short box measurements

[skymangs]

I have an AD truck with no box (it was a 3600 flatbed). The truck is now on a 91 S10 frame. I am suddenly concerned that a shortbox may be too short. can anyone give me measurements from the rear wheel center to the back of the cab, and from the frontmost portion of the rear fender to the back of the cab from thier shortbox?

the frame I used is a 117" wb short cab/long box 2wd S10, and I hear that the shortbox should fit. i've seen some builds that have a rather large gap between the box and the cab, and i don't want that. So I'm trying to decide whether it would be better to cut down a long box, or will the short box be just the right length. I just want to be sure before I buy one.

thank you,

[OrrieG]

The link in my signature will get you to a technical manual for TF truck. Scroll down and click "year index". click the year of your truck and the manual will pop up. It has all the dimensions you need. If for some reason the page you need is missing in the year you select, try the next or previous, the basic dims did not change.

[skymangs]

Thanks, most helpful!

[mr48chev]

A stock shortbed AD pickup has a 116 inch wheel base. A lot of guys set the front wheels slightly ahead of the stock axle position when they put subframes under AD trucks or do frame swaps so that the tire looks more centered in the wheel well.

If you have that end exactly the way you want it already you could pull the axle off the rear springs and redrill the spring pads to slip the axle forward on the springs enough to center them in the wheel well when you are done getting the bed fitted exactly the way you want it. That would be my plan with what you are working with. Get the front wheels centered in the wheel wells exactly the way you want them. Get the cab and nose mounted and then mount the bed so that it fits up to the cab exactly how you want it including being on the same plane as the cab so that the truck doesn't look bent in the middle and either look like the frame got bent in the middle or it has droopy drawers sagging in the back because the bed tilts slightly to the back.

I don't know who's truck this is but the bed is lined up perfectly with the cab and running boards rather than angling off on it's own and it makes for a great looking truck.


This is a popular truck that may be sitting on an S-10 chassis. Look close and you can see that the top rail of the box droops away from the cab causing it to look like the bed supports at the back of the cab are broken or missing.


Looking at it closely it appears that they did exactly what you are trying to stay away from and that is make too big of a gap between the cab and the bed to be able to center the wheels. Along with having the back of the bed too low on the frame of the truck.

[skymangs]

Thanks Mr48chev, looking at the above link, a shortbox is 78" and a 3/4 ton box is 87. that's 9" of difference. It looks as though the long box has several inches added behind the fenders as well as 6 or 7 inches added in front. I had thought about relocating the axle farther forward on the springs, but how much can I get away with?

If it turns out to be 2", will that negatively affect the spring geometry? What I was really looking for was a measurement from the centerline of the rear axle to the forward edge of the 1/2 ton shortbox. my centerline to back of cab is 43.5". Since the cab is already mounted, and my front wheels are perfectly centered, I may have inadvertantly changed the location of the cab's rear wall.

What I'm gathering is that a shortbox, vs. a shortened long box will probably be the way to go. We're on a pretty strict budget, and I just didn't want to purchase a shortbox, and wind up with a gap that was larger than I could compensate for with axle re-location.

[63 & 64 Bowties]

Skyman, I didn't see it mentioned yet, but be sure to verify the fitment of running boards (if you do end up with shortbed ones) front fender to rear, and the fitment of the bed to running board filler panel BEFORE mounting your bed. If you don't get the bed right, either the filler panel won't fit or the gap will be too big.
Oh, and how 'bout a pic of that 61 Caddy in your sig? I love those things.

[skymangs]

63 & 64 bowties, good call on the filler panel fitment. I was planning on accounting for it. Would be bad to mount a bed and have running boards and fillers that didn't fit. That is the biggest reason I want to make sure the box fits in it's factory location.

Story on the 61 Cad... I bought this car from Pioneer Auto Museum in Murdo, SD in 1990 or 1991 for the whopping sum of $400. It was on the lot of "soon to be restored cars" out behind the museum, and the owner took a shine to me. Since then it has rested quitely in storage in my Dads building in Iowa. I think in 2002 I got it running, but I am a Soldier, and move every 2 or 3 years, so a long term project just hasn't been a reality yet. It is a solid and straight South Dakota car, and will be my first major project after I retire in 2 more years. I have no recent pics. I think in the last one that was taken I was a 13 year old grinning kid.

[Fred T]

You can go here and get some of the factory specs, starting on pg 62.
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com...to/48index.htm
One thing to be wary of is that the factory didn't center the rear wheel in the fender opening, I think the axle needs to go aft 1-2". Someone with more knowledge should be able to say.

[skymangs]

Thanks Fred, found a shortbox to measure. looks like the shorty will be a better fit afterall.