72 GMC Short Step Build

[Z10]

We completed the bumper and hidden hitch install over the weekend. What I thought would have take a couple of hours work, became a little more involved. The bumper itself is a pretty nice, but we did have some fitment issues with the brackets. So after drilling additional holes and persuading the brackets with a few well placed blows from a dead blow hammer we got everything to line up.

The Early Classics hitch is a very nice unit and fit very well. It attaches with six bolts, which required drilling four holes in the frame.

Here are a few pics.

[knomadd]

Originally Posted by Z10

Per your request a couple pics of the bumper in relationship to the rear bed sill. Looks pretty straight to me. If you need another pic let me know.

I was actually referring to the top of the bumper and how it relates to the bottom of the tailgate (parallel), but it looks really good, so no worries. Looks like you got a good one. Maybe OER is the way to go for rear bumpers.

[Z10]

Originally Posted by knomadd

I was actually referring to the top of the bumper and how it relates to the bottom of the tailgate (parallel), but it looks really good, so no worries. Looks like you got a good one. Maybe OER is the way to go for rear bumpers.

Here's another pic. Looks pretty straight to me?

[OutlawDrifter]

i feel your pain! it's amazing what you can find modified on an older vehicle!

[knomadd]

Yep, that looks straight! Truck looks good!

[Nh4clo4]

Where did you get the bumper from?
ED

[Average Joe]

Looks great! Those hidden hitches are slick.

[Z10]

Originally Posted by Nh4clo4

Where did you get the bumper from?
ED

I got all of the bumper hardware from Classic Industries, mainly because they where running a sale and free freight. I'm sure other suppliers have the same bumper and hardware.

[10drum]

Z10, i really like how you hid the hitch, I wish I would've thought of that. I also like your M/C trailer. I went to look at one similar to yours, but liked this one better:

[Z10]

I took a little 600+ mile trip this weekend to Hunt, TX to catch up with some old college friends and pulled my 1999 Valkyrie behind the 72. Every thing went smoothly and could hardly tell the bike/trailer was behind me. The only issue was my trailer license plate fell off somewhere along the way.

It's going to be nice to be able use the truck to tow when needed.

Here are a few pics of the rig before I left and after I arrived.

[Z10]

Originally Posted by 10drum

Z10, i really like how you hid the hitch, I wish I would've thought of that. I also like your M/C trailer. I went to look at one similar to yours, but liked this one better:

Nice trailer 10drum. Interesting how you can load a bike in the bed with it.

[10drum]

Since the photo last summer I covered the ramp from the bed with a sheet of diamond tread, so I have somewhere to put my feet. My bikes all weigh less than 400 lbs. I wouldn't want to back your Valkrie out of my bed. When I was a kid, I hauled my dirt bike around in a 69 Ford longbed, and loaded/unloaded it with a 8' 2x12. I think, "how stupid was that?", whenever I unload the bike today.

[10drum]

Z10, It has been awhile since I've checked out your build blog. I asked you about the AC you installed awhile back. I will be installing AC pretty soon, but I wanted to ask you how the wind noise is in you GMC. I installed sound insulation under the carpet and behind the fuel tank cover, it helped a lot with road noise. I installed new door and window seals, and I have the same mirrors that your truck has, but I still get quite a bit of wind noise, especially at interstate speeds. It looked like you installed some sound insulation inside the doors. I know much of the noise is a result of the shape of the cab, vent windows, drip rails, and such, but did the door insulation help to quiet down the cab very much?

[Z10]

Originally Posted by 10drum

Z10, It has been awhile since I've checked out your build blog. I asked you about the AC you installed awhile back. I will be installing AC pretty soon, but I wanted to ask you how the wind noise is in you GMC. I installed sound insulation under the carpet and behind the fuel tank cover, it helped a lot with road noise. I installed new door and window seals, and I have the same mirrors that your truck has, but I still get quite a bit of wind noise, especially at interstate speeds. It looked like you installed some sound insulation inside the doors. I know much of the noise is a result of the shape of the cab, vent windows, drip rails, and such, but did the door insulation help to quiet down the cab very much?

I guess the best answer is, I'm not sure. I think I've got it about as quite as I'm going to. Wind noise is still evident and as you mention the mirrors, "A Pillars", and drip rails are probably the issue.

[10drum]

Z10, wind noise is probably half the reason I am installing A/C, I forgot how loud driving with the windows down on the interstate was.

[Z10]

Originally Posted by 10drum

Z10, wind noise is probably half the reason I am installing A/C, I forgot how loud driving with the windows down on the interstate was.

Well rolling up the windows does help with the wind noise.

[10drum]

Z10, Yeah it does, and many days up here in the Midwest, I can just open the kick panel and window vents, and it's not too bad. I drove many miles in a no air pickups, in you part of the world (Oklahoma & Texas), during the 70s as a pipeline technician. I guess I've just got soft. We had a supervisor once who borrowed a pickup from the mtce fleet, came in and ask why we didn't fix the A/C in that truck, we told him it didn't have ac. Our next trucks got air.

[Z10]

Originally Posted by 10drum

Z10, Yeah it does, and many days up here in the Midwest, I can just open the kick panel and window vents, and it's not too bad. I drove many miles in a no air pickups, in you part of the world (Oklahoma & Texas), during the 70s as a pipeline technician. I guess I've just got soft. We had a supervisor once who borrowed a pickup from the mtce fleet, came in and ask why we didn't fix the A/C in that truck, we told him it didn't have ac. Our next trucks got air.

I've spent many days/years in non a/c cars. Living in "HOT" West Texas with it's long, long, straight highways, I now have two required options A/C and cruise.

[Z10]

It's been awhile since I posted anything on the truck, so I thought I would post a couple of pics of the "Chief" and my little buddy.

[Z10]

LED H4 Bulbs

It's been awhile since I posted on this thread, and today I finally had something new to share.

First the truck is running excellent and has almost 11,000 mile on the new drive train. My work and family schedule has limited my chance to drive it as much as I would like, but hopefully I'll have more opportunity over the next few months.

I purchased some 5 3/4" H4 headlamps when we were building the truck with hopes that they would be better than the old sealed beams that came with it originally. I know many have used the newer LED headlamps and with good success, but I just didn't like the looks of most of them, so I went the H4 route.

Recently I've noticed some new LED H4 bulbs that no longer required cooling fans and have a heat sink built into them to handle the heat, so I though I would give them a shot to see if the install was simple and they actually would work with my existing H4 headlamps. Here's what I purchased:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/252295580117...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

I bought a pair for the low beams and now I think I'm going to need to buy another pair for the highs.

Here are a few pics showing the results, comments?

[OutlawDrifter]

Looks good, how's the light output?

[Z10]

Originally Posted by OutlawDrifter

Looks good, how's the light output?

Outlaw, they seem to be working very well, I just need to adjust my aim. Also, I did order another pair for the high beams.

[Z10]

LED Taillights

Well the headlight led bulb conversion seem to have worked out, so let's play around with the taillights.

I purchased these http://www.ebay.com/itm/252083378160...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT from eBay although I think there are less expensive alternatives. What I did want were bulbs made with Cree led's.

I installed the bulbs but soon discovered they would not blink and with a little research on this forum I found an electronic flasher from Speedway that should and did fix the issue. http://www.speedwaymotors.com/LED-Fl...rong,9549.html

The flasher was a direct fit, but I did end up using the pigtails to reverse the polarity.

Here are a few pics and they are definitely brighter than the 1157 bulbs, which is what I was looking for.

[OutlawDrifter]

I would like to do LEDs in my 1998. Headlights are OK, but I'd like to do all other exterior lamps. Generally without the correct flasher you get "hyper" flash. Keep up the good work!

[NewType72]

Fighting a very similar issue but with my side markers on my 72 Cheyenne. I have turn signals all the way up to headlights but as soon as I'm out the driveway they stop working with the headlights on. Such a pain to know they work but still not get it al the way right