Both ways are cheap as hell. Literally no more than $140 out of the yard. But, this is swapping parts to different generation parts. Now, from the frame to the lugs if it swapped it'd be fine. But when you start making a hybrid of parts between the frame and the lugs, that's where it starts to not work right. Logic says that my ball joints won't fit the 73+ spindles. I mean, if it was as cheap as swapping the spindles it would be the easiest swap ever and everybody would be doing it. But, the entire front suspension swap has been done before, some even citing saying that you could basically roll the entire front suspension and front x-member from the doner truck onto the 67-72 frame, but the Junkyard say otherwise.

It's crazy.



No, not really. Not compared to the other leaks the truck has. I just don't open the roof ever and it doesn't leak.

well **** if its only 140 bucks. do the full suspension swap. i never woulda dreamed it would be that cheap. but of coures it will work better doing all of it, since its designed to work with all of it. Prob will hold a better alignment too which is waht you really need to think about the most. tires arent cheap!

Problem is, don't know if I'd be buying $140 bucks worth of usable stuff with so many different opinions on how to do it. But, this is how it might work out:

I have to 1st order the custom rotors so the Junkyard knows what spindles to give me, different sizes were given for the different thickness rotors. He'll sell me the spindles and calipers for about 35-40 each side. I go home, and try it out. If that doesn't work right, he said then he'll go tear down the whole truck for the rest. And we buy a proportioning vavle from some place else, since he thinks it's not needed... lulz.

He says he's done this swap before too, but so had the 67-72 forum guys and their way. But, might as well try the cheapest option 1st before buying the rest of the suspension of the doner 73-87 truck.

****, i wish i could find some seats like that in a junkyard around here, i can't even find a seat worth recovering in our junkyards =/ after you get the drop springs all around, take some pics with the big ghetto chrome rims on it, toss some DUB stickers on it too =P looks nice, awesome to see your suspension starting to come together. bowtie FTW.

I'm still unsure about those rims! Will see after I figure out what I want to do with these white wheels. They don't looks so bad when their filling out the wheel wells. But their getting sand blasted and painted black when I get it on the road and to my school.

Holy awesome, I drove the truck.

So, it was backed out of the driveway, and turned around in the street, but it's movement. It's also hell. Every try a 3 point turn in a 5000lbs truck with no power steering? Ha... hahah... But it's a rumbling beast no less.

Anyways, backed it into the garage, it's cold, windy, and miserable outside.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/Chevy010.jpg
Bet you can't find the lower ball joint nut! Love 40 years of grease
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/Chevy012.jpg
Also gotta love 3 foot breaker bars that can break 40 years of grease.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/Chevy011.jpg
Anyways, 3 inch drop springs vs the stock spring.

The 1st side was easy. All was said and done in 45 minutes. The passenger side. Well... The lower ball joint was so worn out, trying to pry the spindle off it, was **** near impossible. Pulling the spindle up to pry off, pulled the ball joint along with it! It took 3 hours of hammering and mess unitl it finally popped out. But, spings in and down on the jacks:

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/Chevy022.jpg

Sits perfect at front. While the body does sit level, the rear tires are still tucked in more than the fronts. And with the travel issues, eventually I'll throw in 3in drop springs instead of the 5s. But for now, the CST10 is down nice.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/Chevy021.jpg
Finished up the steering wheel, Olds 442 wheel looks badass, and is a much nicer size than the original wheel. Went a head and ripped off the old cracked dashpad, just got tired of it. And re-installed the guages and finished the Cadillac clock.

This is starting to look really, really nice, Texan. Awesome work and determination. :D

Cheers,
Kyle.

B. E. A . UUUTIFUL!!

looks awesome. but what the hell you workin in good clothes and shoes for lol. you'll learn quick not to do that haha. look good though.

my buddy just finished his prosteet truck yesturday, when he post pics on myspace of it ill have to show ya, its right up your ally, you'll love it :)

You replaced that ball joint, right? I hope so. Sounds like they all need replaced if that one had that much movement.

Anyways, looking good lowered.

i hope he didnt. waste of money. if he is planning on changing out the suspension to do a disk brake swap, then he would just be changing the balljoints then anyways. no reason to do it now.

Will do when the front end is finished. Right now it's just bolted snuggly together for mock-up. We'll have to tear it down for the disk brake swap anyways, so at that point new lower ball joints go in both sides. Trust me, that side has gone to hell :lol: Driver's side wasn't much better in terms of ball-joint health

Thanks man.

Thanks man!

I've been in the garage for 17 years, I know the dress code. But, Vans are shoes, shoes get dirty, shoes can get cleaned. And I had a jacket on most of the day, just after turnign that truck with no power steering, well, I was all worked up and such.

Power steering pump will be put on ASAP.

Looking good!
You have some skills with the camera, all your shots come out looking real nice.
Looks like we'll have to fallow this one closely.

Chill out, man.. You know very little of the swap plans or of what I did and didn't do. Let me answer other people's questions. ;)

Thank you Sweedy. Plus, when I use the flash, my truck looks like hell. The shadows hide the uglyness :lol:

was only saying... it would be a waste of money since u plan to swap. there was no reason to be putting in a new balljoin now just to rip it back out... just common sense..

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/Chevy012.jpg

if that the hammer you are using I can see why it took a few hours. a few smacks on the knuckle with good sized hammer and the taper should vibrate right loose. I can give you some tips on changing that ball joint with no press or other special tools if you need it.

My dad left the BFH at work, but we were trying every way known to knock it out of the lower joint, including going full force on the spindle. Even with the jack under the brake to load some pressure onto the ball joint it held. It was just 40 years stuck. He was gettin mad knowing that normally it does only take a few whacks with a hammer. But the **** thing just wouldn't go until we let a large squirt of GM penetrating lube do it's work for the 4th time.

PM me the tips. I'm sure my dad is probably on the same mind train as you. But were doing the joints the the garage anyways, can't drive it up to the dealership just yet and work on it with the ultimate set of tools.

One of these days this week I'm heading to his work and sandblasting and painting the steel wheels black as well

Started it up, and pulled it out today to see it on the ground. Oh how I love that V8 rumble. The Carb doesn't like the cold, but starts well with out a choke.

YouTube Video

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/IMG_0343.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/IMG_0344.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/IMG_0345.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...0/IMG_0346.jpg

Great progress tex!! Its really coming together!!

Wow tex, I love that stance! Glad to finally see some progress here. Just do me a favor and put some tasteful rims on it. Nothing I hate more than ugly rims on nice cars.

passenger front tire look a little low ;)