hey everybody out there in HAMB land. i come to you seeking advice. i'm in the middle of my build and i don't really know what to do next. i have my cab up on my frame. i'm using a s-10 frame that i shortened to fit. right now it's sitting about 3 1/2" off the frame. but i'm thinking that i'm going to put it about 5" so i have the room for the radiator. my delema is, i don't really want to "bolt" anything down untill i get my headers because i don't know if i'll have enough room for the steering column. (i'm going to use the stock column) i was looking at where to put my break assembaly today but i'm not sure how far the through is on the pedal so i didn't do that. i just don't know what to do with it. i've never built a hot rod before and i'm lost now.
Join the social group. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/group.php?groupid=132 Someone will chime in soon with real info. Norton
Hi Nick- Maybe I can help a little. My daily driver is a 49 on an S10. With being a daily driver I didn't want it too low. I was also in a big hurry to get it on the road so I opted for the AD Engr. kit. This sets the cab floor approx. 8" above the frame. It was a little too high so I went with 2" drop spindles. At 8" you don't have to cut away any firewall for bellhousing clearance but from the sound of your setup you are not concerned about that issue. I used the Patriot SBC headers for the S10 V8 conversion. This header allows the steering column to pass through it. Take a look in Summit or Jegs catalog. I assume your using a SBC V8 so if not disregard this suggestion. I also decided to go with an aluminum radiator, 19" h x 23" w and had to modify the cradle to accept it but it sits above the steering box. Are you using the S10 master cylinder and booster? Here are a few pics for reference that might give you some ideas. http://s146.photobucket.com/albums/r246/49S10/
L. Eckart, Did you use S-10 brake pedal? I got the master cylinder booster and pedal out of an S-10, but I am having a terrible time getting it to fit just right. Would appreciate any suggestions or tips. Thanks!
Kustomz- I used an aftermarket hanging pedal bracket for the 47-53 pickup and then got a pedal out of a mid-seventies Caprice. As stated before, I was in a big hurry and this was a quick way to get it done. I did use the S10 master cylinder and booster and proportioning valve.
I mounted my cab 1" above the frame and I drive it everyday. It is very low, but rides great. I used a '39 chevy truck radiator that fit between the s-10 frame rail and steering box.
I just bolted the S10 bracket in and off I went. I'm about to do another one this weekend. Search S10 on here, there are about 400 different ways to do it. I'd like to see onlowponcho's method. That is LOW! I'm at 5" and still almost hit the floor with the driveshaft. I've also got the stock radiator kicked out about 4" at the bottom.
Yep there are a lot of different ways to do it. Check what this guy on another board did. I like his mounts and he designed them himself and didn't pay the 1500.00 for the kit. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?t=294539 I think some of your questions get answered in that thread too.
Here's an older pic of my shit box. The driveshaft don't even come close the cab, but I had to make a large tunnel for the transmission. Stock radiator would not work at all, I had to find something real narrow (39 chev).
thanks to everyone for helping me out. i looked at the ad eng. brackets and thats a little out of my price range. i think that i'll be able to make something close to it though.
I did a lot of research in the header department and here is what I found. I first looked at the S-10 V-8 headers and although these headers would have made navigating the steering linkage from the steering column to the steering box much easier I did not care for the looks of the one, long swooping header tube that allows the steering linkage to travel through it. This type of header would have required a large relief area to be cut out on the drivers side inner fender to allow the tube to clear, and compromising looks for the added function was not worth it. I then looked at the block hugger (Ram Horn) style. This style came too close to the upper A-Arm bushings on the S-10 chassis and felt that the heat may start melting the bushings out. Finally, I purchased shortie, Headmen Headers from Summit, Summit part# HED-68600. The driver side header tucks nicely toward the engine block clearing all of the suspension bushings and allowing for a decent navigation of the steering linkage. The steering linkage will require 2 lenghts of steering shaft. 3 U-joints......1 for the steering box, one for the steering column, one to join the 2 steering shafts. The steering linkage will also require a stationary eye-bearing. No cutting or alteration of the driver side inner fender is needed. One of the header tubes on the passenger side does come a little close to the inner fender, and minor alterations may be required to clear it from hitting and/or burning any paint away from the inner fender. Nonetheless, I found these to be the best look, not to mentiong the 3-bolt exhaust flange and 3" exhaust opening. Check out my photos of the headers, steering linkage and S-10 brake assembly for our old 53 GMC: http://s275.photobucket.com/albums/jj310/rhondayou/
Kustomz, I was able to use the S-10 brake pedal assembly in my 53 GMC. Things needed from the S-10: Brake booster and master cylinder. Brake pedal assembly. Brake pedal. Things needed from the AD truck: The support bracket that comes from the firewall to the dashboard. Things to purchase: Flaming river steering column standard drop. Flaming river steering column floor mount. Important tip: In order to make a very strong and secure brake pedal and steering column assembly, it is very important to brace the firewall to the dashboard, as well as the steering column. This creates a triangle affect> Firewall to dashboard, dashboard to brake pedal assemble, back to the firewall. The steering column should then be mounted to the brake pedal assembly. This allows all of the braking pressure to transfer back to the dash instead of all of the pressure being applied only to the firewall. Rough directions. 1) Alter the S-10 brake pedal assembly by cutting off the dashboard mount hole area. 2) Grind the S-10 pedal assembly on an angle so the top of it will mate with the AD trucks firewall to dashboard support. Weld a 3/16" thick plate to this area of the S-10 brake pedal assembly. Drill a hole in the center of the welded on plate and weld a 1/2" nut behind the plate. 3) Drill a 1/2" hole in the AD truck firewall to dashboard support in order to be able to bolt the support to the S-10 brake pedal assembly. 4) Weld a piece of bar stock metal across the S-10 brake pedal assemble just below the under dash area. This is where the steering column drop down will mount. 5) Check my photos on the post above to see how this was done. Hope this helps This creates a triangle support as well as a steering column mount.
well i got the power booster in and the pedal ass. in i will post some pix tomarrow. i'm happy with how it came out.
well here are the pix i said that i would post. the body and bed aren't mounted they are just sitting on blocks. i need to do some body work on the cab before i do any mounting. but i think that it's looking good so far. i also got the brake booster mounted and pedal ass. in. i like how it went and looks.
Nice job Nick, Be sure to tie the brake pedal assembly into the dashboard somehow. It's best to tie everything together at the point where everything meets; Steering column support, firewall to dashboard mount and brake pedal assembly. This creates a strong support for the brake booster so you won't be applying foot pressure up against the firewall. I placed some new photos of my brake pedal assembly on my photobucket. I also mended the S-10 brake pedal with a F-150 pedal. This brought the pedal closer to the gas pedal for me. http://s275.photobucket.com/albums/jj310/rhondayou/
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