65 C10 Family Connection

[FamilyTruckster65]

Well, remember those cool wheels that I got over 20 years ago? They take 14mm lugs. These rotors have 1/2" screw in studs. Sooo....

[FamilyTruckster65]

Using an Astrovan hydrobooster and needed to mate the rod to the 65. You can see the Captain Fab bracket installed on the booster.

[FamilyTruckster65]

PSA. Keep your windows closed, a squatter has moved in.

[FamilyTruckster65]

Test fitting the 67-72 rear bumper. I will be installing a hidden hitch also. She still needs to be able to be used like a pickup.

[FamilyTruckster65]

More fun stuff arriving. Fat 67-72 wheel houses.

[Getter-Done]

Those fat wheel houses are going to make the rear look Wide

Nice addition

[joesscamaro]

Are those wheel tubs a bolt in option for our trucks? They look quite a bit wider than our factory tubs.

[FamilyTruckster65]

Originally Posted by joesscamaro

Are those wheel tubs a bolt in option for our trucks? They look quite a bit wider than our factory tubs.

Well...for sure the flange on the floor is in a different spot, so some massaging will have to be done there.

As for the flange on where it bolts to the bed side, I will be moving the wheel house upward due to being lowered. I will be redrilling the holes in the bedside. I can compare the flanges of the widened tubs to the stock ones for you. I will post pictures when I do.

[FamilyTruckster65]

Working on the radiator and core support and figuring out what I need to do. This is a "universal" radiator. Since in am using an L86 with the stock accessories both radiator fittings are on the drivers side. This radiator is a cross flow unit with an internal transmission cooler. The radiator was intended to have both fittings on the passenger side. So I flipped it around to have them on the drivers side while moving the trans cooler fittings to the passenger side. To do this required that I move the filler neck to the opposite corner.

[PowerdbyChevy79]

Loving the progress

[FamilyTruckster65]

Thank you 79.

Today's project was getting the new rear axle housing prepped for installation. I need to weld on new saddles for mounting to the trailing arms. Question is, how far apart should they be? I can't tell you, because I cheated.
Used "from unders" tack welded to the saddles to jig it up on the original 12 bolt. Now I can just center it up on the new housing. No measuring.

[FamilyTruckster65]

Popped the original windshield out as it was delaminated and broken. I was pleasantly surprised to find zero rust.

I was laughing to myself when I looked at the tag on the replacement windshield. I have been hoarding parts for a while. I found the receipt for the windshield when I got it from The Filling Station, in 2003... Does that make it a vintage part??

[Getter-Done]

For sure that is vintage .

I see a 1980 or 1990 vehicle going down the road and,
That is Not old to Me

That Windshield is NOS 50 %ish

[JohnIL]

[QUOTE=Does that make it a vintage part??[/QUOTE]

Your new windshield is almost an antique!

[FamilyTruckster65]

Originally Posted by JohnIL

Your new windshield is almost an antique!

Yeah, I got it when I did not have a belly but I did have hair!

[FamilyTruckster65]

starting to get the bed mounted. is this a problem? Well, besides the sideways picture..

[Arne]

Hmm. That could be a problem. I guess you could narrow the axle...

That's one of the reasons I ditched the 10" wheels that came on my truck.

[Getter-Done]

Flip for ya.

Yes those will rub when the frame flexes in the curves.

[FamilyTruckster65]

So this rear axle is from a 1970 F100 and it is 2" narrower than the factory 65 axle. With my wheel and tire combo it is still too wide for the ride height I want to achieve. I have had these wheel for more than 20 years and I am not going to get differnt ones.

The lower (or second) picture shows the truck mocked up at ride height. Currently I have 3" of upward travel to the bumpstops on the rear axle. First picture shows suspension at full compression, or on the bump stops. There is 4" of droop from ride height. 7" total axle travel. I am using air bags and have a ride height controller.

I would have approximately 7" from the lowest part of the frame under the cab to the ground at ride height.

Gonna have to get out the chop saw and make me a skinnier axle!

[Arne]

This is a great build. I wish more people would start using the "Rate this Thread" so that threads like this get the 5 stars they deserve.

[joesscamaro]

How much more narrow are you going to go...a couple of inches? Thanks for posting the progress!

[FamilyTruckster65]

Originally Posted by joesscamaro

How much more narrow are you going to go...a couple of inches? Thanks for posting the progress!

Pretty sure gonna do 1.5" per side from where I am now. So that would make it 58" wms-wms. Stock width pretty sure is 62" wms-wms.

Oh, and I lied earlier. The 1970 F100 axle is 61" Numbers are so confusing...

[duramax55]

familytruckster have a question if you only take 1.5 inches on both sides ca you still keep the same axels? will you cut 1.5 off of each side just wondering??

[FamilyTruckster65]

Originally Posted by duramax55

familytruckster have a question if you only take 1.5 inches on both sides ca you still keep the same axels? will you cut 1.5 off of each side just wondering??

Well in my case I cannot do that with these parts, there would not be enough spline left. The stock shafts are a smaller diameter at the end of the spline, thus not allowing me to respline them. So all the work earlier of welding up the holes and redrilling the pattern to 5x5 will go unused.

I have a pair of new axle shafts that have extra long splines and are intened to be cut to length. Maybe not as trick as having axles custom made, but still useable for what I am wanting to do.

I will make the cuts to the axle housing so as the pinion will be centered not the pumpkin. I need to keep the driveshaft away from nearby bits.

[FamilyTruckster65]

This is the type of axle I am using.

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speed...le,418891.html