Roadkill's 58 Chevy Stepside

[Roadkill58]

[QUOTE=_Ogre;6148556]i use 7x15 rims up front and 8x15 in back both have 4'' back space
though i would use 4.5 on back, i have less than 1/4'' clearance to the fender on one side

where did you attach the front of the torque arm to?
i used an x-member that you appeared to cut out.


Thanks for the info Ogre. Thanks for the torque arm picture!

The only crossmember I cut out so far was the front one. I haven't attached the torque arm to anything yet.

My truck was originally a long bed. The spacing of the crossmembers is different. The only reason I know is because I looked under the 59 that is on the lift (factory short bed).

Going to fab some crossmembers for the trans, and some motor mounts and will probably add one to mount the torque arm to.

Today I went to my brothers to get help with disassembly (his tools and knowledge) on a tilt wheel.
He also replaced a leaky seal in my A/C system. He's got a Robinair A/C machine that is ....cool

He gave me all the brake lines and fuel lines I need for the truck.
Also something to setup TPI injection and others brands.
He gave me a nice oil cooler with mounting hardware.
Some relays and wiring. A receiver hitch to mount on my 71 (I forgot to load it) .
Caps, rotors, plug wires for my GMC, and the Tahoe.

Tommorow we are going to his work to pickup a welding table before the junkman hauls it off.

I need to go see my brother more often!

[_Ogre]

what motor and trans are you going to use?
if you using the stock bell housing you won't need another trans mount and i'd use stock front mounts on the motor

[Roadkill58]

I'm going to start with an older 350 I got with the 58 GMC if it runs right.

If not I have a 91 350 out of a camaro with TPI, but I also have an edelbrock manifold that will fit that motor.

There is a 350 TPI in the 88 IROC (I know it runs).

There is a low milage 350 crate motor in the 96 box van (it runs too).

Also a 350 in the 72 pickup (old power pack heads).

I don't count the 307 that came in the truck.

I also have a 302 out of an 84 trans am but not sure about it.
It's still in my 80 Monte Carlo that I bought back from the insurance company.

Need to build an engine test stand.

If I didn't have a motor I would go with an LS.

Do you mean like those front mounts I cut off the front crossmember?

I'm going with the side mounts.

I'm not sure I will use that bell housing.

Also I might change to an automatic later so that crossmember will have to come out.

[Roadkill58]

My brother came over tonight and we went on a mission.

The sun is going down and we are going in!

[Roadkill58]

After I unloaded everything from our mission last night it was time to do a little mock up.

This should be close to where the engine will be.

Once I removed the cab the rear end popped up a lot.

Thinking I should set the cab on the chassis and the bed pieces on the back to see if it will settle down where it should be.

Then I should be able to set my engine and pinion angle.

The brown truck brought me the hinge pocket patch panels and more.

They got here pretty fast considering they came from Taiwan

[Kim57]

Nice.
Looks like a cool tractor in the background.
Kim

[Roadkill58]

Thanks Kim.

Thats the tractor that sidetracked me last summer.

You can't see from the picture the cherry picker is bolted to an adapter I made so it can be moved with the tractor (pallet jack 3-point attachment).

It gets used a lot moving heavy stuff and loading heavy stuff in and out of my truck.

[Roadkill58]

Today I got another box of stuff from the big brown truck.

Ordered from Summit yesterday. That was fast!

Some gauges and tach for the engine test stand that will be built soon.

A flywheel and ARP bolts for the 91 engine.

Motor mounts and ARP bolts. Clutch head socket set.


Started making some engine mounts today out of some square tube.
Might use some 1/4" plate instead.

Worked on the steering column today also. Cut the shaft, beveled the ends. Cut the sleeve that will go over the shaft. Cut the column housing and prepped everything for welding.

I'm not afraid to cut and weld a column.

I have a little experience welding pipe.

It got a little warm this afternoon. When I went in the house I saw that it was 105 outside (with a hot wind blowing).
Thats enough work on the truck for today.

[Roadkill58]

Another 105 day. Got one of the engine mounts ready.

Finished all the welding on the steering column.

Now I need my brothers help to get it together.

He has a photographic memory. Me not so much.

The big brown truck showed up with the engine stands.

Now I can modify them and build a frame rotisserie for a fraction of the price.

Thanks Kabwe!

Did some shop cleaning also.

[papastrk]

I didn't think northern Cal. had 105 termps! My wife's family lived in San Jose. We loved the mild weather there. What happened?

[Roadkill58]

Originally Posted by papastrk

I didn't think northern Cal. had 105 termps! My wife's family lived in San Jose. We loved the mild weather there. What happened?

San Jose is near the San Francisco Bay.

I live in the valley. Huge difference in temps.

It has been 110 here in the past.

If you want to cool off you either head for the coast, or head for the mountains.

[Roadkill58]

Today was all about getting metal.

Went to Blue Collar Supply in Sacramento.

Bought some 3/16" plate to box the frame. They charge $1.00 per cut and it took five cuts. I would have spent $10.00 in cut off wheels.

Also found some metal casters for the welding table I'm building.

The welding table we got from my brothers work was a real piece of....

Decided to make my own. Should be finished by Tuesday.

They have a good selection of grade five and grade eight nuts and bolts.

They charge by the pound for most of the hardware and metal.

Got some grade eights for the engine mounts.

The temps were a little cooler the last couple of days. We have the delta breeze tonight.

[Roadkill58]

Didn't like the "welding table" we got from my brothers work so out came the torch.

Reused some of the angle iron legs on the new one.

I brought home the shipping legs off the equipment we were installing and managed to get a lot of them. Got a lot of good metal when we did demolition as well.

Used some of the shipping legs and some 1/4" plate on the new table.
The 1/4" plate was from a demo job also.

It hasn't been as hot as last week but with leathers (welding) on it felt like it.

Still have a few things to do until its finished but it will do for now.

Back on the truck after I do the brakes on my niece's avalanche.

[Roadkill58]

Finished the brakes on my nieces Avalanche.
I had to make one of the pins that go inside the parking brake adjuster. Parts house couldn't get it together.
Parking brake light switch was loose causing intermitten parking brake light.

Lost the brakes on the 71 on the way to the dump. What is it with brakes?

Ordered new master cylinder, calipers, and wheel cylinders for the 71.

Did a tune up on the 97 GMC so I could get it smogged.

My neighbor turned to sharp on his tractor while pulling a utility trailer and stripped out/ripped out the bolts holding the drawbar support mount.

I came up with a fix out of some scrap pieces of 3/16" plate.
I might have to tie in the sides.

As soon I fix the washing machine I can get back to the 58.

[Roadkill58]

Finished the brakes on the 71.

Mandatory battles with W & W (Wasps and Widows).

They both like old trucks.

Now back to the 58....not yet the wife's DD needs cv axels and brake rotors.

After disassembly and getting the new parts I start to install the passenger side axel.

It wont go in. My brother told me sometimes you have to push really hard.

Guess I better man up and get this axel in. I almost pushed the car of the jacks trying to get the axel in!

Something isn't right. Check inside trans spline with old school calipers and checked new axel spline. Only a 1/4" inch difference!

Back to the parts store to get the right axel.

The core charge on the driver side axel is $11.00 the passenger side is $111.00. Go figure.

Correct axel goes in easy.

I found that it is easier to remove the a-arm to replace the ball joints.
Drilled the ball joint rivets out on the drill press.

Installed new brake rotors also.

No work on the 58 this weekend.

My brother and I are taking our wives to Hot August Nights in Reno. Temps should be in the 80's this weekend so maybe they should change the name.

The rest of the year is all 58 time, except for landscaping and anything else that comes up

[Roadkill58]

Saturday we drove to Reno for Hot August Nites.

The temps were in the 80's during the day and the nite was cool.

I took about five hundred pictures of cars and trucks.

I will post pics of the trucks each day.

[Roadkill58]

Love this dually TF.

I was lucky to talk to the owner before left.

[Roadkill58]

Maybe not my favorite color, but very nice truck.

[Baldeagle SR]

nice looking trucks. The dually looks bad
Rich
My build http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=576185

[_Ogre]

avalanche brakes, 71 brakes, neighbors tractor, wife's dd, tune up 97 gmc AND washing machine...
we're going to have to strip you of your membership here roadkill

i do like that dually, well except that exhaust stack

[Roadkill58]

Originally Posted by _Ogre

avalanche brakes, 71 brakes, neighbors tractor, wife's dd, tune up 97 gmc AND washing machine...
we're going to have to strip you of your membership here roadkill

i do like that dually, well except that exhaust stack

Seems like something always gets in the way of truck time.

I bet it's loud in the cab with the stack so close to the back window.

Duramax and Allison combo is awesome. I had that in my work truck.

[Roadkill58]

I think the newer bed works with the theme of this 57.

[Roadkill58]

Just so you guys that like stock trucks don't feel left out.

[Baldeagle SR]

The newer bed does look good.
Rich

[Roadkill58]

The pictures (at this resolution) don't do this truck justice.