Bolt in junkyard IFS

[c10hevy]

I have found a 1975 c10 in a junkyard that i want to bolt to my frame rails of my 1948 3/4 ton. I want the truck to be LOW and fast so to me this looks like a great deal, IFS and V8 motor mounts, front discs, everything i could ask for. I found an article from the 80's that said it was a great swap, but looking through this forum, you guys say its bad, wide and high. Im working out of an old boat house on the lake in Montana, so a front clip is out of the question.

Is the 73-86 front clip really as bad as you guys say it is?
Are there any other option besides a front clip?

[av8tr33337]

I'm doing the same thing. It's not a very popular idea but it IS a low budget alternative. Check out my build thread if you haven't already. I think all the pro's and cons are discussed there. I'll try to add a link here to a couple how to articles for you. They may be the ones you have already seen.

http://www.chevytrucks.org/tech/63-8...rade/index.htm

http://53truck.ez15loan.com/howto/ifs.htm

This link is one to Mobilortho's webshots page. He did the same swap and got a good result.

http://rides.webshots.com/album/5573...Sm?vhost=rides


Hope this helps. Most guys stay away from this swap due to it making the track width 6 inches wider than stock. And remember, the lower you make that IFS the wider it will get. But it can be done.

[MrTucker]

I wouldn't touch a C10 IFS. There are several on this board and in my opinion they look pretty bad, unless you narrow them - they're way to wide.

Pick up a monte carlo/grand prix/whatever else front end - you should be able to find these fairly cheap.

Check out Kid's GMC build - he used a Grand Prix front clip and his truck is amazing

[capev86]

i like the idea. just narrow the crossmember and drill a few mounting holes in the frame. and the best thing is you are keeping chevy truck parts under your rig while gaining ifs and disc brakes instead of going with some high dollar aftermarket deal or worse....a mustang II front end (i'm not a fan of crossbreeding on cars). plus, you have a 3/4 ton truck so newer 1/2 ton parts should be plenty rugged for real use, especially on the front as most the hard work happens at the back. you could swap in different hubs and keep your stock wheels for that clean factory look. i saw a late 50's chevy truck at a car show up here in maine a couple years ago and he had done the swap and it was a super clean install.....showroom nice. it took me a minute to realize what was going on with the truck!

[capev86]

actually....find a 3/4 ton gm truck with IFS and you really have a good setup!

[av8tr33337]

I would stay with the 1/2 ton 73-87 front suspension. On my 1/2 ton 51 chevy it is going to put me about 4 inches taller than stock, so I'm going to cut 1 1/2 coils out of the springs and possibly get some 2 inch drop spindles. If you use a 3/4 ton 73-87 suspension you may be way up there, I'm not sure. The 1/2 ton suspension might keep you pretty close to stock hight since your tuck is 3/4 ton. Also are you really going to do any heavy hauling?? The only thing I want to haul is a@@

[av8tr33337]

I would stay with the 1/2 ton 73-87 front suspension. On my 1/2 ton 51 chevy it is going to put me about 4 inches taller than stock, so I'm going to cut 1 1/2 coils out of the springs and possibly get some 2 inch drop spindles. If you use a 3/4 ton 73-87 suspension you may be way up there, I'm not sure. The 1/2 ton suspension might keep you pretty close to stock hight since your tuck is 3/4 ton. Also are you really going to do any heavy hauling?? The only thing I want to haul is a@@!!!

[Houston54]

That is the worst suspension choice you can make for the AD series trucks in my opinion. It is your truck but after all the work involved I hope you are happy with the results.

[Lextech]

I ABSOLUTELY agree---That suspension is not user friendly on A-D trucks. It is TOO wide and TOO tall. You would be better off with a lowered Straight Axle than the 73-87 front suspension. If welding/fabricating is not an option for--You can buy bolt in Mustang II crossmembers. You can scrounge the junkyards/E-Bay/Local papers for suspension parts.

Jeff

[dwcsr]

I have to disagree with it being a bad choice. I did the conversion on a 59 and wouldn't do it again for no other reason than its a lot of work on a 59, but its a truck suspension not a beefed up pinto suspension.

I have never liked the idea of a pinto/MII under a truck , I did own a pinto and a C10 and there is a huge difference in the parts. To wide can be fixed easily and to high can be fixed easily. I much prefer a C10 to MII. Its a good low buck swap. I'd go fo it.

[Lextech]

Ya, but a T-F is a bigger truck than an A-D. That suspension probably fits better in a T-F truck. I would never try to discourage someones hotrod project. Making other than stock parts work is what it is all about. But, I don't think he will be happy with a 73-87 front suspension under an A-D truck when it is finished.

Jeff

[mr48chev]

At least two outfits sell a bolt on Mustang II crossmember that only takes a tape measure, half inch drill and bit and hand full of wrenches to bolt on.

don't understimate the MII and Pinto front end stuff. For doubters check the parts number on the upper ball joints on a 74 Mustang II and a 74 Lincoln Mark4 and then tell me that the MII stuff isn't strong enough.

[capev86]

i say keep it chevy. a truck chassis is still more rugged than a car chassis. and he has a 3/4 ton that hopefully he plans to keep as a truck, not as a show only vehicle. the later gen gm swap keeps it a true chevy truck while adding the smooth ride of IFS. and its an inexpensive route too. maybe go with a chevy II front end if you really want a car under your truck....they make chevy based chassis conversions too and at least its not sacrilegious!

[mobileortho]

I've done this swap on my '50. I'm very pleased with the results. I narrowed the crossmember about an inch and a half so that it would bolt directly to the frame. I also used a set of drop spindles and cut off a coil & a half. I tried to use dropped coils but it was dangerously looooow. The arms were only about an inch off the ground. As far as being too wide this can easily be rectified by selecting the right offset wheels. There are a few shots below of my setup and more are Webshots page.

[dwcsr]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

don't understimate the MII and Pinto front end stuff. For doubters check the parts number on the upper ball joints on a 74 Mustang II and a 74 Lincoln Mark4 and then tell me that the MII stuff isn't strong enough.

Upper ball joints don't carry a whole lot of the load. The lower is the issue.

I don't care for MII, Pinto front ends on truck when a good C10 is available. If the 2 issues mentioned are a problem for the owner then don't do it. The C10 has been around in production for 15 years on millions of trucks and is well tested. I would do an Impala front end before a MII.

[mobileortho]

Here's a better shot of the '79 IFS installed.

[av8tr33337]

I agree with you Mobilortho. At the same time I appreciate and respect all others opinions. I'm going low budget and I'm going to drive the wheels off mine everyday. Don't want an I beam with disc breaks. I don't want a $2000.00 front suspension. I want a good, dependable, tough truck that will cruise comfortably at 70 MPH all day long and haul stuff to. Don't have a lot of money. Getting it to stock hight is good enough. 73-87 IFS will fit all my needs.

[Lextech]

Cool,
Near stock height hauler---Go for it.
Lowered cruiser---I think there are better choices.

We like pictures. Keep us up to date on both projects.

Jeff

[av8tr33337]

Thats exactly my thinking Lextech. If I was going for a lowered cruiser I would take the high road with a MII suspension. Now we are comparing apples to apples and oranges to oranges. I think as a whole this forum has a majority who prefer the lowered cruisers so when I talk about IFS, perhaps they assume that's what I'm trying to accomplish. No harm done. I still appreciate and want all the feedback and Ideas I can get.

[sweet70beast]

I'm going to start doing this same conversion on my 50 this summer. I too like where my truck sits(stock height). I will be doing mine on my extra frame and switching the body over when the frame is done.
Hey Mobileortho, is there anything we should be aware of or watch out for?

[PDW HOTRODS]

So is the C10 truck suspension a OK choice for a 1958 pickup?

[Houston54]

The C10 suspension is great for 73-87 trucks and mediocre for anything else. If you like your tires sitting outside the fenders like Dumbo ears or like your truck 3-4 four inches higher than stock so you have enough tire/fender clearance to go over a speed bump it is the set up you need.

If you want a truck to look like it was put together with some thought towards stance, appearance, resale value, and ride quality then it is mediocre.

This IFS does not work for AD series trucks. Even with a ton of fab to narrow it you are left with control arms below the scrub line as seen on Mobilortho's project. He has done a ton of work but I would put money down that if someone offered him MII kit right now he would scrap his current set up.

As for its use in Task Force series trucks I think many of the same problem would exist or everyone would be using them instead of 2nd generation F-body subframes.

But that is just my opinion from having done an AD truck. Your result will vary because that is the nature of these projects when you do not use a catalog to build it. Not that there is anything wrong with that either.

As someone told me when I first started my project - "Custom does not come with instructions". Build it the way you want to but do not try to convince those who have walked the walk already that the 73-87 IFS is the answer. It is not.

[mobileortho]

Originally Posted by Houston54

As someone told me when I first started my project - "Custom does not come with instructions". Build it the way you want to but do not try to convince those who have walked the walk already that the 73-87 IFS is the answer. It is not.

Not trying to convince anyone that this is the answer, but a choice. When I set out to build my truck I thought long and hard about which IFS to use and I decided to go this route because I'm building on an ever shrinking budget. I swapped a wrecked van for the IFS so it cost me nothing. It may not work for some but it works for me. If I had an unlimited budget, sure I might get the most expensive IFS I could find,but this is not the case. Like many of us who love old trucks, I don't have deep pockets. I'm not building a trailer queen or trying to anyone. For me I get the satisfaction that this is something that I built. Is it the best choice out there, probablly not, but it's MY choice.

In the end do what makes you happy.

[robin58]

Originally Posted by Slowlearn

Two questions:

Could you be a bit more specific on the vendors? I've seen the ads but didn't pay much attention.

And...know anyone who has used the bolt on approach? Do they hold up?

Chassis Engineering makes one (sold through Yogi's and probably others). RBSauto used to make one that was used a lot but they are out of business now. I am sure there are others though.

[MrTucker]

Why not go with a front clip of a Grand Prix, or a Camaro? A lot of guys here have gone that route and it turns out MUCH better, whether you're going for a low or a high ride height. Go to a junkyard and you'll be able to snag one for the same price as a C10 front end...just my 2 cents