My '77 K-30/V3500 Monster Truck Build

[Engineer]

Here is an update:

I am trying to get her down to the frame so I can start sandblasting. I am looking into buying a cheap sandblaster rather than paying someone. But for now, I have a lot of frame work to do.

Here is what we had at around noon today:




Here is what we had when we called it quits at 6PM

[78Scottsdale]

What are those rims?

[Engineer]

Honestly I don't remember the brand. The directional "saw blade" wheels were popular back in the mid 90s when I first built my truck, and I bought these 2nd hand.

They are 16.5x9.75, I do know that about them.

If I remember correctly the brand name was "Progressive Wheels" They may be out of business now. I am not sure.

[fitz]

American Racing is one of a few companies that makes them.

[78Scottsdale]

In your second picture on your first post, where are the trucks Cab Lights?

[Engineer]

That picture was taken before I had added the cab lights.

[78Scottsdale]

That picture was taken before I had added the cab lights.

I love cab lights, How much did they cost you?

[Engineer]

Sorry, I don't remember what I paid for the lenses. I "liberated" my cab lights off of an old '78 K-20 that was a victim of a roll-over accident.

I saved the harness, and all of the round rubber light gaskets so these were no cost to me. I did have to buy new lenses though. They are still available from GM under part number #684662 (old P/N, may be superceded to 7505068)

Also look for a HD truck parts supplier, they may be able to get you the cab lights if they are a "Truck-Lite" brand supplier. Truck-Lite's P/N is #1313A for the lens, and rubber base. And P/N #9069A for the lens only.

BTW, The Truck-Lite cab lights are OEM for the 73-87/91 Chevy, so it wont be like you are using "China made aftermarket replacement parts". If you buy from GM they will be Truck-Lite lenses in the GM box.

Wiring harness is no longer available from GM, but you may be able to get it from an aftermarket supplier.
  
By getting mine off of a wreck I was able to measure the old holes in order to get the exact light location when I put them on my truck.

[Engineer]

Here is an update to my K30 truck puller:

These modifications are necessary to build a successful pro-street class 4x4 puller. The engineering conundrum of the 4x4 puller is to build a frame that is longitudinally stiff as possible, but torsionally flexible. The rear hitch must be kept as high as possible, rules allowing, and the more rigid the truck is over it's length the less the hitch will sag under load, and the better it will pull.

Why not make the suspension solid on all 4 corners you ask? There needs to be torsional flex to allow even pressure on all 4 tires. Torsional flex allows the 4 wheels to compensate for pull track irregularities. Thus the purpose for leaving the front suspension stock.

One of the goals of mine during this phase was to resquare the frame. I am pleased to report that my frame is back to being as true as a tape measure will allow it to be on the horizontal, and vertical axies. The rear axle was squared, and centered to the C/L of the frame to the 32nd of an inch. I have a bad 30 year old front spring bushing causing a wheelbase issue, but that will be resolved next week when I replace the front spring bushings with polyurethane items. After that it should be perfect in every dimension.

One reason I replaced the factory crossmember at the rear spring hanger with the gawdy mess you see in the pics was to help with frame rigidity. This is also why I welded reinforcing angles to the rear cab mount. After many years of bouncing, and overloading, the frame was twisting in at the rear cab mounts. This reinforcement resquared the frame at the cab mount.

I also plan on building solid steel cab mount bushings to replace the squishy rubber ones. This will also aid in longitudinal frame rigidity. And no, I am not worried about how it rides. 

Also, during my build up I fabricated everything so that if/when I want to return this truck to the street, about a week's worth of shop time should give me a street legal truck once again. None of my modifications are "permanent", except for the rear cab mount. Most of the new bolt holes are simply using the holes left when removing the old rivets.

Frame when we started this most recent phase:



Frame after completion:



Rear of frame with pulling hitch installed, axle stools and ladder bars in place:
Goodbye disc brakes, and springs. Hello solid frame, and cab and chassis hubs:



In this view you can see the reinforcement to the factory cab mounts. With this modification it now acts as an additional crossmember.



Another view:



And another:



Now all that is left to do is to take it all back apart, sandblast it, and paint it. 

[BigHemi353]

I love it. Very nice work!

[SUX2BU99]

How hard is it to square up a frame in a non body-shop environment? Also, how do you know if your dimensions and measurements from what 'is' and what 'should be' are accurate? Meaning, what is your reference? I'm always curious about these things when they involve such precision measurements in a non-precise environment like a frame on a sprung vehicle.

[Engineer]

SUX2BU99-

I don't have access to any lasers, or any fancy frame alignment tools, but by applying basic geometry, and a simple tape measure you can get a frame dern-neared back to perfect, or at least see if you require the services of a professional frame shop.

Basically what I did was to assure that the frame rails were the OE 34" apart front to back in points all along the frame. I also checked to be sure that the top, and bottom of the rails were 34" inches.

You can have a twisted rail, and it be 34" at the top, and 34.5" at the bottom,  the human eye will not typically be able to pick up on this. One place to look for sprung rails on the 73~87 Chevy trucks is at the cab/bed juncture. If a frame is ever overloaded it will start to bow apart at the bottom of the rails under the cab. When the rails start to twist under the cab, the cab will look like the cab mounts are starting to give up when in reality it is the frame rails that are twisting. The problem will be first noticed because the rear bodyline of the cab starts to set lower than the bedside.

I also checked square front to back by simply measuring in an X fashion with similar known reference points. I.E. the cab mount holes, and other reference holes along the top of the frame. The reference holes stamped in the sides of the frame can also be used to check square, and not just the height of the frame.

All of the checks that I performed satisfied me that my frame is square. I didn't check the frame's height with the floor front to back since this was not important to me.

I also used a plumb bob to locate, and center the rear axle, and used the triangle method to square the rear axle with the centerline of the frame.

If your frame is square front to back, corner to corner, and measures a consistent 34" I would be 99% certain nothing more is required to put it back on the road.

[SMiller]

Looking good, don't forget to keep us updated!

[79k30guy]

I couldn't let these silp away to the land fill. For my Chevy 4x4 bretheren, seeing these on a fender is similar to meeting royalty. 

[/quote]

I know what you mean bro..

say..  BTW  whats that rig i see in the background of some of your pictures..  do I see a two tone brown 1 ton?  cab lights?

[SUX2BU99]

Thanks for that reply. It was an interesting read. I often wonder if I have some kind of frame rail issue when it came to my bed sitting about 1/4" or so lower than my cab on the passenger side. It's enough to be noticeable and seemed to be more pronounced near the passenger rear corner of the bed. I changed the body bushings, and no difference. I now have the passenger side of the bed 'washered' up a little to even it. I once tried to jack my truck up on the driver side by putting the jack in the middle of the frame, right about where the cab to bed junction is. I found out the limits of the c-channel frame this way   I caved in part of the bottom side of the frame rail and think maybe this is contributing to my bed lopsideness.