guys recommend? Brothers site has them but its confusing as hell as to what they are selling cause it doesn't look like the floor or what side at anything just generic "floor patch panel"


Other than front fender corners this truck is rather solid
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[aggie91]

Try Top Banana, they are a vendor on here.
http://www.topbananaparts.com/vaf/pr...m=1080&year=29
The floors should be 01-0850-221 & 01-0850-222.

[INSIDIOUS '86]

Thanks. I have a build thread going on in the projects and builds section
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