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3/4ton to a 1/2 ton suspension

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tonyv
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Tonyv

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I am new at this so please bear with me. I just bought a 68 C-20 and I want to find out if a 3/4 ton can be changed over to a 1/2 ton. Any help or advise will be helpful. Thank you all in advance.

:-) tonyv
 
[updated:LAST EDITED ON May-18-04 AT 08:55 AM (CST)]Why do you want a half ton? bigger is better.I guess that comes from a 4x4 guy though.as far as switching it over I have never done this but I think it would be more trouble then its worth,be easier to put the body on a half ton frame,I would think. Karl

________
OG KUSH PICTURES
 
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Yes it can be done. My friend recently did one for his other friend.
It is basically a take the part off one, and put it on the other one type of deal...(provided you have a donor vechicle) the only thing we noticed was that it required an adapter to make the brake lines fit once we went from 3/4 to 1/2 .. mainly because you are actually going to smaller brakes / smaller lines.. at least on this truck .. it started out as a 3/4 ton 68 chevy ps,pb,ac,camper special.. now it is 1/2 suspension..
Oh yea,, the friend who did the conversion has since bought the truck from his other friend ( who paid him to do it) and says it doesn't ride as good as before so he plans on going back to 3/4 ton..
Or he might sell it to me for $2000.00 ..... I am crossing my fingers.......( it is pure stock, no rust AZ truck) Well except for the "stock conversion" I will give him a call and see if anything stands out in his mind as far as problems/special things to watch for..
eugene
 
If I were you I'd keep it a 3/4 ton. They're getting harder to find. I've got a '70 3/4 ton and it's the only one I've seen down here, every other 67-72 trucks I've seen are 1/2 tons.

Robert
 
If you have enough money, I'd suggest getting a donor truck. I'm trying to do the reverse of what you're doing on my '85. I found an 86 burb at pick-n-pull and took off pretty much everything off the front except the sway bar and crossmember. It would've been a lot easier to have had it at home. For the rear I will relocate the rear shackle hanger, swap the springs and the rear axle. Everything except the moving shackle hanger and possibly adapting the brake lines look like it will be a simple take it off, bolt it on kinda thing.
 
I am right in the middle of doing just the opposite, If your near sacramento Ca i'd swap with you.
 
I have a c20 and wish to replace the rear step bumper with a stock crome like you would find on a c10. I plan to put a easy lift on it so no need for the step plus i like the dress bumpers looks. Ive read something about the bumper brackets not fitting because of the leaf rear springs. ups up with that! any answers?
 
Here comes yet another 1968 C20 3/4 guy, LoL.

Ive been working on mine lately, replaced the water-pump (292), as the previous owner that I just purchased it from had it go out and it fell into the radiator and ruined it, so I have a larger radiator in there out of a Caprice, but it doesnt fit correctly, too wide.
I will eventually need to get a replacement for it. I took it for a spin today and it runs very good and the 4 speed tranny is not that loose either, but Im going to change the fluid in it anyway and the rear-end too.
I get the feeling that I could pull a train down a dirt road with this thing!
It has a vibration in the front when I get up past 40 and it seems loose up there, so Ive got to have the front end checked out so it drives/steers smoother.
The head lamps and brakes/tail lights dont work, also the speedometer, so I have to figure that out.
I'd like to replace those small bumbers on there with some larger push/pull type bumpers to protect it moreso on the farm. Any ideas on what to put on there or swap, etc?
Thanks
 
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