64 "Large Marge" LWB-SWB / Build thread.

[4mulaSvaliant]

More safe keeping! LOL

https://tiresize.com/comparison/

[4mulaSvaliant]

Again with the safe keeping!
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/t....235784/page-4

[62stepside longbox]

Good job on the painting. Looks pretty good for rattle can. Love the valiant! My dad just sold his 69 dart. It had a 340 with a stage 2 cam, loved to rev and went like hell in a 2800 pound car.

[4mulaSvaliant]

So I finally got em.... and made em fit like I want!

Just finished making it possible to fit these GM Transport wheels on my 64.

Tires: 285-40-22 (all 4)
Static drop:
Front: 2.5" drop spindles / 2" drop springs
Rear: 5" drop springs / 2" drop blocks

Front mounting:
Disc brake conversion up front: Has the correct size hub dia. for these wheels
(Orig front drum "centric hub" on the drum is too large for these wheels and either a spacer is needed or opening up the bore on the wheel is needed)

Rear mounting:
I was given some 1-1/2" spacers for the rear. SO I used them of course.
(I would suggest a 1" or even a 1-1/4" at the most ****STEP SIDE BED*****)



Now all of that said... I love the look of filled out wheel wells. (width wise as well as diameter wise)

Its because of this and the fact that my spacers were given to me, that I ran the 1-1/2" spacers in the rear. I have roughly 5/8" between the inside of my tire (285-40-22) and the bed side (STEP SIDE BED).

I had to make adjustable fender struts to push the fenders off of the outer edge of the tire. I needed roughly a 1/4" to get off the tire, but adjusted it out about a half inch total, leaving a very tight 1/4" gap.

The front tires with the mentioned static drop will turn lock to lock with no clearance issues. The closest item to touching is the manual steering gear box. I also have a CPP sway bar and it clears that just fine as well.

Where I am closest and have rubbed (under full compression from large bump in the road) is to the floor board at nearly full lock at either side. The other place it is very close is at full lock in the center of the fender opening (fender lip). At full lock I can barely get my pinky finger between the tire and fender. This just causes me to enter driveways a lot slower, but hasn't been a major issue.

Here are a few pictures.

I have always had a "muscle truck vibe with my truck and wanted to keep it. Hence my tire choice. I feel I manged to keep the "tough" look I like.




Front fender clearance (wheels straight) Disc brakes..... so no spacers




This is all the room I have when turned to "full lock" under the fender lip


Closest spot to touch: Floor board at nearly full lock


This is the clearance to the bed side. Looking forward from rear of truck.



Adjustable fender struts (1 in front of the tire, and 1 behind the tire) This is the passenger side looking from the back of the truck.

[Palf70Step]

I like your fender strut. Never would have thought of one like that!

[mehoff400]

got a side picture of your truck with new wheels? I just picked up a set of transit wheels and trying to see how low i can go/tire size

[4mulaSvaliant]

Surely do! I may have a more dierct view. Ill have to look.

[4mulaSvaliant]

Mehoff... A lot of guys are going with a 30 or 35 series tire. I tried to apply a bit of logic as well aesthetics weighing heavily on my choice.
But... the logic was these few items:

1. weight of the truck (They aren't light!!!!) So a thin side wall doesnt offer much protection to potholes

2. The combination of wheel and tire is 97 lbs! This is all "unsprung weight" and yet again your tire is the only suspension your wheel itself has, so a bigger sidewall will help save your wheels.

3. Ride quality... again with the "cushioning" a taller side wall gives. (I drive my truck daily)

Beyond that I wanted a little "meatier" look for the sake of the look I wanted with he truck. But also it filled the fenders very well and looks good (in my opinion)

Most of the pictures you'll see will be a 30 series, so just bare that in mind. Hope this helps.

[mehoff400]

it does help thanks!

[made2drag]

Originally Posted by 4mulaSvaliant

So, when I bought the truck Joker told me "you can have one of them 5 speeds as well"
He had two, one of which I actually gave him a few years ago. I had done my research and found that there was a "better" overdrive ratio for the taller gears I had in the rear.
Fortunately the one I had given him, was the one with the OD gears I wanted.

Looking at all the swaps out there, I had come across many ways to do it. Some WAY better than others, and ultimately I landed on Hot Rod Works site.
Link:http://www.hotrodworks.com/catalog/i...1983-cars.html

This is something I will advertise for them for a long damn time! It was an excellent product!
The instructions come with the applications you can find the clutch sets from as well.
This was literally a bolt together swap. The one modification you have to make is to cut the tube that fits over the input shaft. The dimensions are in the instructions as well.



You can see the cut retainer "tube" in this picture (near the splines)


All bolted in with the 1986 Astro van clutch set.


Important info regarding the clutch sets.

The Astro van has the largest diameter of the 3 applications you can get a clutch set from.
the three being:
Camaro
S10
Astrovan

All will work, but because the flywheel has so much surface are, I figured why not try to get the largest clutch as well. It is a truck I plan to USE after all!

The Camaro and S10 have clutches in the 9" range and the Astro is like 11-3/4" I think. Which is much better considering the original clutch is like 12" or 13".

The Astro Van throw out bearing went right in place and the clutch fork fit as it should with the bearing as well.

question: if that's a 86 s10 4 cyl t5 how did the splines work on the 350? I thought the nose was too long and the spines wont work? I see the adaptor plate, I'm wondering if that fixes the input shaft issues?