52wasp
Member
Progress, WITH PICTURES
Hello all,
If Penny (my '53) wasn't an antique when I started on her, she'd certainly be by the time I am done.
But now she has a drivetrain, in a rolling chassis.
1989 S10 longbed frame.
BellTech 3" drop leaves out back holding up a Colorado rear end
BellTech 2" drop-spindles (to be installed next), QA1 coilovers (need actual vehicle weight to order w/ the correct springs) holding up a
2004 LM7 5.3L "LS" motor, on custom-fabbed mounts,
(mounts just tacked in, will be fully boxed soon) with a
2004 4L60E transmission, on a custom transmission crossmember behind it.
mounts just tacked in place for mockup.
A shortened aluminum driveshaft out of a late-model Silverado was the plan, but shortening it would have required a 3-state roadtrip, so I had a custom driveshaft fabbed.
LOKAR provided the linkage to couple the stock column-shift to the tranny.
And then there is the wheel-and-tire dilemma.
The plan all along has been to run STOCK 16x5.5's, with ~P225/70R16 blackwall tires, with mid-40's Chevrolet CAR hubcaps (I like 'em better). But the (6) original wheels I have are, quite frankly, shot.
So I started to look for a suitable 6-lug, 16" replacement. Wheel Vintiques, Stockton, etc., no joy. 1990's up to mid-2000's GM truck steel 16's? Not the right look. Aluminum wheels don't look correct (to me) on an AD.
The bigger problem was that with a 29.5" tall tire (original tire height), and a 16-inch rim, 6.75" of sidewall wasn't doing it for me. Driving a late-model Pontiac with 40-series tires on 19-inch wheels may be responsible for my delusions, so I expanded my search to larger (diameter) wheels.
17-inch?
Late-model GM trucks run a 17-inch steelie, but the sidewall would only shrink to 6.25".
18-inch?
Some Import trucks run an 18" steelie, and this was more like what I was looking for. I ordered a used 18" rim online... and received... (accidentally)...
a 20"x8", 6-lug steel wheel. Stamped NISSAN. From an Infiniti QX56 SUV.
Nate, I know you are shaking your head. It'll be OK.
A set of 4/ P245/50R20 take-offs opportuned themselves, and with the 40's Chevy hubcap, the 20-inch, BLACK, Steel wheels with low-profile tires look modern, yet fitting to me. I was worried at first. Not now!
Mike
Hello all,
If Penny (my '53) wasn't an antique when I started on her, she'd certainly be by the time I am done.
But now she has a drivetrain, in a rolling chassis.
1989 S10 longbed frame.
BellTech 3" drop leaves out back holding up a Colorado rear end
BellTech 2" drop-spindles (to be installed next), QA1 coilovers (need actual vehicle weight to order w/ the correct springs) holding up a
2004 LM7 5.3L "LS" motor, on custom-fabbed mounts,
(mounts just tacked in, will be fully boxed soon) with a2004 4L60E transmission, on a custom transmission crossmember behind it.
mounts just tacked in place for mockup.
A shortened aluminum driveshaft out of a late-model Silverado was the plan, but shortening it would have required a 3-state roadtrip, so I had a custom driveshaft fabbed.
LOKAR provided the linkage to couple the stock column-shift to the tranny.
And then there is the wheel-and-tire dilemma.
The plan all along has been to run STOCK 16x5.5's, with ~P225/70R16 blackwall tires, with mid-40's Chevrolet CAR hubcaps (I like 'em better). But the (6) original wheels I have are, quite frankly, shot.
So I started to look for a suitable 6-lug, 16" replacement. Wheel Vintiques, Stockton, etc., no joy. 1990's up to mid-2000's GM truck steel 16's? Not the right look. Aluminum wheels don't look correct (to me) on an AD.
The bigger problem was that with a 29.5" tall tire (original tire height), and a 16-inch rim, 6.75" of sidewall wasn't doing it for me. Driving a late-model Pontiac with 40-series tires on 19-inch wheels may be responsible for my delusions, so I expanded my search to larger (diameter) wheels.
17-inch?
Late-model GM trucks run a 17-inch steelie, but the sidewall would only shrink to 6.25".
18-inch?
Some Import trucks run an 18" steelie, and this was more like what I was looking for. I ordered a used 18" rim online... and received... (accidentally)...
a 20"x8", 6-lug steel wheel. Stamped NISSAN. From an Infiniti QX56 SUV.
Nate, I know you are shaking your head. It'll be OK.
A set of 4/ P245/50R20 take-offs opportuned themselves, and with the 40's Chevy hubcap, the 20-inch, BLACK, Steel wheels with low-profile tires look modern, yet fitting to me. I was worried at first. Not now!
Mike
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