My 67 swb project... YES its finally started. Sub frame swap

[GT-Racer]

Hmm only took one pic instead of all 3... well try that again.

[GT-Racer]

This part is critical. Since you will be removing the front cab support with this cut you must scribe a line (highlighted in blue in first pic so it will show up) with a straight edge and extend it onto the frame bracket as shown in pic 2. I chose to use the top edge of two frame holes as a guide just incase my line gets rubbed off or something.
this way when you weld the new front sub on you will be able to get the vertical postion right as far as height goes for your cab mounts. Horizontal postion will be determined much easier by setting the cab on the rear mounts and positioning the front mounts accordingly.

[wt4speed#2]

Hey GT
Found it . lots of pics here you are intersted in pages2-4.
http://s69.photobucket.com/albums/i70/CobraF100/

Tony B

[layedout72]

I am confused on how you cut it exactly. Was it just a vertical cut at the correct spot, of did you cut it so it would fit together sort of like a puzzle piece? I can't really tell much from your pictures, probably because I cant see the whole deal.

[71 LONG BED]

Hey GT, I hope the chassis works out good for you. I remember the "can of worms". My father in-law has been telling me put that clip on my '71 sinse I got it. He seems to think the whole suspention and crossmember will unbolt from the Chebby frame. Then, with a littl fab work of course, fit it up to the Ford frame. Cuttin the whole clip off is probably easier.

[layedout72]

Hey GT, I hope the chassis works out good for you. I remember the "can of worms". My father in-law has been telling me put that clip on my '71 sinse I got it. He seems to think the whole suspention and crossmember will unbolt from the Chebby frame. Then, with a littl fab work of course, fit it up to the Ford frame. Cuttin the whole clip off is probably easier.

hmmm, this could work especially nice for us guys that want to run custom tubular control arms and drop spindles!

[GT-Racer]

Hey GT, I hope the chassis works out good for you. I remember the "can of worms". My father in-law has been telling me put that clip on my '71 sinse I got it. He seems to think the whole suspention and crossmember will unbolt from the Chebby frame. Then, with a littl fab work of course, fit it up to the Ford frame. Cuttin the whole clip off is probably easier.

I saw exactly what you were saying. BUT.... the ford frame is 34 inches front to rear. and the chebbeie frame is 26 inches where the crossmember bolts on. Therefore you would have to fab up some brackets. I had thought of only cutting the very middle of the ford cross member there fore making the ford frame 26 in the middle and boxing it back in, but there again, you have to drill holes for the cross member, and control arm mounts and pray you dril them in the right location or else the geometry will be all outta wack. so this way seemed the easiest.


Layed out, I am just making vertical cuts. they may get massaged a little to make sure the alignment is correct but not a z or puzzle piece. I will the be putting a diamond shape plate on the inside for added strength.

[layedout72]

I am not sure what you mean by the crossmembers front to back? The front frame rails of both trucks are 34 inches outside to outside correct? So wouldn't you be able to just unbolt the cheby member and same with the ford and swap the cheby on? 34 width is 34 width, no? Maybe I am missing something?



I don't know where you are making your cuts or anything, but if all is flat on both frames where the arms are, could you not only cut out a section the width of our crossmember (just enough to remove it) and cut the same on the chevy frame? Or switch that around, depending which is the widest.

For example, if our crosmember is 8 inches thick, and the upper arms/lower arms on the chevy are only 6 inches wide, could you not just cut the 8 inch crossmember section of the ford frame out, and 8 inches (4 inches from arm center each way) on the chevy frame and weldit up that way, or would that not transfer weight as good as welding farther back on the clip? You may be doing this, but you have me confused on how your cuts are played out.

[layedout72]

Sorry to ask/type so much in your thread, i am just trying to figure how you are doing this.

What has me confused is where you are cutting your vertical line, and what the cab mount marks are. I am guessing that the blue line is on the Chevy clip, and the second picture shows your marking on the stock ford mount. Now my question is this...how did you measure where the mount would go, was it just measuring from the top of the frame to where the mount is on the ford frame and transferring that number to the Chevy frame?

[GT-Racer]

Sorry for the confusion. I drew the colored lines because my scribe marks didnt show up in the pictures. The blue line is on the REAR half of the ford frame and extends through the point marked on the ford cab mount. When the front half of the frame is removed and replaced I will put a straightedge down the line and line the cab mount back up. Make sense?


And the ford frame is the only one that is 34 front to rear, doesnt change. The chevy "necks" down to 26 just in front of the cab do to different suspension geometry.

Do be afraid to ask questions, I'm glad to help out. I got a new camera so I will take more pics to try and explain things better.

[layedout72]

So how I see it now is, you marked a line on the frame, through the body mount, back to the frame, level with the top of the holes in the frame. Correct? If so....gotcha Now, with the Chevy clip, you cut it before it turns into the 26 inches, is this a good bit behind the arms and all or is it just behind the suspension? Guesstimate of how far? I am trying to find a clip, but not sure if I am going to be able to.

Do you cut the Ford frame, like at the middle of the body mount or right before it from the front of the truck. I saw the cobraf100 link and he seemed to do the swap with the cab still on? Also....how far do you see the cross member hanging below the lowest point of the frame?

[GT-Racer]

I know these pictures suck and I am going to get more real soon, but for now the first picture shows how long the donor frame is. 31 1/2 inches from lower ball joint nut (front wheel center)
And the second picture shows where I will be cutting the ford 30 1/2 inches back from front wheel center.

This one inch difference helps to locate the front tires better in the wheel opening (so I hear)

There is no set distance back just as long as you get back to where both frames are 34 inches apart side to side. for example you can go 36 inches back on the chevy and 35 back on the ford. This is just where we happened to measure to. It lined up with a couple of holes in the frame that we used to help with straight edge thats all.

[layedout72]

okay so from your ball joint nut, to the edge of your donor frame is 31.5. If I can find me a frame, where would I measure that distance to? The bottom edge or the top edge of the chevy frame from the balljoint nut? If thats doesn't make sense I will try to re word it.

Also, do u know how low that crossmember is going to hang below the ford frame? Truck is going to be killer when your done!

When you measured from the ball joint nut, to the 30.5 inches, did you find wheel center on the frame before that, or did you just measure from the nut? Reason I ask is because would the length of frame not be different between the two measurements? And I take it you measured from the wheel center on the frame of the ford, 31.5 back. Thats why I ask, because if you measured from the ball joint nut, it's not a true 30.5 if measured from wheel center on the frame, like on the ford. Sorry for the long drawn out posts, but your the one doing it, and I am really looking into it so your getting the questions hahaha. Sorry

[GT-Racer]

hey like I said no problem on the questions. Actually I had help. I have a friend who is an EXCELLENT fabricator. He did all the measuring in like twenty minutes. I could have done the same thing but it would have taken like three days and I would have doubted everything I did.

If you use the lower ball joint nut on the chevy, that is you wheel center. Its hard to transfer that point to the frame. The ford frame is much easier to mark because the spring pocket is against the frame. Just lay a straight edge across it and you are done.

[layedout72]

I get that, but if you are measuring from the balljoint nut itself, its going to be different than measureing on the frame, right? Or did you transfer it to the frame, and I just missed that part?