I'm a jackass

[**grumpy**]

Well...
The 63 burb I said I have....is actually a 62

I bought it, and it's been stored. Never really looked too hard at the title.

Started thinking, and went and drug it out into the daylight....sure enough, a 62 with torsion frontend

Well, that bummed me out some, because I have almost everything here to bag it.

I really had no intension of swapping frontends, but now I guess I'll have to, to get it where I want.

Does anyone have good detailed pics of the 73-87 frontend swap? I'm not a total dumbass, but would like to know exactly what I'm getting into.

It still has the 305 V-6 3spd in it. That has to come out with the swap right?

I did wanna swap a 350/350 into it anyway, but just thinking money-wise.

Hmmm....sell it or continue?!
And considering I'm losing my job in a few months, this was supposed to be a quickie to get on the road to be a driver.....Hmmmm......

[55dude]

dude if your getting ready to lose your job better get it " roadworthy" in case you have to relocate or worse live in it. whatever you do don't start ripping it apart. better check and make sure your title and vin#'s match also.

[Turtle]

my 62 gmc surburan has coil springs in the front and leaf springs in the back

[**grumpy**]

Well...
The title says 62 GMC and the vin numbers match.

It's a torsion front, and coil/trailing arm rear.

The back is easy, but I didn't want to tear the front off to do the swap.

I doubt I can get it low enough to where I planned without the swap.

Anyone have pics of a torsion frontend with it turned down and drop spindles? How low does it set?

Anyone with those swap pics???

[soba_03]

Ok I have a 61 and I have the torsion bar front end I have to tell you you CAN GET IT LOW... Look at the avatar pic that mu Burb, on stock spindels.

I Have 2.5 drops for this winters project.

I will try and get more pic's they are on the laptop so I have to move them...

Regards!!

[soba_03]

This is a picture of my Burb when it was picked up this August. Pay no attention to the date it looks that good right now... It's happily Hibernating for the winter at this time....

[EAST SIDE LOW LIFE]

Here are some pictures of my 50' p/up. It has torsion bar suspension and you can go low. I went with a Gibbons front cross member as my frame was mint and did not want to cut it.

Just MHO .... if I were you I would play with it and see if you can get the results that you want as you could probably go lower on yours and when things get better job wise bag it if you don't like it.

esll.

[55dude]

cool rides! are the spindles the same on a 62' vs 66'?

[space]

I just knew this thread was gonna be about your new idea or sand.

[**grumpy**]

My new idea or sand! ??? What does that mean?

I may just do the torsion bars and add drop spindles. But, I do have feelers out for a 73-87 frontend.

If I can get a free-bee frontend off a truck headed to scrap, then I'll go ahead and swap'em.

I'm bringing it home from storage this weekend. My garage has been empty for 6 weeks, and I'm getting stir-crazy.
It hasn't been empty this long for 12 years.......

Anyone have those swap pics I asked for?

Thanks

[slepysal]

I m waiting to do my drop spindles too. I have them just have had no time.
Im still waiting to do the rear end swap.

[EAST SIDE LOW LIFE]

Originally Posted by 55dude

cool rides! are the spindles the same on a 62' vs 66'?

**********************************************************

I do not know the exact answer to your question. I never used a clip as I mentioned earlier I used a Gibbons front cross member and it was designed to except the 79/80's Cordova front suspension which has the larger rotors etc.

esll.

[ChiefRocka]

Why dont you just bag the front-end you have now ?

Fab up some mounts...and remove the torsions.

[62scraper]

Here is a pic of a 62 that I bought last weekend. They removed the front torsion bars and bagged the existing control arms. It has front disc brakes but I'm not sure if it has drop spindles. The front drops all the way down until the front crossmember hits the ground.

[**grumpy**]

Cheif and 62.....

I guess I didn't know baggin' the stock torsion frontend was an option....?!

In all the cars/trucks I've owned, I've never had a torsion bar vehicle.

What exactly are the torsion bars for? They hold the front up like a coil would?

I hate to sound like a dummy, but I really don't know.

So what happens if I just remove the torsion bars themselves? Will it just sit all the way down, like if I would've removed coils?

Anyone have pics of this? I mean, up close?

I wouldn't mind that option. It would be cheaper and easier.

I already have 2ea. of slam RE7's and 8's

Thanks for helpin'

[63sbssbbw]

Been thinkin' the same for my '61 GMC but man the cost of rebuild parts is crazy???
What's up with that??

[Imperial Kustom]

Damn thats a clean truck! Send it my way!!!!

[ChiefRocka]

Originally Posted by **grumpy**

Cheif and 62.....

I guess I didn't know baggin' the stock torsion frontend was an option....?!

In all the cars/trucks I've owned, I've never had a torsion bar vehicle.

What exactly are the torsion bars for? They hold the front up like a coil would?

I hate to sound like a dummy, but I really don't know.

So what happens if I just remove the torsion bars themselves? Will it just sit all the way down, like if I would've removed coils?

Anyone have pics of this? I mean, up close?

I wouldn't mind that option. It would be cheaper and easier.

I already have 2ea. of slam RE7's and 8's

Thanks for helpin'

The torsion bar is the "spring" for the front suspension. It works by a twisting motion.....As the truck goes down the road, and the suspension travels up and down...the bar twists....It is anchored in the back, with an adjuster, and mounted in the suspension. Loosening or tightening the adjuster bolt will change the position of the torsion key, thus turning the bar and raiseing/lowering the front end.

Yes, removing them would be like removing the coil springs....

Funny you say that...I did that to an old '82 NIssan Sentra....removed the coils all the way around.....That thing was dropped...what a ride too

Anyway...this set-up was found on pretty much all the old 'mini-trucks' (except the Mitu/D-50 which were coils), and still found on GM IFS 4x4's, and others.

It's actally pretty easy to work with...you dont need to disassemble the front end to lower it (removing coils, cutting, etc.)

I would definately use your existing front end with the bags

Save some dough....use that money towards the spindles/discs.

Later

[Imperial Kustom]

AAAHHH! Seems like everybody wants a bagged torsion front end! I threw away the one that I buillt in mine! It layed two inches off the ground with stock spindles!

[**grumpy**]

Well, If you guys say it'll work, and is safe...then I'm on it.!

I thought I'd get it home today, but work was hectic. But I'm excited to get started. I was beginning to think it was going to be a real pain.
I wanted this to be a quick, inexpensive build.

Just a cool, low-buck driver.

If anyone has anything else to add, speak up!

Thanks again guys......

[TINKERDUKE]

Hey Grumpy, It would be cool if you could do a build thread on this front end project. I'd love to bag my torsion bars someday too. Steve.

[ChiefRocka]

There you go Grumpy...it's time to get busy !!!

[slepysal]

Hey Chief hows it going ? So can you "bag" mine ?

[ChiefRocka]

Originally Posted by slepysal

Hey Chief hows it going ? So can you "bag" mine ?

Easily.