To leave or not to leave the crossmember in

[fs64]

I know this topic is well addressed but I wanted personal experience input.
I have located an 82 donor and I plan on rebuilding the entire front assy prior to installation. The engine and trans are out. Is there any benefit or need to swap the cradle or can I just bolt on the arms from the control arm shafts? I will use the larger u bolts on the bottom and know I need to drill holes for the idler. Any input is greatly appreciated.

[Captainfab]

As long as your recipient truck is a C10, you can get away with not changing the crossmember. Changing the crossmember really isn't a big deal, but if you are going to be rebuilding the '82 suspension and brakes, it will be apart anyway. So just removing the old and installing the new parts on the original crossmember will likely be about the same amount of work as changing the crossmember.

Now if you were not going to rebuild the suspension and brakes right away, then I would just swap the entire suspension, crossmember and all.

[fs64]

I haven't had any luck finding a good donor truck in the salvage yards.
However I did find a good 82 that the owner is parting out but he is concerned that without the cradle in place he will not be able to get the remains towed to SY.

So I wanted to check and see that if I unbolt the bushing shafts from the 82
cross member that I can rebuild the suspension and reinstall it on my 64 cross member with no surprises.

Thank you for any information.

[gulfcoast66]

I would unbolt the upper and lower control arms from the x-member with the spindles still attached to the control arms from the 82 truck. Also I would get the center link with power steering gear box attached, and order a P/S kit from Captfab, and install all on the 64 x-member..

[gulfcoast66]

Here's a couple of pics, and Captfab P/S kit. Hope this Helps.... GC66..

[Malibob]

Take the crossmember if you can and make it a pancaked crossmember in the event you want to get down another 1.5" in the future. If you have no interest whatsoever in that, just switch the arms out. That's what I did on my '65.

[Captainfab]

If you remove the entire suspension, crossmember and all from the '82, the frame isn't going to fold up when the guy wants to move it. But if you want to just remove the control arms, spindles, etc and bolt them up to your '64 crossmember, that will work as well. I do recommend using the larger diameter LCA shaft U-bolts theouh. You will have to drill out the holes in your '64 crossmember. I also recommend using the entire '82 steering linkage. You will just have to drill 2 holes for the newer idler arm.

Thanks for the recommend GC66

[gulfcoast66]

Anytime Captfab.....