safe to do this?

[hawksnest116]

I have a 1984 GMC 1/2 ton rwd. I will be driving my 3 year old daughter and a 3 month daughter. This truck holds tons of sentimental value to me. Its a old rust bucket though. Since I will be sandblasting basically every pannel I wanted to do something..... Can you cut the frame and turn a long box into a short box? I know new brake and fuel lines would needed. I also know new exhaust would be needed as well. I wanted to find a short box bed somewhere and bolt it to the frame. Is there a way to use the same mount holes? Basically I want to restore this truck but wish it was short box.

[Pop's C-10]

Originally Posted by hawksnest116

I have a 1984 GMC 1/2 ton rwd. I will be driving my 3 year old daughter and a 3 month daughter. This truck holds tons of sentimental value to me. Its a old rust bucket though. Since I will be sandblasting basically every pannel I wanted to do something..... Can you cut the frame and turn a long box into a short box? I know new brake and fuel lines would needed. I also know new exhaust would be needed as well. I wanted to find a short box bed somewhere and bolt it to the frame. Is there a way to use the same mount holes? Basically I want to restore this truck but wish it was short box.

yes to everything you asked..you can cut tha frame & box down to swb..some would tell you to get a 81-87 swb frame & a box to match & jus swap ya other parts to that..search tha fourms..pleanty of info on this topic..good luck..

[cory d]

there are quite a few people that have cut long bed frames to shortbeds. ive thought about doing it to my dads old crew cab

[nekkidhillbilly]

id rather have a long box actually

[hopelessredneck]

Originally Posted by nekkidhillbilly

id rather have a long box actually

x2

[raceman6135]

You'll also have to shorten the electrical wires to the rear lights.

Driveshaft will need to be shortened.

Parking brake cables will need to be changed.

You may have to replace the fuel tanks as I'm not sure if 20 gallon tanks will fit a short box or not. Depending on how the frame is cut, you may have to drill new fuel tank bracket mounting holes in the frame.

If you're swapping to a much earlier box, there is a changeover in the size of the fuel filler hoses you should consider.

Have a look at all of the other threads the others have listed. There are some precautions and procedures that must be followed when sectioning a frame because you don't want to just cut straight through it and then butt-weld the frame back together.

[N2TRUX]

Welcome to the forum hawksnest116. Yes, all of that can be done. Take a look in our FAQ forum for a couple of really good threads on how to do it correctly. Spend some time in our projects forum and you will see a lot of LWB to SWB Crewcab builds too.

[Pop's C-10]

Originally Posted by nekkidhillbilly

id rather have a long box actually

That was not tha OP question of what you would like..thanks for playin..

[rayfinseats]

Z cut the frame and brace the cut on the backside. I think it's 14 inches difference.

[rcbildr]

Sent you a pm.

[shipma3]

yes it can be done and is quite safe, just a real job to do, and i mean a tough job some like short beds some like long beds, i prefer the long bed myself more truckish

[Weasel Diesel]

If you got a welder, and can weld, you can turn a C10 into a fighter jet if you got the $$$. Be prepared for alot of measuring and time.

[made2drag]

if you are going to do it, go to a junkyard and buy a shortbed drive shaft and parking brake cables. you'll have to bend your brake lines in a way to loose length. dont worry about your wiring. cut your exhaust off then measure about 50 times and take the section out of the frame, weld it back and box the frame then put your driveshaft back on. exhaust then can be chopped and rewelded too. might as well change your u-joints since you have it apart. when i shortened my 67's frame it took way longer to take the bed off than to shorten the frame