1964 GMC upgrade plans

[64shortbed]

Well the other day i was talking to my step father about what he did with the rest of his 85 c10 that he had turned into a pickup bed trailer after the front engine bay caught fire. He has had the front frame section that hed cut off in the metal pile for the last few years now. Wel I've been doing some reading up on what i can do to put disc brakes on the front of my 64 gmc and put power steering on her also. Well from what i read i have a few choices.

1. I can replace the whole cross member from the 64 one to the 85 one with little more then bolting it in with a few hole sloting and drilling.

2. I can just bolt the A frames and slindles from the 85 to my 64 cross member. Which im leaning more to doing.

Then to keep it 6 lug there is a aftermarket place that sells 6 lug rotors for the factory spindles.

Now as far as the power steering every thing is there on the 85 frame except the power steering bracket i need to bolt up the 85 gear box. The bracket is $60 shipped. So no big deal there.

Then im going to figure out how to mount the 85 booster and master cylinder and the porpotion valve in and get it working. So i think ill have everything i need to put both power steering and power brakes in the 64 with very low cost.

Now my only decition is if i want to spend money on the 6lug rotors to keep the 6 lug look. Or buy 72 rear drums and have my rear axles welded and re drilled for the 5 lug. I may just leave both alone for now and have 5 lug rallys in the front and my western wheels in the back? Lol

 

[Zembonez]

That sounds like a good thrifty way to upgrade the front end.

 

[64shortbed]

I thought so!

 

[Zembonez]

With your mechanical ability, I'd go for it.

 

[64shortbed]

Well like i said i just blots in then its just a mater of building brake lines and little stuff like that.

 

[64shortbed]

Well i called cpp to see about their 6 lug rotors. they are $129 plus shipping. I can get new 5 lug ones through work for $100. While on the phone i asked if their rotors use the factory bearings and seal and they do. So i think ill just end up buying them and keeping my 6 lug wheels! Cost a little more but not as much as new drums and having the rear axles redrilled.

 

[Bigredmariner]

Sounds like a good plan. Just wondering, but are the newer GM 6 lug wheels using the same bolt spread as the old ones? When I was converting from 6 lug to 5 lug all the time, it had more to do with availability of 5 lug wheels.


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[64shortbed]

Sounds like a good plan. Just wondering, but are the newer GM 6 lug wheels using the same bolt spread as the old ones? When I was converting from 6 lug to 5 lug all the time, it had more to do with availability of 5 lug wheels.


Posted from my iPad via Tapatalk HD.

Not sure? But i think so cause ive seen the 60-66 trucks with newer gm wheels?

 

[Bigredmariner]

That makes sense then.


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[64shortbed]

Hello guys and gals!
Well i got started on my upgrade. Last weekend i got my gear box braket from perfomance online. So i went ahead and changed out the water pump to a short pump. And installed my 71 c10 power steering pump and pulleys. Only thing i had to do to the pump was change out the presure fitting from standard to the metric one out of my 85 pump. Just unscrews and screws back in. So now the ol girls got power steering and i asked my self why i didn't do that earlyer?

So today i started tearing down the the rest of the frame section from the 85 c10. My plan is to just remove A arms and spindles and rebuild them and bolt them in to my truck. Along with all the steering linkages and sway bar. Now my problemis ther is no wieght to the frame section so i can jack up the lower A arm so i can remove the the spindles. So does any one have any ideas on how to do this? Can i just unbolt the nower A arms at the crossmember? Or is ther way to much presure still on the springs? Its sitting on jack stands. And it just the front fram section. I tryed to post pics but I'm on my tablet and it wont let me. So ill post pics tomarrow.