Chevrolet rebuild

[luke46]

I'm looking at rebuilding chevrolet and wondering wat everyone recommends i want 3/4 tow/haul performace, can i get it out of a 1/2 ton

[dubyam]

For a short time, yes. Then the poor thing will begin to suffer breakage if you really abuse it. The real advantage of the 3/4 ton is the beefier frame, brakes, and suspension. In fact, from a driveability standpoint, you'll get better performance out of a 1/2 ton, until you load up the trailer and try to tow a really big load. But if you tow big loads, you'll eventually get stress cracks in key components on the 1/2 ton. At least that's been what I've seen happen after a little while. I've got cousins who run a big hay operation, and they're still pulling hay with 3/4 ton trucks they learned to drive in - with remanned motors and trannys, of course. The 1/2 tons are all rusting in pastures after a short life of hauling big round bales on lowboys.

[Todd G.]

Depends on what part of the truck you are planning on rebuilding. If you are simply taking the cab and box off the 1/2 ton and placing it on a 3/4 ton frame and drivetrain, it will work great. Otherwise, buy a 3/4 ton to rebuild.

[jimbires]

what year chevy are you working on ? Jim

[luke46]

i plan a rebuilding a mid 90's or older something with the old 350 and a manual. i mostly haul wood and every now and then i got to haul a vehicle but general im pulling boats. Im not really nice to my vehicles i want something that will take a little off road abuse

[jimbires]

ok , I'm sure in the 90's there are differences between the 1/2 and 3/4 ton trucks .most 1/2 tons were not even to be used for snow plowing . watch out for rusted frames on these 90's chevys , they are problems here in Pa.
in the 1973 to about 1985 the frames were the same on the 1/2 and 3/4 . one ton had a heavier frame .in those years somewhere they changed the spacing on 2 of the bed bolts . is the only thing I know of . I had a 1979 chevy 1/2 ton 4x4 ,350 , 4 speed , 3.42 gears ,15" six bolt wheels, that I used for towing . I drag raced . when I got rid of the truck it was a 454 with a towing camshaft , with a turbo hydromatic 350 trans, towing torque converter ,16" 8 bolt wheels with 4.10 gears , and I put the 3/4 ton front springs on it , and 3/4 plus two extra plies on the rear. man would that thing tow !but it got a whopping 5 or 6 mpg , loaded or empty . I sold it to one of my customers in 1995 and he is still running it .and it still looks good . I bought a 4 door dually ,1994 Ford F350 diesel .it did around 12 mpg towing and 17 or 18 highway empty . if you are serious about towing you can't beat a dually with a diesel .
if you get into an old 70's to mid 80's truck and get stumped , I know them pretty well , I should be able to help you . Jim

[Lodiman]

So, you like the bowties eh Jim?

[jimbires]

So, you like the bowties eh Jim?

Rodger , I went to work for a local chevy garage in my junior year of high school . the co-op program with my vo-tech school . that would have been 1978 , I graduated in 1980 . where I live the soft coal strip mines was big business .the stripping companys would just beat the trucks to death . I worked on a bunch of those trucks . I could not believe how many things you could trade around on these trucks and the stuff bolted up like factory . and chevy changed about nothing major for so many years that I just kind of got to know them inside out . the engineers today should take a look at how one part would fit maybe 6 or 8 different years of a vehicle and try to do that again today . it's to the place now that most late model parts through the dealers I need to give the last six digits of the VIN so they know what to order . it's got to be expensive for them to make new parts all the time too . Jim

[Cam]

Chevy stuff is interchangeble,engines bullet proof and Nobody beats there gas engines for mileage.