68 C10 SBSS build - start to finish

[Vic1947]

The Auburn diff was a new piece I got off of eBay and the 3.40 gearset was a swap meet find. Of course, the new axles and the Auburn didn't play well together. Had to mill about .010" off of each c-clip button in order for the cross pin to go thru. The only positive here is that there's virtually no lateral play in the axles.

[Vic1947]

After reinstalling the rear axle, I began working on revised shock mounts for a new set of QA1 shocks to mount vertically instead of being laid back at the stock ~160 degrees. I wasn't able to find a kit for a moderately lowered leaf spring truck so I had to build my own. Lower mounts are made out of .125" thick 4130 chromoly steel. Upper mounts were sourced off of eBay and are basically the same as stock. My original mounts were welded in by a PO, so I couldn't remove and reuse them.

I offset the lower shock mounts using SS bushings to allow the shock barrels to clear the frame and all surrounding hardware. They now clear everything thru full travel. With the lower mounts installed, I set the shocks to the desired ride height using tie wraps. I then marked the best spot on the frame to mount the upper pins.

[Vic1947]

Drilling the frame for the upper mounts was a real treat. I'd drill till my arms got to shaking then go take a nap to rest up. The extra layer of material from the c-notch kit doubled up the work. But I finally got it all in place and down on the ground. The shocks are valved for three settings, so I started out on the extra firm setting figuring it would provide the most control.

On the jack without the tires and wheels, I could tell there was a significant improvement, but I hadn't eliminated 100% of the vibration. I walked around the shop for a minute, kicking dust bunnies, but then settled down and decided a test drive was probably the only way to really determine whether all this work had fixed anything.

Out on the road the new gear was nice and quiet and the ride quality was much better than when I started. At highway speed, there was very little remaining vibration. I'd say I removed about 80% of what I'd been experiencing and the truck is much more pleasant to drive. However, I can't say I was entirely successful.

When I had the rearend completely disassembled I ran one test to see if the differential was possibly the source of the vibration. After removing the ring gear, I set the guv-bomb up on centers in my lathe and turned it at highway rpm. Besides slinging residual gear oil all over the shop, it also showed that the diff unit was vibrating a fair amount. I assumed the Auburn would be balanced better than the OEM unit, but when I put it up on centers, it also had some vibration. Maybe not quite as bad as the guv-bomb but not perfect either. At this point, I wish I'd taken the Auburn down to my engine builder and had him dial it in on his balancer.

I'm sort of grasping at straws here. It's hard for me to believe that a slightly off balance differential could be the problem. I can probably live with it at this point, but I'd really like to figure this out. I'm open for suggestions.

[67cheby]

Wow , nice work ....and alot of it !
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[Low Elco]

Nice work, Vic! Wish I coulda been there to see the posi in the lathe, that had to have been a show! I like the tie-in to the stock mounts with the new shock. Work looks great. Are you going to pull and balance it? I didn't know they could do that. Who is your engine builder?

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Low Elco

Nice work, Vic! Wish I coulda been there to see the posi in the lathe, that had to have been a show! I like the tie-in to the stock mounts with the new shock. Work looks great. Are you going to pull and balance it? I didn't know they could do that. Who is your engine builder?

Thanks Chip. I don't have plans to yank it right away, maybe after the first of the year. My builder is Bobby Morton in Independence. He does engine balancing and, like most performance shops, he has mandrels he uses to balance flywheels, vibration dampers and etc. I'm sure he could balance the diff. It's a lot less mass than a crankshaft for sure. If you decide to go thru your 3.73 to replace bearings, seals or whatever, I'd be happy to check the axle tubes for you while it's apart. PM me if you're interested.

[Vic1947]

Well, with Christmas out of the way and the KC AutoRama approaching, I'm back to doing a little inside work while the weather is not so balmy. When I first got the truck on the road, I used a steering wheel I robbed off another of my projects. Mainly because my wife didn't like the Grant wheel that was on the truck when I bought it. When I had carpet installed, the guy that did the work showed me a leather wrapped wheel he'd done and it really looked nice. So last week we took the Grant wheel to him and asked about having it covered. He pointed out a couple of things I hadn't thought about and suggested it might be more cost effective to buy one, assuming I could locate one that was suitable.

Since Brian seemed pleased with the Forever Sharp wheel he got for Christmas, I decided to give them a try. It ain't all flamed up and fancy like the one Brian got, but after a little tweaking it blends in with the rest of the interior. It's the Muscle Series half wrap, which means I can swap out another ring style in the future if I decide to. Pictures below.

I'd test drive it to do a 15" before vs. 14" after comparison but I haven't gotten my Demon carb back from the factory yet. Had to send it in due to a persistent issue with the accelerator pump. I hope they can figure out the problem, but just in case, I have a Holley on my eBay watch list.

More on that later.

[gdavis]

I like the grey and the gages are sweet

[Xeen]

That new steering wheel looks great in there!
Also you should be able to bring your tilt all the way down now without the steering wheel rubbing your legs.
I really liked the new shock mounts you fabricated and that rear differential cover is sweet Im adding it to my list along with a CPP bent bar to clear it.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Xeen

That new steering wheel looks great in there!
Also you should be able to bring your tilt all the way down now without the steering wheel rubbing your legs.
I really liked the new shock mounts you fabricated and that rear differential cover is sweet Im adding it to my list along with a CPP bent bar to clear it.

Thanks Brian. You're right about there being more room between the steering wheel and my legs. It's much more comfortable now!

[Low Elco]

Nice Wheel! Hope it all goes back together good for you. Are you doing World Of Wheels?

[Vic1947]

Yep, mailed my entry form just this morning. Been trying to come up with some interlocking floor tiles similar to race deck to put down on the concrete to spiffy up the display but haven't made a decision yet. There are several companies out there that make the stuff, but there is a wide range of cost. It's hard to justify spending big bucks for something that only gets used occasionally. Regardless, we plan to be there.

[Xeen]

I noticed that new steering wheel has a black plastic looking horn button, I didnt even know you could get it like that, you didnt want the chevy bowtie engraved horn button?

[Low Elco]

Great! Can't wait to see it and you there! I was gonna do Yeller, but have been too wrapped up in the other issues to fix the couple things to show it.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Xeen

I noticed that new steering wheel has a black plastic looking horn button, I didnt even know you could get it like that, you didnt want the chevy bowtie engraved horn button?

The adapter and horn button were originally used with the Grant steering wheel that I put aside. The horn button was black with a cursive Grant logo that I didn't really care for. So I disassembled the horn button, painted the pieces a dark metallic grey and then put it back together. The half wrap from Forever Sharp was kind of a dove grey when I got it, so I used a charcoal grey vinyl dye to change the color to match the dash pad. I'm still not sure I want to keep the horn button as it is. Seems a bit too plain, but that's an easy fix. I liked the billet bowtie button, but thought I'd like the painted one more. Now that it's on there, I'm having second thoughts. I have that problem a lot. There's a disconnect between the virtual image in my head and reality.

[Xeen]

Your truck is one of my favorites out of all the builds on here, your mods are simple and tastefull, we have alot in common when it comes to styling queue choices.
You wouldnt mind telling me where you got those front flush mount parking lights would you, because I want to do the same thing to mine.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Xeen

Your truck is one of my favorites out of all the builds on here, your mods are simple and tastefull, we have alot in common when it comes to styling queue choices.
You wouldnt mind telling me where you got those front flush mount parking lights would you, because I want to do the same thing to mine.

Thanks, Brian. Since you're in the early stages of your build, you have the advantage of being able to learn from others' mistakes. I'm sure you'll have an outstanding ride when you're finished. You just need a little cooperation from the weather!

I bought the LED parking lamps from a guy in Texas. You can see his stuff at http://www.customclassic.com but be forewarned, he builds everything to order and keeps very little in stock. Even his website warns you he has a 4-6 week backlog. He has some tech articles on how to french in his lights or flush mount them. He also offers the light buckets made to order. Mine aren't 100% flush because I didn't want to get into a situation where a diode might fail and I'd end up with a gap-tooth'ed array that would be costly and time consuming to repair. So all mine are mounted right behind the sheet metal in such a way that I can remove and repair them if need be. It's not quite as custom looking as the ones that are completely flush, but a bit more practical. I've seen several LED tail light bars on trucks with one or more lights out, so I know it's possible. Even though they're supposed to have a very long working life, stuff happens.

[Xeen]

Thanks Victor I appreciate it.

[Xeen]

I forgot to ask you, did you do 7x7 or 8x8 per inch on the stainless mesh?

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Xeen

I forgot to ask you, did you do 7x7 or 8x8 per inch on the stainless mesh?

For the front grilles I used 6x6 per inch. On the cowl I used 8x8.

[Vic1947]

When I bought the truck for this build thread, my plan was to fix it up a little and make it an everyday driver. Feature creep set in and I ended up overdoing everything. I still needed a work truck, so I've been combing thru ads for a suitable starter.

With the temps in the mid 20's today, I picked up a '67 SWB fixer-upper. No weatherstrip in the doors and no heater core made for a frosty ride home, but we made it. Features a 350 SBC and TH400 with what feels like 4.10 gears in the 12 bolt. Don't know much about it yet as I have to make room in the workshop for it. I do know it's a leaker ...couldn't get cardboard under it fast enough to keep it from spotting up the driveway, but a little degreaser will fix that up. I'll start a new build thread for it, but most of what I plan is just clean up and mechanical stuff to make it reliable. If I start to stray from the plan, hopefully someone will kick my a$$ and remind me it's just a driver!

[Xeen]

Nice! Ok I want to help with this one and I have some ideas.
You can trade the TH400 for a 700R4.
You can change it over to 5-bolt Front Disk and 5-bolt 3.55 Limited Slip rear axle.
Heavy Duty front Sway Bar.
This will obviously give you much better gas milage, more stopping power, and better handling.
You can get most of the parts from Bobs Vintage in Lenexa, the man has the best prices around and doesnt sell junk.
I would be happy to come over and help you do the retrofit, we could knock it all out in a single day.

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by Xeen

Nice! Ok I want to help with this one and I have some ideas.
You can trade the TH400 for a 700R4.
You can change it over to 5-bolt Front Disk and 5-bolt 3.55 Limited Slip rear axle.
Heavy Duty front Sway Bar.
This will obviously give you much better gas milage, more stopping power, and better handling.
You can get most of the parts from Bobs Vintage in Lenexa, the man has the best prices around and doesnt sell junk.
I would be happy to come over and help you do the retrofit, we could knock it all out in a single day.

What a guy, Brian! It would be great to have you over if you're in the neighborhood, but there's no need to make a special trip. Besides, sometimes it takes me a whole day just to do one little thing. Everything you mentioned would be a monthlong project for me. Also, I plan to reuse as much as I can from this puppy. I still have a 3.08 gear and the gov-bomb from the silver truck. They would work fine with the TH400 (which is a fresh rebuild according to the PO). If I go to 5 lugs, I have to change the wheels and my goal is to spend as little as possible on this build. Someone in the past has put dropped a-arms on the front and the truck actually handles pretty well. First order of business is to make it reliable. PO said it has all new brakes on it, but you couldn't prove it by me. So in the coming days, I'll be addressing the most serious issues and then start to focus on the upgrades. Thanks for the tip about Bob's Vintage, I wasn't familiar with them until you mentioned it on Chip's thread. Good used parts will work for this deal and help me maintain some kind of budget. If you're gonna be in the area, PM me and I'll give you directions.

[Xeen]

Most guys can't bleed brakes worth a damn so it doesnt surprise me if they aren't doing the job. I sent you a PM.

[Mustard72]

Hoo boy. Be careful. I just started out making my 72 "more reliable" so my wife and daughter can pull a horse trailer around with it. Now the things torn all apart taking up both stalls of the garage.

Wish my driver was as cool as that one. I'll have to settle for the mighty Taurus wagon for now... Plus, I appreciate the rear window defroster, because with my "more reliable" project going on, the drivers get parked in the driveway.