Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Bought my '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside after selling my '64 and '66 SWB trucks to my dad to get some extra capital toward the end of a long-overdue divorce. Originally bought the truck because it was just too good a deal to pass up, thinking I could either fix the brakes and have a cheap beater or part it out to make a few bucks. The truck as received was a bare-bones L6 with granny 4-speed.

Pictures below are what I started with on August 3, 2007. More pics will follow in separate posts.

Brent

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

When I pulled the rear drums to figure out why the brakes weren't working, this is what I discovered. See any problems here?

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

One thing led to another and I decided the easiest way to get at the brake lines, which were also a problem as evidenced by the big puddle of brake fluid beneath the passenger side door, would be to remove the bed. How tough could it be to remove eight bolts? The answer: not too tough once I decided that the floor would be replaced anyway, the bolts weren't going to give on their own, and my angle grinder needed to start earning its keep.

Built a stand for the bed out of treated 4x4s and 2x4s along with discarded casters from a bed or table or something. By sheer dumb luck, it was at just the right height for me to be able to remove the bed by myself without using a jack or hoist or having to buy a case of beer to bribe some friends. Below is what I ended up with on August 7.

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Well, never content to leave well enough alone and power-mad with the angle grinder, I decided that a couple broken leaves on the passenger side constituted a good excuse to remove the entire rear axle. It was inevitable, of course, that I couldn't possibly be satisfied with just replacing the springs and cleaning up the brakes and by August 14-17 I had what you see below.

A helpful hint: if you have the front wheels off and decide to remove a lot of weight from the back of the truck -- for example, by removing the bed and rear axle -- ensure that you have your jack stands forward of the engine before releasing that weight. If they're behind the engine, the jack stands will act as a pivot point. Don't ask me how I know this. :eek: :dohh:

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Not having the equipment to do it myself, I sent a load of parts out for media blasting and got to work on other stuff, including cleaning up the frame (or trying to) with a variety of wire brushes, removing the spare tire support to make room for a Blazer-style gas tank, and cleaning up an auto tranny crossmember I picked up for the planned 700R4 conversion. Below results are from September 1. (As a single dad with majority custody of the kids, finding free time has been tough and progress comes in spurts that roughly correlate with when the kids are with their mom.)

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Having arranged the sale of the engine, on September 2 I removed the hood and grille. Helluva brake job, huh? ;)

The eagle-eyes among us may have noticed I'm trying to accomplish this Herculean task in an 18x18 garage built in 1919, perhaps roomy for a Model T but not exactly the dream garage for a major project like this. But ya works with what ya gots.

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

On September 8, my daughter and I made the drive to pick up the parts from the guy doing the media blasting for me. For all this work, he only wanted $40 and change. I gave him $50 and was happy it wasn't twice that much. You can see that the work wasn't perfect, but it was a heckuva lot more than I could do with my equipment at the time. (Since then I've purchased a 5-horse, 60-gallon vertical air compressor and a pressurized sandblasting setup, and even though I ran the new wiring weeks ago, I haven't had time to hook it up and even so much as flip on the breaker for the new circuit.) :(

My investment in Eastwood's Rust Converter seems to have been money well spent. In the pics below you can see the axle housing and the drop spindles coated with RC. Started out purple but dried blackish-brownish. And yes, I'll carefully clean it off of the rotor surfaces before putting them into use. :hm:

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

On September 9, I added a coat of Eastwood's Rust Encapsulator to the rear axle housing and various other parts I wanted to protect. My oldest even got a picture of his old man in action, using Q-Tips to touch up a couple spots I missed (since I was sick and tired of cleaning paintbrushes by that point and only had tiny spots here and there). After letting the stuff sit for a couple weeks I noticed that I could stand to add another coat of RE to the whole rear axle, which I'll do "one of these days."

That's my older son / photographer below. The chrome cover is just hung in place temporarily. I've since added several coats of clear to help protect the chrome. Not as shiny as it was before, but fine for my purposes and a lot better than rust.

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

On September 14, I finished up the backing plates (front and rear) with Rust Encapsulator. The next day I reassembled the rear brakes with all-new hardware including e-brake cables from LMC Truck and Grade 8 stainless steel bolts.

I also painted the new drums and axle ends with several thin coats of high-temp paint followed by clearcoat, though they have yet to be installed due to various delays (needed the old pinion bearing pressed off and the new one pressed on, which I forgot about until a Friday night and which therefore cost me a weekend of work, and I'm now waiting for a dial caliper and in-lb torque wrench to be delivered so I can install the Eaton posi).

One of these days I need to decide if I'm going to bend my own brake lines or just spring for pre-bent stainless lines from somewhere. Problem with the pre-bent lines is they say they're for coil-spring rears only and mine has leaf springs. If anyone knows the difference and if there's a specific reason those coil-spring lines wouldn't work for my application, I'd love to know.

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Work came to a standstill because of the pinion bearing issue, which I finally got resolved on October 3. But now I'm stuck again for lack of proper tools to get the posi installed! If it's not one thing it's another, as I'm sure you all know. :banghead:

Finally got the engine pulled and sold about three weekends ago. Picked up a 700R4 and various sheetmetal the weekend before last, including a pair of doors, five rust-free fenders, a rust-free hood, and various other pieces from a gentleman who was getting out of the hobby and wanted to make sure I had some parts to use and/or trade. Nice guy! No accomplishments at all since then.

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Your getting farther than I am. I wish mine could be tore down that far. I got to have mine from time to time.

Good progress!

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Nice start on a fun project. One thing leads to another and they end up in a million pieces.

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

The build is coming right along, can't wait to see it in the end.
Keep us posted.

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Nice project, STEPSIDE are my favorite trucks. Keep us posted.

:agree::agree::agree::agree:

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Nice build! Are you replacing the rear fenders?

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

That's not rust -- that's weight reduction! Kinda like the cooling holes in the tailgate. ;) :lol:

But yeah, the rear fenders are being replaced. I have a very nice set coming my way soon. Not much sense in trying to repair the ones I've got, at least not without the proper equipment and skills, neither of which I possess.

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

A day over nine months since my last update to this thread -- makes me want to cry. What a waste. Finally got my rearend back from the shop today as described in a separate thread looking for parts sources.

It seems the time has finally come for me to bite the bullet and pull the cab and remaining front sheetmetal off to have a bare frame. Since my last entry here, I've purchased a new 60-gallon air compressor and what I hope is some decent sandblasting equipment and now it's time to attack the frame full-force. Gotta get something significant done this year and I've already lost half the summer to other projects. :(

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Your build is coming along great. Its cool to see your kids helping you out. Thanks for posting the pics of the drum brake assembly. As soon as my e-brake cables arrive, I think I'll try to put it together myself. MisterE

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

I just stumbled onto this build. Looks good so far! I'll be watchin'!! :)

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

If you need better pics of the drum brake stuff to help you get yours back together (or whatever), just holler. I can get pics of pretty much anything you want in that area. :)

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

For the first time since late last fall, I rolled the truck out of the garage yesterday. It was a hard push at first all by myself, but it made things a LOT easier when I looked underneath the truck and removed the old brake drums that were behind the front tires. :lol:

Got quite a bit done today in between "rain events." Got the rearend closed up and got the brake drums installed. The latter was quite a chore as even with the adjusters backed off completely and everything seated firmly in place, the new drums just didn't quite want to slide on. Ended up using a combination of tricks to get the drums on. Set the drums in the sun for a couple hours (not easy when dodging raindrops much of the day) to heat up and expand. While they were cooking, I also took some 80-grit sandpaper to the shoe linings. Between the two, the drums slid on and everything turns freely via the pinion yoke.

Then I started disassembling the front clip. Hood has been off since last year but now it's time for the rest to go. Got as far as the last bolt on the passenger fender when the rain started again in earnest and I had to go inside. Would have had the fender off if it weren't for the front bumper, which I discovered while getting soaked needed to come off before the fender could. Went back out tonight and removed the bumper. One bolt snapped immediately, two nuts came off fairly easily, and two were carefully dispatched with a grinder. Considering the condition of the rest of the truck, the front bumper is in remarkably nice shape. Too bad I won't be reusing it. Anyone need a really nice painted front bumper?

I was VERY pleased to see that the passenger fender was almost as good behind as it looked from the outside. Considering the rest of the truck, I half-expected it to be full of bondo even though it felt and sounded like metal. The bottom corner where they all rot out is absolutely spotless. The only rust is in the front corner on the flat part inside, where it will not only be easy to repair but also will never be seen. Finally, a part I don't have to replace! I know already that I won't be so lucky on the other side, but fortunately I have a pile of rust-free fenders in my garage from which to choose a replacement.

Pics are below. Hopefully the weather will cooperate more and I'll be down to a bare frame forward of the cab by this time tomorrow. :)

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Just a quick visual progress update. A couple hours of labor before lunchtime. :)

I felt so sorry for the rodents in the third pic I had to memorialize them with a picture. Little bastards....

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

I was hoping that third pic wasn't going to be your kids!:lol:

nice work on the axles... Not sure about the brake lines but what is the difference in the front line of a 4WD? The rears have leafs on them...

Or NAPA has that Poly-Armor (or something like that) lines that comes with ends already, just need to measure, order and bend yourself.

Good luck on the build, enjoy your two months of summer up north there...

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Minor progress tonight -- had a busy evening with the kids after work. Got the seat and gas tank pulled out and disconnected the rag joint for the steering column and that's about it. Considering I didn't take time to change out of my work clothes to do it, that's not bad. :)

As you can see, I really have my work cut out for me with this cab. To be honest, if I had ready access to one that was significantly better I wouldn't even consider trying to save this one. But here in Minnesota I'm not finding anything good enough to justify the cost and hassle of swapping cabs, so unless something comes along unexpectedly I'll be forging ahead with this one.

Wish I had known last summer that the full floors would be coming along. Bought all the sheet metal in sections at a local swap meet last September because the price was right and I didn't have to worry about shipping, but now I really wish I had that money back. Still might contact the guy I got the parts from and see if he's got the full floor now. If he could bring it to this fall's swap meet I'd consider it since I could avoid the $150 shipping charge. (Sorry ... just thinking "out loud"....)

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Got a ton of bodywork done today in a matter of minutes. Whaaaaa? Yup -- bought a new cab and doors. Not as rust-free as originally expected but the gentleman who sold it to me gave me a heads-up on that before driving more than 100 miles to deliver it to me, plus he knocked quite a bit off the price. Considering it's an A/C cab in VERY solid condition, that it came with a pair of more or less perfect '72 doors, AND he threw in a rust-free driver's fender (needs a dent in the front cup repaired) I think it was a great transaction for both of us. It'll save me untold frustration compared with trying to repair the existing cab.

The bad things about the cab:

* Rockers and cab corners have been repaired previously. Driver's side rocker is rusted through. Both outer rockers will be replaced and possibly inners, too. The inners aren't bad at all, but as long as I'm doing it I'm gonna do it right. Gonna reserve judgment on the cab corners until I can strip the paint and see what I'm dealing with.

* There's some body filler popping up around the gas filler area, but I'm not exactly sure why it's there because from the inside I can't see any damage. Who knows why people do things?

* There's a rust spot the size of a quarter on the firewall right near the blower motor hole. No big deal -- an easy fix on flat metal in a hidden area.


The good:

* The floors and supports are VERY solid.

* It's an A/C cab that had the Cheyenne package, so the holes for a headliner are there. It's got the cargo light in back, too (well, a spot for it, anyway).

* It's got a brand-new windshield. (Any way to remove it and the seal without destroying the new seal? The glass is gonna have to come out for prep and painting.)


Pics follow. The last two were taken with the camera shoved inside the door to show the inside bottom. Pretty nice, huh?

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Good find on the cab! :cong: Keep up the good work!

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Just two days shy of a full year since I bought the truck, this is what I'm down to as of tonight. My oldest kid helped me out a bit and got his first experience with an air ratchet and impact wrench. Then I had him take a few pictures since I'm almost always the one behind the camera. Gonna have to check his sense of balance because almost all of the pics were noticeably tilted. LOL! Straightened some digitally and figured the rest were good enough. :)

You can see in the last couple of pics why I was so glad to find a better cab. You'll notice in the first pic that the DS rocker is completely off. The front gave way on its own as soon as the door was removed and the back lasted less than 5 seconds against the reciprocating saw. (I could have removed it with my bare hands, literally, but the saw was right there.)

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Congrat's on the Cab Find, Your old Cab was Pretty Bad off. What all do u have Planned for it?

Rick

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Much of the project is still up in the air. Still debating front suspension. Have new rear leafs 3-4" lower than stock and CPP shackles that will drop it further. Have a set of drop spindles on their way (shipped today). I've got CPP's upper and lower A-arms that I originally bought for my '64/'66 projects but the lowers are for air bags and I'm not bagging this truck so I'm not sure what I'll end up doing there. There's a bunch of stuff from CPP and Brothers coming soon, too.

Drivetrain is a really good question. I've got a rebuilt LT1 on a stand in the garage and a 700R4 that I want to rebuild (probably a winter project) but I also have an LS1 and T56 from a '99 Z28 with 28K miles on it sitting in the back of my '64. That drivetrain was supposed to be for that truck and I really want an automatic in the '72, but at the same time it seems a shame to just let the LS1 sit there. I dunno about that. Don't want to have to track down a 4L60E and computer to run the stuff, but it'd sure make a nice drivetrain. If I could sell the T56 and get enough for it to buy a race-prepped 4L60E and computer I'd consider it. *shrug* Too much to think about at almost 1 AM....

At any rate, the next step is going to be getting the cab completely off the frame and then sandblasting and painting said frame. Hope to be ready to start blasting by Sunday at the latest, but we'll see how things go. I asked for time off Tues-Fri next week so I should have some real progress made by a week from now.

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Nice build so far. I think you're way ahead of the game for buying the new cab.

What about using the LS1 with the 700R4 behind it. Then you wouldn't have to mess with finding a different harness and what not for the 4L60E. You'd probably have to figure something out for the TV cable, but I'm sure there is something out there in the aftermarket for that.

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

I thought about that, but there's something in my brain that has a problem mixing the "old" 700R4 with the "new" LS1. Probably stupid but I can't help it. :crazy:

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

I agree. After having a 700r4 in my 72 GMC, there are some advantages to the computer controlled 4L60E. But in your situation the 700R4 would be "easier".

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

Here's where we're at as of now. Cab's off the frame and on a pallet. Everything that can be stripped from the cab is out. Got the rear window out no problem but broke the windshield like an idiot trying to get it to pop loose from the adhesive. Turns out it had a couple rock chips anyway that I hadn't noticed previously, so it would have been worthless even if I hadn't broken it, but I felt dumb nonetheless.

The frame is stripped as much as possible. Ended up removing the center crossmember (braindead tonight, can't even remember if that part has a specific name) due to unfortunate rust issues. At least they're in a flat, not easily visible spot so repair should be straightforward.

Gotta figure out my blasting setup tomorrow morning. Really want to see some bare metal before lunchtime but I don't want the stuff going absolutely everywhere. I've got some ideas and just have to do it, but I'm too exhausted tonight to carry on.

What's this bracket?
 

I should know the answer to this but I wasn't paying attention as stuff came apart. Is this bracket on the frame for the clutch linkage? If so, I'm gonna remove it as I'm converting to automatic. But if it's for something else, I need to know before I fire up the grinder. :)

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

That's where the "Z" bar connects to. Should be a ball joint on the engine right beside that area...

wow, your cab was pretty much done for... funny how the vent areas look pretty nice though.... You gonna cut it up and scrap it out?

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

So just to be absolutely sure before I do anything stupid ... converting to auto means this can go. Right? I know it's a stupid question and I know the answer, but I've got enough problems with this project already without making a dumb mistake. :confused:

The cab is bizarre. From about 6" up it's beautiful. If the whole cab was like that, I could just strip, prep and paint. I'm torn between crushing it and trying to get it in the hands of someone with roof issues. See this thread for more info: http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=301573

Thanks for the info!

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

99.9% sure you don't need it but let a 2WD guy answer that. Shouldn't matter but that's what mine is on my 4WD frame. I can't tell you 100% that an auto doesn't need it though. You can cut the rivets off and rebolt later if needed. I would suggest cutting every single rivet out of your frame, having it blasted and covering it with something like I did mine. www.nomorerust.com Only used a little over a quart to cover my frame, crossmembers, axles, and leafs.

Tractor Supply sells grade 8 bolts in bulk so it won't cost you much to replace ALL of those rivets. You really need to get all the metal apart with the rust "growing" like that.

My cab is nice from 12" and up. I'm doing a total new floor since I didn't find a decent cab...

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

I've got a great selection of Eastwood products sitting in my garage -- Rust Converter, Rust Encapsulator, and Chassis Black among them. :)

I'm still trying to make up my mind about Gr 8 bolts vs. frame bolts vs. rivets. I know a lot of guys insist that frame bolts are necessary when reassembling a frame because they have a solid shoulder and not threads all the way up, so they make full contact with the frame holes and don't allow any shifting. On the other hand, common sense tells me that I'm not going to be putting hundreds of thousands of miles on this truck and while it would be nice to put 8-10K a year on it, it won't be enough that Gr 8 bolts shouldn't be 100% safe and sufficient.

So if I take the frame completely apart to blast it, how great a concern is getting everything reassembled perfectly square? I mean, obviously I can measure diagonals, etc. and get it to what I would consider square, but is that close enough for truly proper alignment? I'm neck-deep in this project and yet trying to figure it all out at the same time. I've never gone this far with a project before and I'm relying on a mixture of advice from Internet strangers and just making it up as I go along. :)

Thanks,
Brent

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

I left the front and back crossmembers in mine... then when I put all the bolts in the other crossmembers I leveled it and just put them in. I figured that frames are made to twist and bend so a little movement shouldn't matter. With the amount of rivets and bolts I don't think there will be any issues.

Re: Brent's '72 Custom/10 SWB stepside build
 

What did you do to secure the bolts? Lock washers? Self-locking nuts? Loctite? A combination of these or something else? Don't want to have to re-check the bolts every month. ;)

How about bolt length? Just enough to ensure full thread contact with the nut? What about flat washers -- any under the head and/or the nut?

What size bolts did you go with? I haven't checked, but are the frame holes exactly the right size for a standard Gr 8 selection or should I plan on enlarging them for a snug fit with whatever the next size up would be?

Thanks again for the advice! Sorry for all the questions but the frame's kinda important and I wanna do it right the first time. :D