Extended cab 45 SWB from a 40 (2 Viewers)

[afraptor22]

I have been working on this for about 8 months now, so probably time to start a build thread.

Started with this:


Didn't feel too bad cutting it in half


Half a 40 tub is not too bad to move around by yourself


Going to put in another 5.3 chevy motor...fabbed everything with a 4L60 but I'm going to use a 6L80.


Here what I kept of the original 40 frame...not much


Adding just a bit of length.


Well that escalated quickly...fills my garage end to end now


Using an NP203 to a split case, 40 front axle and 62 rear axle


Found an original 45 SWB bed...will take some work though.


Here's what the extension looks like


Enough for now, have to go to the day job to pay for the 45!

 

[GW Nugget]

Looking like a adventure...

 

[47coeman]

Yes it is an adventure and a encinerator for $. I am back on mine after a long while building a shop, been doing stuff that you can't tell anything has been done. Keep us posted on you progress.

 

[cruisedeisel]

I would do some plating over those frame splices. But Im sure you already had that planned.

 

[cruisedeisel]

P.S. you rear diff is facing the wrong way. lol

 

[afraptor22]

I would do some plating over those frame splices. But Im sure you already had that planned.

Ya, the extensions are sleeved into the original frame and then boxed over. Doesn't look like much at the outside but there is a lot of overlap on the inside side of the frame, and welded inside.

 

[afraptor22]

The front of the SWB was really rusted. It looked like there had been a channel there at the very front that had either rusted or been cut away. So I got the bed sand blasted and I cut out the front wall. Welded in a 2x2 channel at the front and that let me straighten up the wavy floor.


The rear corners were both crunched so I cut them out and welded in 40 rear corners and then cut them down and cut in the curved profile.


New 16ga front wall of the bed, I might go back in later and make it curved, but I don't think you will see it.


I am running a J**P TJ gas tank so I needed to move the fuel inlet. I cut this out the profile with the plasma cutter, smoothed it, then welded it in and smoothed it again. Turned out pretty neat.


Corner profiles


It was supposed to pour here so I sprayed it with primer in case it started to flash rust in the garage...but I used etch primer and now I have to shoot something else over the bed before I can do any bondo. I do like the Frankenstein look though and that's kind of the theme of this truck....it's a compilation.


The extension is all skinned, but I'm still working on a full width bench that needs skinned.


This is about caught up to where I am now. I really need to make a bracket to attach the 3 shifters for the transfer cases and then I can work on the tunnel. I had to cut the tunnel in half with the longer drivetrain and it will probably get a 14" stretch with some extra width on the passenger side to cover the transfer case shifter pivots. It's supposed to pour again this weekend so I might shoot some more paint on the bed tomorrow while it's still nice...maybe the axles too so I can get them back under the truck and set it on the 315's.

 

[afraptor22]

Painted the rear frame and dropped the bed on to see how it looks.


Need to re-drill one set of mounting holes...not sure what happened there...maybe I needed to measure 3 times.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

I'm loving this. Looking forward to how you finish it out!

 

[afraptor22]

Thanks!

I'm loving this. Looking forward to how you finish it out!

Got the axles back under it, but I'll have to figure out some different steering arms. High steer arms are too high up even with the shackle reversal and the lift spring.

These are not the wheels and tires I'm planning on using, but with the front brakes I need 17" wheels just to roll it around.

 

[afraptor22]

It's been a while since I've updated this thread. I wish I could say that means I got tons done, but not really. I bought an 80 series and did a ton of work to that which ate up some time.

The brown 80 is not mine, I'm car sitting.
I figured out the steering by drilling the arms and using heim joints underneath and a collapsable shaft with u-joints at each end to mate a 40 column to an 80 steering box.

Then I made a bracket that mounted on the transmission adapter and welded a 3/4" bolt to that to use as a pivot for the 3 transfer case shifters. I pored over many mud pictures to figure out how I wanted this to work.

The width of the shifters, and the length of 2 transfer cases meant the tunnel needed to get bigger in 2 directions. Bugs-n-Bikes came over and we figured settled on stretching it like this.

Then I pulled the cab/bed/drivetrain and worked on finishing the frame. The sliders are 2" square .188 wall tube and the inside of the frame has .25" plates from the 20" into past where I cut it to the motor mounts. Should be strong enough now for whatever I do to this thing in the future.


Yesterday I painted the frame and the underside of the cab, so when I bolt it back on it's hopefully for good.

 

[afraptor22]

Got the drivetrain in today. Mostly smooth except the bracket I built on a 4L60 will not work on a 6L80. Its a LC9 5.3L Vortec, 6L80E, stock 6L80E to transfer case adapter, NorthWest Fabworks 4L60 to NP203 plate, NP203, Advance Adapters to split case adapter and finally a split case! The 4L60E and 6L80E are effectively the same length and I did all the fab work with a 4L60.

 

[too tall]

I think you should go back to normal steering arms as you are spring under. I think you'll have clearance issues with your drag link and tie rod. Project looks good. What is the plan for the roof?

 

[A10Driver]

Dude, great work. Are you going to run a top?

 

[afraptor22]

I think you should go back to normal steering arms as you are spring under. I think you'll have clearance issues with your drag link and tie rod. Project looks good. What is the plan for the roof?

Yup! Tie rod hits the diff cover in the front. I can probably fix that with clearancing, but I will need to lower my bump stops to keep the rods from hitting the frame. I don't want to go back to stock steering arms.

Top is TBD. Thinking a custom soft top at this point, or find a crappy fiberglass top and chop off the back 20" of it. I pushed the cage tube to the corners of the cab so I won't run top bows, the top will set directly on the cage. It gave me a ton more room inside and the rear section is one large "halo" of steel.

 

[A10Driver]

Cool, I am planning on cutting two tops to try and make one to fit my 4 door project, will be interested to see what u come up with.

 

[afraptor22]

Cool, I am planning on cutting two tops to try and make one to fit my 4 door project, will be interested to see what u come up with.

I should have kept the fiberglass tops I had. Now the only ones I seem to be finding are $1000 and too nice to hack up.

 

[A10Driver]

I should have kept the fiberglass tops I had. Now the only ones I seem to be finding are $1000 and too nice to hack up.

I know, seams everything has gone up. Trying to find doors is my problem right now

 

[peesalot]

What year doors ? I have some just sitting, may need some love but not rusted out.

 

[afraptor22]

I need to get better at updating this, I've been busy..

Finished the frame, got a little crazy with blue 3/8" air hose for breather line, but I have spare if I need emergency fuel line.



Then it took 5 guys to lift the cab back onto the frame, the bed was much easier. I finished expanding/lengthening/widening the transmission tunnel cover.


Once the body was on I slid the main cage tubes into the corner posts and started to think about how the cage, door frames, and doors were going to come together.


I started on the cage and adding the connector bars and one triangulation bar in the back, I don't think the sides need it, they are pretty close together and there is a 2x2 tube at the top, middle and bottom of each side.


I will be welding tabs from the windshield frame to the cage so when I don't have the door frames on the windshield doesn't move.