Baby Gets Back..... Tubbing a stepside.

[Fitz]

Last Pic before paint. Stainless is cut, bedboards trimmed and drilled, bedsides cut and drilled and both tubs are in! Now comes a big buy...M&H 18 x345's and a pair of SLC-65's to match.

[SierraMtns]

Originally Posted by Fitz

Widening the fenders does look good when they match the doors but that long, compound curve is tough to get right without an English wheel. My hat is off to you if you pulled that off! It is not something I could have gotten right.

While it is a dodge, adding tubs inside the bed is much easier as the tub curves in one direction only and I can get a 20 inch section width tire in there. This is the look I am after:

Man those are some fatties...

Did you cut the wood to be flush with the frame?

Great job.

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by SierraMtns

Man those are some fatties...

Did you cut the wood to be flush with the frame?

Great job.

Yes. The frame steps out at the spring perch but the wood and stainless strips have been trimmed so the frame is the limiting factor on tire width. That opening now supports a 20 inch section width tire....but no one makes a tire that big!

[swamp rat]

Originally Posted by Fitz

Last Pic before paint. Stainless is cut, bedboards trimmed and drilled, bedsides cut and drilled and both tubs are in! Now comes a big buy...M&H 18 x345's and a pair of SLC-65's to match.

So is that about the same as the dodge pic? I think its gonna look sweet!

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

So is that about the same as the dodge pic? I thinkk its gonna liik sweet!

Dodge? What Dodge?

[swamp rat]

The pic in post 20 post says its a dodge. ether way wondering if your new wheels will be that wide. I like it!

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...9&postcount=20

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

The pic in post 20 post says its a dodge. ether way wondering if your new wheels will be that wide. I like it!

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...9&postcount=20

Hate to bust your bubble but the truck in that pic in post 20 is a 1967 C-10 small window stepside. Adding fleetside wheelhouses to the bed of a stepside is a "dodge" around widening those stepside fenders because of the compound curve which has to be made at the forward and rear of those fenders. That "job" I moved into the "too hard" pile.

[swamp rat]

Ok i get the dodge part, Just a term usage i have not ever heard of before. The pic post in 20 sure looked like a chevy to me anyway looking at the side conture of the doors.

That still brings up my question, are your wheels and tires gonna be that wide?

"M&H 18 x345's and a pair of SLC-65's to match" Guess i can google it..

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Ok i get the dodge part, Just a term usage i have not ever heard of before. The pic post in 20 sure looked like a chevy to me anyway looking at the side conture of the doors.

That still brings up my question, are your wheels and tires gonna be that wide?

"M&H 18 x345's and a pair of SLC-65's to match" Guess i can google it..

Wheels, 18 inch diameter by 12 " wide.

M&H345's are
Tread Width: 12.3"
• Section Width: 13.8"
• Diameter: 28.0"
• Circumference: 88.0"

So they are a bit narrower than the ones in that pic. Those are Mickey Thompson
31X18.00R15LT with an 18 inch section width but they need a 14 inch rim which billet Specialties does not make and I want to match the fronts. Those tubs will accommodate a 20 inch section width tire.

[joey8383]

Originally Posted by swamp rat

Ok i get the dodge part, Just a term usage i have not ever heard of before. The pic post in 20 sure looked like a chevy to me anyway looking at the side conture of the doors.

That still brings up my question, are your wheels and tires gonna be that wide?

"M&H 18 x345's and a pair of SLC-65's to match" Guess i can google it..

I thought it was supposed to be a Dodge pic too.
And I googled that and couldn't find much. Glad I'm not the only dummy.

Truck is looking good! Now I'm looking more in to widening the bed like mentioned earlier by adding width in the middle of the bed.

[68racer]

This is the image that explains how I widened the bed but kept the stock tailgate.
First you have to cut off the vertical seamed panel that the tailgate hinges on and weld it up smooth. Then add an angled steel piece that shifts the side panel out an inch and a quarter.



Sorry the truck is dusty as lots of work going on at the moment.

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by 68racer

This is the image that explains how I widened the bed but kept the stock tailgate.
First you have to cut off the vertical seamed panel that the tailgate hinges on and weld it up smooth. Then add an angled steel piece that shifts the side panel out an inch and a quarter.


Sorry the truck is dusty as lots of work going on at the moment.

Moving the bed side out moves the tire closer to the bed side, but the increase in width between the fender and the bedside is unchanged. It DOES avoid shortening the axle which would give the same result, and the backspace changes the same amount using either method. My 285/60-R17's already fill that space with only 1/4 inch clearance on each side. For any tire wider than 285, you need tubs in the bed or, UGH, an English wheel to make a strip to weld into those fenders to widen them.

[68racer]

I agree, I run 285/55 18 tires with a 3 and a quarter back space on the street. These would not need a tub but my 15 x 12 wheels for my slicks mean I run an inch and a half minitub.

[Fitz]

All Right! Tubs are finished so now it's time to get to the reason the truck was tubbed in the first place. It takes a large tire to get 650 HP to the street and get it to hook up in a light truck. The Stepside fenders will now take a tire with an 18 inch section width and it's time to narrow up the axle so I can get a wheel in those tubs with a 'reasonable' backspace.

Here's what you need. A 6 foot (yes, 72 inches) finish ground steel round bar 1.5 inches in diameter, inner alignment blocks that mount where the differential carrier Bearings would normally go, Outer alignment blocks that fit into the housing ends and, if you're going to get rid of those pesky 'C' clip axles which none of the drag strips will allow you to run, new Ford housing ends, bearing seals and bearings and a set of shorter axles splined for the 12 bolt carrier on one end and with the ford big bearing bearing seats on the other and a pinion centering plate for determining the length of the new axles for the shortened housing.

So, here's pictures of the tools and the new axle ends. Now all I've got to do is get the truck in the air, drop the rear axle, disassemble it, and (GAK) cut it!

Don't try this at home, kids, if you don't have a good saw, a welder you know how to use and a pair big brass ones. Mess this one up and you will need to find about $3000.00 to fix the mess you made!

If the housing is cut straight the alignment bar will keep the new axle ends perfectly aligned with the carrier so when you reassemble there will be no binding IF you don't put too much heat on one side of the housing as you weld. I will tack in four places 90 degrees apart, let it cool and do the same but the second time the four tacks will be rotated 45 degrees placing them between the first four. Continue until boredom sets in and make two welding passes, not one. You'll get a stronger joint.

[BugzC10]

Where did you get the skills to do this? Are you a Mechaical Engineer?

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by BugzC10

Where did you get the skills to do this? Are you a Mechaical Engineer?

I am an engineer.

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by Fitz

Here's what you need. A 6 foot (yes, 72 inches) finish ground steel round bar 1.5 inches in diameter, inner alignment blocks that mount where the differential carrier Bearings would normally go, Outer alignment blocks that fit into the housing ends and, if you're going to get rid of those pesky 'C' clip axles which none of the drag strips will allow you to run, new Ford housing ends, bearing seals and bearings and a set of shorter axles splined for the 12 bolt carrier on one end and with the ford big bearing bearing seats on the other and a pinion centering plate for determining the length of the new axles for the shortened housing.

If the housing is cut straight the alignment bar will keep the new axle ends perfectly aligned with the carrier so when you reassemble there will be no binding IF you don't put too much heat on one side of the housing as you weld. I will tack in four places 90 degrees apart, let it cool and do the same but the second time the four tacks will be rotated 45 degrees placing them between the first four. Continue until boredom sets in and make two welding passes, not one. You'll get a stronger joint.

I've never, ever seen it done that way before. I doubt you are the first, but really don't know.

I cannot fathom a better way to do it.

Can I borrow that tool at O'Reilly's? LOL

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by Fitz

Moving the bed side out moves the tire closer to the bed side, but the increase in width between the fender and the bedside is unchanged. It DOES avoid shortening the axle which would give the same result, and the backspace changes the same amount using either method. My 285/60-R17's already fill that space with only 1/4 inch clearance on each side. For any tire wider than 285, you need tubs in the bed or, UGH, an English wheel to make a strip to weld into those fenders to widen them.

OK I'm thinking if you did both, you might retain a 4' width between the mini-tubs, so you can carry 4x8 sheets. LOL

OK now you got me to thinking. I have a nice metal bed bottom with factory tubs (out of a 92 SWB fleetside that had a bedliner all it's life) that I was thinking of using as a floor on my 68 SWB stepside.

Looks kinda tough to extend the front of the bed and to modify the tailgait area as shown. Might be outa my league on fabrication skills.

The stepside rear fenders do look to be narrower in total than the front fenders though.

[BossHogg69]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

I've never, ever seen it done that way before. I doubt you are the first, but really don't know.

I cannot fathom a better way to do it.

Can I borrow that tool at O'Reilly's? LOL

I had the 12 bolt rear on my '69 stepper narrowed the same way, and I also used big Ford ends from Moser along with custom Moser axles. I did my tubs the same way too, sectioning a set of aftermarket 67-72 fleetside tubs.

Lookin' good Fitz!

[CG]

Fitz you do great work. Love reading your build posts!

[TexasLS1]

I'm getting in here to watch and appreciate this build

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

I've never, ever seen it done that way before. I doubt you are the first, but really don't know.

I cannot fathom a better way to do it.

Can I borrow that tool at O'Reilly's? LOL

Sorry, but no, O'reilly's is still in the Harry Homeowner Doesn't Know Much Tool Loan Program. Available from Mittler Brothers Machine and Tool or Mark Williams .

http://www.mittlerbros.com/mittler-b...wing-kits.html

Expensive if you go for a set of tools for Ford, Dana and GM but less than half for GM only. The Mark Williams tooling is a bit less expensive, but they use a 39 inch bar to do one side at a time.

http://www.markwilliams.com/detail.aspx?ID=163

I thought everyone did it this way. Go figure!

[Fitz]

:lol

Duplicate post. How did that happen?

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by CG

Fitz you do great work. Love reading your build posts!

Thank you! Being retired is great. I get to play in my Garage as much as I want! More to come as soon as I get that diff out from under the truck.

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by BossHogg69

I had the 12 bolt rear on my '69 stepper narrowed the same way, and I also used big Ford ends from Moser along with custom Moser axles. I did my tubs the same way too, sectioning a set of aftermarket 67-72 fleetside tubs.

Lookin' good Fitz!

Two shots after final paint. Kudos to the guys at Finish Master in Tucson. They mixed up a perfect match for that gunmetal metallic gray, and if you have ever tried to match a metallic you know what a PITA that can be.