Thread: First timer, update of 48 Chevy 1/2 ton

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If you consider the frame in thirds, there is the front, middle and rear thirds. I would approach this by cutting away the front and rear thirds, leaving the middle (stock) third of the frame under the truck. I would then find an S10 donor truck and take the front and rear thirds out of the frame and graft them onto the middle third of the recipient frame. This way, you will have all the body mounts left in the proper position. Now granted, the front sheet metal will have to be re-mounted and sometimes that is a bear, but it is not an impossible task in the whole scheme of things. So, you will have a late model front suspension and a home for a small block Chevy (everybody makes mounts and such for a SBC/S10 swap). You will also have a late model rear suspension that will accept improvements such as Caltrac bars, etc. To mount the transmission to the middle (old) part of the frame, you will need the middle part of the frame crossmember from a donor car or truck that will bolt up to the transmission you are going to use and the two outer ends (again, one third for the middle and one third for each end of your new crossmember) from the original crossmember that will bolt to the frame rails of the original middle third of the frame. Now, bolt the two pieces that match up with the middle third of the frame to the old frame. Position the motor and trans in the truck and bolt the center third of the crossmember to the transmission. Now, weld the three pieces together and you will have a crossmember that will bolt to the frame on the sides and to your new transmission in the middle. Cool, no?

Will a s-10 limit you to a small block,will a big block work in a s-10? Would grafting a Mustang II front suspension work just as good with out cutting the frame up?The rear suspension in the old truck and the s-10 are the same right,leafs?