Which S10 chassis swap kit is better: EZ or AD?

[MrTucker]

My eyes are blood shot from searching and I couldn't find the answer, so I'm starting a thread (hopefully there isn't one I didn't see).


I'm seriously considering the S10 swap. I have a '53 with a twisted up frame. I was planning on getting the frame fixed and getting an MII installed, but when I weigh the cost of the frame straightening and the MII install against the cost of the S10 swap (using a kit) it makes sense. Plus I worry about the integrity of the frame and want a good ride - the swap just makes sense.


So which kit is better - the EZ or the AD kit? The EZ kit is about the same cost as a cheap MII, and looks to be of MUCH better quality than the AD kit - according to what their respective websites show.


I know that making my own kit wouldn't be that difficult and would save me money, but I don't have the equipment to do this and I'm looking for ease of construction rather than doing a budget build. Come time to start this project I'll barely have a garage - much less all the equipment (probably skills too) needed for all the fab work. Pretty much looking for bolt on and go...


Anybody used either of these kits?

[nickp51chevy]

If you concider building your own, there really isn't much you need to make. I just used the original shackle mounts for the rear cab mounts and used the S10's rear cab mounts for the front. All you really need to build would be the bed mounts and for that I just cut some square tube on a bias and welded a plate on top of them. Really the only thing you'll need as far as equipment it a welder and some basic hand tools. I'm sorry I can't say anything about the AD or EZ kits, I'm sure people will chime in about them though.
Good luck and have fun

[54 jimmy]

have the ad kit and i have told other guys if i had to do it again i would go with the ez kit because it has everything and the owner tries to use everything from the s10 that you can to save you more money down the road. i had to fab a lot of stuff with the ad kit. it is a great kit if you are doing some custom stuff to your truck but if you are looking for the easy best bang for the buck go with the ez kit.

[britnjc]

I am not sure what fab work you are talking about on the AD kit. I used it and its pretty much a measure and install kit. It is high quality pieces also. I really liked the AD kit. The only fabwork will be making my bumper mounts, which i want to do anyways to pull them in closer to the body. Well i did cut my core support a little, but it is easy. I would use it again if I did this swap. plus it is about 600 dollars cheaper.

[55dude]

wow! EZ want right at $1,800 delivered to your door. for that type of money you could buy some very nice tools to fab up some of your own mounts and afterward end up with some great tools for the next project. mmm if you have any fab skills spend the money on the tools. onyone that says these kits are 100% bolt on are full of it! the only thing i have ever seen that bolts on with no fab work is a WHEEL! do some searching and check out LRALL'S build. pm him and he will tell you the real truth about these kits. people think these kits make the swap as easy as licking a postage stamp and putting it on a envelope. building a AD truck is a dirty thankless job! well more of a sickness!

[nickp51chevy]

That the guy LRALL. I couldn't remember his name so I didn't say there is some guy on here so go find him. Thanks 55dude.

[MrTucker]

Originally Posted by 55dude

onyone that says these kits are 100% bolt on are full of it...

I know! I emailed EZ about that and he responded with "pretty much everything needs to be welded after you bolt it in for mock up." Not what I was expecting!! He also mentioned that his prices have gone up, but aren't reflected on the website yet!

If I'm going to have to have it welded up - why buy the kit??

Thanks for the input guys...

[Thadious]

Yep, and $1800 to go with the stance that they've designed for you. Chance are, if you're going down this road... the whole thing is gonna be custom... Pick your own stance, layout your own brackets from the drawings on the forums then shim the way YOU want it. Everyone on this board is more than happy to help with ideas and things that have worked and things that haven't. Just remember, you aren't reinventing the wheel here, many of us are doing exactly the same thing your are! In the end, you still have to weld it up, so spend your cash on a decent MIG (you need it anyways!), do it yourself and take some pride in your work.

If you've never MIG'd before, get yourself some clean scrap, setup according to the machine specs for the thickness and start practicing. When your ready, tack them in where you want them and go from there. Then you still have a great MIG for the bodywork that you know is coming! (Gas is far better than flux core btw, unless you have to do it all outside).

Just my 2 cents.

Ted.

[c10addict]

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=353451

Check this thread out... A bunch of links to different Ideas for mounts... Ifollowed Jeffs51's drawings... There are pics in my Poison Ivy build thread...

[Atomsplitter]

I don't have the tools either so try going to your local welding shop with the plans from this forum and have them built for you. It'll save you a pocket full of cash as the shop will make these parts up with bits of scrap that they have in thier scrap bin. Don't let thm BS you about having to buy a 4'x4' sheet of steel.

[jeffs51chevy]

Either way you go, you will be welding and cutting and welding again. There are so many challenges that go along with a frame swap that one of two things will happen. Even if your skill set does not include fabrication, you will (1) acquire those skills out of necessity, or (2) your wallet will become much lighter. I love all of this stuff, but one thing you must acknowledge on this topic is the number of finished swaps out there. This forum probably has more s10 swaps underway than any on the web, but how many are “finished”, or close to being drivable. My point is, it takes a ton of work and it is not an easy swap.

I apologize for the thread hijack, so I’ll get back on topic. If you are going to fork out the cash, go with the EZ swap solely because the instructions equip you with knowledge to modify the parts you already have. That in itself should save you money down the road. As for help here on this forum, you will not find better, more helpful, charitable guys anywhere. Sorry for the novel.

Thanks,
Jeff

[MrTucker]

Dont apologize - these are the answers I was looking for.


Thanks...

[BlueJeep]

Originally Posted by jeffs51chevy

My point is, it takes a ton of work and it is not an easy swap.

Agreed 100%. I'm a fab guy, and I'm only partly through my build and there will definitely be challenges. Getting a kit and accepting how the designers of the kit determined it should be done will take a lot of the guess work out of it, leading to a quicker build and more time to decide how you want to do this or that (paint, interior, engine, etc). There is a great deal of value in that, especially for someone with a family or other time commitments.

[mr48chev]

MrTucker, any decent metal fab shop should be able to follow Jeff's drawings cut them out and bend them up.
You might have to get the drawings done up to full size for patterns though.
I'd say that the whole set shouldn't take more than a couple of hours shop time if you have full size patterns to work from.

[Lrall]

Either go with the AD or fab it all on your own. Each truck has its own set of quirks and cuts here or smaller pulley there blah blah. I have never heard of anyone needing a smaller PS pulley but thats what i had to do. So in short, fab your own or if you cant, use the AD kit. i dont like the look or style of the EZ kit. It also depends alot on what direction you want to do. If you want bagged or static, all depends

[c10addict]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

MrTucker, any decent metal fab shop should be able to follow Jeff's drawings cut them out and bend them up.
You might have to get the drawings done up to full size for patterns though.
I'd say that the whole set shouldn't take more than a couple of hours shop time if you have full size patterns to work from.

I used 4x4 square tube... Did not need bent and alot less welding...

[MrTucker]

Maybe I could just pay c10addict to make me some sweet mounts...