Forgot to say that I had to build a extra wide stepside so that the camper would fit in. I narrowed a set of stepside fenders, then had to add narrowed fleetside inner bed wheel tubs. Only a sharp eye would notice that I also modified the rear fender lips to look like the fronts. I also made the rear steps from 16 gauge. It uses a 67-72 Fleetside tailgate that was a "new take off" that I saw on some guys front lawn for FREE...he had just found it in the attic of his garage when he bought the place, Free is Me. I will look for old photos of my old faithful 63 2 door suburban...I did all the PS/PB, A/T 2.76 rearend upgrades on that one, and was my daily for 6-7 years...and the Ex's 66 mint 51,000 mile one owner suburban that I also modded the 250 6 with a TH350, PS PB, 307 rear. Both had 70-72 swaybars too. Great trucks if you can keep them from rotting away here in the Northeast. . .
WOW, great detail and that helps a bunch. I have several junkyards around me; I definitely need the PB, I pump the manual ones up now when braking and they work great but the booster will save some knee pain. I looked on NAPA and they have 10" and 11" which sucks; I don't know what size so I guess I break it down first then get the parts. You all know this already but when doing the "truck" searched with an after market engine throws some things off but this is the journey. I found a driveshaft company on Amazon that will help the customer with the needed measurements for a custom like driveshaft for a couple hundred bucks. I will practice my welding skills on the truck body not the driveshaft hah. Great info Frank thank you!
It would be great if you could find a stock 63-66 booster, but they are very hard to find. That would be a bolt on in an hour or so. Then put a stock single master to that booster, or it can be swapped to a 67-70 C10 master which were 4 wheel drums, if you want dual circuit brakes. I would not put the huge 71-72 C20 booster on your 1/2 ton, it would be overkill...and it's huge and takes up space to work on the motor. A smaller booster will still put you through the windshield the first time you get to try it out. I had to warn every owner of that, when they picked up their trucks. Drums are fine if not worn oversize. ...then the new shoes won't get full contact. Discs are simply not mandatory on a daily driver that rarely ever carries very heavy overloads on big long hills. Putting front discs without a booster is just plain counter productive, "if" you are just trying to have brakes that stop quick with very little foot pressure. I live in hill country and built many and drove them as dailys for 2 decades at least. Back to PS on these... I always used the 68-87 PS boxes. I think the 60 to 66? used what is called power assist, which still uses the wide ratio steering box, but with a slave cylinder on the centerlink. The newer PS box has a much faster ratio, but still steers light in parking, it just makes these old trucks so easy to operate, even for a 115 pound girl. The only time I ever swapped in a front crossmember with discs, was only because it was a 1961 with the older torsion bar front end...and it needed lower ball joints that were not yet being reproduced...and the owner could not find NOS balljoints. We were forced to swap in a 72 front end. To this day I am baffled why people still go through all the work of an entire front end swap on 63-70, just for discs.. Because I worked on so many, I found a way to do 73-up discs and use the newer PS, and then use a 63-66 C20 centerlink to have everything fit as far as tie rod tapers. I still have a 63-66 front end out back with that setup. A 71-72 c10 disc setup will fit without that c20 centerlink that the 73-up disc spindles needs. On the truck 4 speeds that most people think of as a "non-drivable first gear" or "granny gear first"... I had a stock customer 66 GMC 4wd suburban that got the PS PB stuff, but when I test drove it, it was a drivable first gear. GMC used a different brand of rear axle so this one had I think 3.54 or 3.45? anyways, it sure did not like taking off in second, you had to take off in first. I then wrongly assumed the GMC trans was geared differently. That truck was so nice with 4 drivable gears...in all types of driving. But when I posted that misinformation on a thread, Squirrel said they are not different ratios as far as 1st, 2nd gears...so, apparently? >> If you use a lower number rear end ratio like a 3.07 behind the truck 4 speed, I bet it would be pretty sweet just like that GMC was. I never got to try that swap here, as 99% of guys that came to me, wanted an AT swap. .
Well HOT DANG! I won't ever tow anything other than a small trailer and I think the disc brake draw is it looks good; not sure but I'm good with 4 drums. That setup you listed sounds awesome and man do I appreciate the info; you just don't know how much. I like to do research but ran into a wall on many things; this board and you fellars have been great. I think I will explore the dual circuits as I am in an area that is country but moves a lot of traffic up to DC; they don't think a thing about changing lanes and stopping short. I will have to dig in and find out what the rear end is, the PS works really well, I can turn it with a finger.....and that big ole steering wheel LOL. All over the place I know but I have a short throw 1st gear now and would like to get some 1st gear out of my 355 with no intent of racing just get on it a little. I know nothing about gear sizes so thank you, squirrel and others for that advice. Seems like quite an art to balance needs and wants LOL. I have a 52 Chevy as well and I can't remember which one has a 72 Camaro frame but the one under the 63 doesn't have a bit of rust and seems solid. I appreciate all your feedback and knowledge; surely do!
It's been a few days since last post. I have a 12 bolt rear end but don't know if that was the standard rear end it not. Based upon the earlier rear end discussion Sent from my SM-G965U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
A 63 chevy C10 rear is easy to ID, It is the only C10 chevy rear that has the gears removed from the rear cover side, (not the front),AND it has a rear panhard bar mount made up of welded-on steel. It is welded to the top of the passenger axle tube. That 63-only bracket makes it so simple to put a later rear in it. Cut it off and weld it to the later rear end. ...as well as the two welded bracket mounts for the rear trailing arms. .
Just a comment if you end up swapping the trans to an automatic. Your truck has the desirable bellhousing for use in hot rods. It is the right side hydraulic clutch slave and fork. Other have the left side and typically mechanical linkage. So your bellhousing with the V8 pattern is nice to use in hot rods since it helps the packaging issue to get the clutch fork out of the way for underfloor brake parts. I agree the easiest swap would be taller rear gears, and possibly the 3-speed with OD 4th manual trans mentioned. If going auto trans route, i would consider an OD auto like the 700R4 suggested.
Thank you very much one day I will knows what that means and I can't wait hah. You guys are great at usual Sent from my SM-G965U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Back in about 2006 I put a 5 speed out of a s10 4.3 in my dads 65. Got the clutch kit from summit. From the s10 v8 section. It worked out great. We put the suspension from a 72 truck under it. It drove and handled great till he got t boned in it and the insurance company totaled it. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Missed it by one year 62 was the last year for that setup. 63-up is conventional single brake master with a mechanical clutch linkage, not slave. .
Question... I bought a '67 with a stock front end (6 lug and drums). The seller gave me the brake system (booster and master cylinder) out of a '73 including the "A" arms, spindles and disc brakes. Is that a simple swap for the '63 to '66? Seller told me it pretty much "bolt in".
No, not simple due to 73 donor which was first year GM went to different tapers on the spindle for tie rods. 71-71 C10 disc is more compatible as the tapers/tie rods are the same....but just like the 73-up, these are 5 lug 5" bolt circle. .
I need a better pic at the bracket that holds that angled cross rod which is the panhard bar. 64-up C10 rear has the mounting point casted on to the top of the center section of the rear end. I need a better pic because your mount point looks too close to the center section, but it could be the angle of that pic. the 63 mounting point is made of bent-up steel plate and welded to the top of the passenger axle tube...I just can't tell so far.
Time to take the bed of and get that rust mess gone Sent from my SM-G965U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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