72 GMC Short Step Build

[Z10]

Originally Posted by 65 Fuelie

You'll have done some great work. I thought the truck was nice the last time I had a ride in it and looking foreword to a second ride next time I am in town. Your team get's an at-a-boy all the way around.

Thanks my friend. Let me know when you're back in town and we'll grab some lunch and I'll introduce you to the team.

[Z10]

New Rear Bumper

It's been a couple of months since we've done much to the truck. I'm pleased to report that I'm nearing 9000 miles on the new drive train and except for a defective distributor module, it's run great!

I still have a few things I've been wanting to do, and one of them is to install a rear bumper. Mainly so that I can mount a hidden hitch and pull a boat or motorcycle trailer from time to time.

All the parts are in and I'll be removing the roll pan and bolting on the bumper, hopefully this coming week. Here's the parts with the exception of the gravel guards which are suppose to be delivered tomorrow.

[knomadd]

I'm curious if that bumper has the dreaded curve everyone is complaining about with the aftermarket rear bumpers, or if it's straight across the top like the factory ones? Post a pic when you have it installed. I hope you got a good one!

[mcbassin]

Originally Posted by Z10

New Rear Bumper

It's been a couple of months since we've done much to the truck. I'm pleased to report that I'm nearing 9000 miles on the new drive train and except for a defective distributor module, it's run great!

I still have a few things I've been wanting to do, and one of them is to install a rear bumper. Mainly so that I can mount a hidden hitch and pull a boat or motorcycle trailer from time to time.

All the parts are in and I'll be removing the roll pan and bolting on the bumper, hopefully this coming week. Here's the parts with the exception of the gravel guards which are suppose to be delivered tomorrow.

That looks like a very nice bumper!
I would like to see how it fits and how straight it is from side to side. I've been looking for a nice rear bumper for a while now.

[Z10]

Originally Posted by knomadd

I'm curious if that bumper has the dreaded curve everyone is complaining about with the aftermarket rear bumpers, or if it's straight across the top like the factory ones? Post a pic when you have it installed. I hope you got a good one!

If you're talking about the top rear edge, that butts up against the bed? It looks straight to me.

[Z10]

I may have to change the name of this truck to "The Onion" every time I pull something off I tend to find an issue. Fortunately I've literally gone from the front to the back and there's not much left to discover.

I removed the roll pan and found that the rear bed sill had been cut to accommodate the license plate recess in the roll pan. Looks like I'll be replacing this and when I start on the wood bed.

[OutlawDrifter]

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

[Z10]

Originally Posted by knomadd

I'm curious if that bumper has the dreaded curve everyone is complaining about with the aftermarket rear bumpers, or if it's straight across the top like the factory ones? Post a pic when you have it installed. I hope you got a good one!

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.

[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?

[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.