Author Topic: 82 c10 frame shortening  (Read 26393 times)

Offline NorthernMainer

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82 c10 frame shortening
« on: August 07, 2017, 09:44:34 PM »
Hey folks, well there is a chill in the air so another month or two, and my 82 c10 will be off the road for the winter. My plans are to restore it, and add some power. Part of my plan is to shorten the frame, I looked for a 117.5 WB frame, but I live on the canadian border in Maine so finding that up here is next to impossible.

Does anyone have a link, or has done this themselves that has advice, and maybe some pictures of the process? I saw one link on google but it showed the guy cutting the frame straight through instead of "stepping" it as I call it.


Offline SkinnyG

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Re: 82 c10 frame shortening
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2017, 12:13:03 AM »
The Crusty Chevy: 1977 Silverado, shortboxed & dropped, potato-potato.

Offline NorthernMainer

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Re: 82 c10 frame shortening
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2017, 11:27:37 AM »
Awesome, thank you for posting that! it does look like it may be difficult to do a step cut

Offline Captkaos

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Re: 82 c10 frame shortening
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2017, 12:22:41 PM »
Did you search the site, this comes up often...  in addition to the above...

If you want to see how to cut the actual bed down from LWB to SWB look here:
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php/topic,26656.0.html

This is also out of the main page for cutting the frame:
http://www.73-87chevytrucks.com/lwb_to_swb.htm

Viles project,  This is how I recommend people cutting them.
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=7334.0

Offline NorthernMainer

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Re: 82 c10 frame shortening
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2017, 04:14:14 PM »
Did you search the site, this comes up often...  in addition to the above...

If you want to see how to cut the actual bed down from LWB to SWB look here:
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php/topic,26656.0.html

This is also out of the main page for cutting the frame:
http://www.73-87chevytrucks.com/lwb_to_swb.htm

Viles project,  This is how I recommend people cutting them.
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=7334.0

I tried to search frame shortening, but didn't have much luck, but I appreciate the links!

Offline moregrip

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Re: 82 c10 frame shortening
« Reply #5 on: August 08, 2017, 04:52:38 PM »
Northern Mainer, I'm getting ready to do this very same mod. I'm going to be using the "Built by Brooks" bolt in frame kit to make my LWB a SWB.....then the plan is to cut down the long bed "bed" to a short bed "bed". Should be a blast!

Offline NorthernMainer

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Re: 82 c10 frame shortening
« Reply #6 on: August 08, 2017, 05:08:41 PM »
Northern Mainer, I'm getting ready to do this very same mod. I'm going to be using the "Built by Brooks" bolt in frame kit to make my LWB a SWB.....then the plan is to cut down the long bed "bed" to a short bed "bed". Should be a blast!

Nice! What is the built by brooks kit? Or better yet where do you find it so I can check it out.

Offline moregrip

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Re: 82 c10 frame shortening
« Reply #7 on: August 09, 2017, 07:13:58 AM »
Northern Mainer, I'm getting ready to do this very same mod. I'm going to be using the "Built by Brooks" bolt in frame kit to make my LWB a SWB.....then the plan is to cut down the long bed "bed" to a short bed "bed". Should be a blast!
Nice! What is the built by brooks kit? Or better yet where do you find it so I can check it out.

Here's a pic of the kit:



you can contact him on Instagram, at least that's how I did it

Offline NorthernMainer

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Re: 82 c10 frame shortening
« Reply #8 on: August 09, 2017, 03:39:22 PM »
Northern Mainer, I'm getting ready to do this very same mod. I'm going to be using the "Built by Brooks" bolt in frame kit to make my LWB a SWB.....then the plan is to cut down the long bed "bed" to a short bed "bed". Should be a blast!
Nice! What is the built by brooks kit? Or better yet where do you find it so I can check it out.

Here's a pic of the kit:



you can contact him on Instagram, at least that's how I did it
how much is that kit? I messaged him, but if it's cheap enough I'll just do that instead of doing all the work myself.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


Offline moregrip

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Re: 82 c10 frame shortening
« Reply #9 on: August 10, 2017, 10:08:00 AM »
I wouldn
Northern Mainer, I'm getting ready to do this very same mod. I'm going to be using the "Built by Brooks" bolt in frame kit to make my LWB a SWB.....then the plan is to cut down the long bed "bed" to a short bed "bed". Should be a blast!
Nice! What is the built by brooks kit? Or better yet where do you find it so I can check it out.

Here's a pic of the kit:



you can contact him on Instagram, at least that's how I did it
how much is that kit? I messaged him, but if it's cheap enough I'll just do that instead of doing all the work myself.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk



I wouldn't call the kit cheap but more of a fair price for what appears to be a solid product. Just makes the whole thing easier for the guy that doesn't have easy access to a welder.....that's my situation so for me it made sense to go this route.
« Last Edit: August 10, 2017, 10:12:14 AM by moregrip »

Offline NorthernMainer

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Re: 82 c10 frame shortening
« Reply #10 on: August 10, 2017, 10:14:38 AM »
I wouldn
Northern Mainer, I'm getting ready to do this very same mod. I'm going to be using the "Built by Brooks" bolt in frame kit to make my LWB a SWB.....then the plan is to cut down the long bed "bed" to a short bed "bed". Should be a blast!
Nice! What is the built by brooks kit? Or better yet where do you find it so I can check it out.

Here's a pic of the kit:



you can contact him on Instagram, at least that's how I did it
how much is that kit? I messaged him, but if it's cheap enough I'll just do that instead of doing all the work myself.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk



I wouldn't call the kit cheap but more of a fair price for what appears to be a solid product. Just makes the whole thing easier for the guy that doesn't have easy access to a welder.....that's my situation so for me it made sense to go this route.

Oh okay gotcha, yeah I have a nice little lincoln 145 Welder. I'm still running flux core in it right now, but I have all the pieces to swap it to gas which I am going to do before I dive into this project.

Offline roundhouse

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Re: 82 c10 frame shortening
« Reply #11 on: August 10, 2017, 10:08:01 PM »
Wow

That's a lot of work

Lot easier to just buy  a shortbed


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Offline NorthernMainer

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Re: 82 c10 frame shortening
« Reply #12 on: August 13, 2017, 05:05:53 PM »
Wow

That's a lot of work

Lot easier to just buy  a shortbed


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Not where I live, otherwise I would. Part of the fun of buying this truck will be getting to work on it.

Offline VileZambonie

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Re: 82 c10 frame shortening
« Reply #13 on: August 13, 2017, 05:14:46 PM »
There are many reasons one may want to modify their frame as opposed to buying another. For me, I loved my truck, factory big block 74 GMC, many unique reasons and sentimental, numbers match etc. Swapping frames was not on my radar plus I was building a 4-link, making it look stealth (no bolt on brackets) and doing other modifications so a frame swap brought no advantages. So if it makes sense, do it but just do it right.

As far as that kit, I don't know anything about it but it looks decent (aside from the branding which is pretty ugly imo) but not all spring hanger mounts are the same. That looks strictly 81 up half ton 2wd to me so if you have an earlier frame I don't think that will work, just throwing that out there before someone sees this, buys it and is disappointed. Do they offer other versions for other configurations?
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Offline NorthernMainer

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Re: 82 c10 frame shortening
« Reply #14 on: August 13, 2017, 06:15:06 PM »
There are many reasons one may want to modify their frame as opposed to buying another. For me, I loved my truck, factory big block 74 GMC, many unique reasons and sentimental, numbers match etc. Swapping frames was not on my radar plus I was building a 4-link, making it look stealth (no bolt on brackets) and doing other modifications so a frame swap brought no advantages. So if it makes sense, do it but just do it right.

As far as that kit, I don't know anything about it but it looks decent (aside from the branding which is pretty ugly imo) but not all spring hanger mounts are the same. That looks strictly 81 up half ton 2wd to me so if you have an earlier frame I don't think that will work, just throwing that out there before someone sees this, buys it and is disappointed. Do they offer other versions for other configurations?

Yeah I won't be able to find another frame within reasonable distance, that's my reason haha. Now I know you have the earlier style frame, my truck is an 82, I read your build which is awesome by the way. Will it be much different to do my frame?