Well WTF, do I post my 3500HD project here or not

i like that truck , hope youre able to earn some money with it

Beats me about what I'll be able to do with it at this point other than bring it back into shape. Hydraulic pump is about shot, the wrecker unit is tilting too much so that it pitches the forks at an angle making it difficult to get it under low vehicles and also forces the forks against the ground preventing them from closing properly, my beautiful OEM GMC grille got swapped out for some raggedy bag-of-crap 88-93 Chevy grille from the boneyard, the interior is FILTHY, A/C needs repair (though I never had it 100% in the past, got it working but has a leak somewhere), etc.

Of course it still has all the issues it had before I sold it, like needing a windshield and the rear window needs re-sealing, could use a front end rebuild (kingpins, etc.), engine is a little tired but still strong and would benefit from a valve job, and sonofabitch it's hard to find the non-airbag steering wheel in good shape - this one is about toast and I hate steering wheel covers.

Gotta tell you though it's been fun driving it again and rowing through the gears while mashing the pedal on the big block, listening to the Flowmasters singing.

Richard

maibe the angle for the wrecker unit can be made less by fitting airbags to the rearaxle , kindah making the truck kneel when backing up to a car

you could offcourse put bags all around too it would be fun to see it lay frame as whell

watahyahknow, dont temp him! Although...it would be sweet as hell.

i actually think its the quickest fix it changes the angle of the unit so he can slide it under lower cars and he doesnt have to drop it beyond horizontal so it doesnt dig intoo the ground , the other option is to remount the wreckerunit lower on the chassis with the chance he drags it on the ground at times when loaded , fixing that only leaves the hydraulicpump to get it fully operational again and find a rearended gmc for the interiour and new grille , maybe even the topend of the engine
im suprized they actually put a gasengine in it , i wouldve suspected a diesel would be better for a worktruck

that would be sick....a bagged, laid out tow truck.

The tilt on the wrecker unit can be fixed pretty easily; just need to modify the 'stops' for where the boom unfolds.

As far as gas vs. diesel, the diesel of the era was the 6.5TD which, well, it has its fans but I'm not one...not at all. I put the Vortec 7.4 in there because it's what I had available without going out and buying an engine, but also because it's strong as an ox. This sumbitch will pull a house down. You hook this truck to something and whatever it is, it's either coming with you or breaking in half.

Airbags? Nick (MrBeast) had an idea to do this with his 3500HD but I don't know if he'll ever have time to do it, but I liked where he was going with it. Semi-style bags but for softening up the ride while retaining the load-carrying ability. I gotta say though I'd be more tempted to do what y'all are saying - set it up slammed style.

Richard

the frontend fabrication would actually be pretty straightforwarth to do , a plate screwed on the top springpocket and a cup welded in the bottom a arm / tubular a arm and a set of slam re8 or re7 bags
unless you want to realy drop like "not even a piece of paper fit under there" it it should be enough

Spring pocket? Control arms? What are these spring pockets and control arms you speak of? This is a drop beam leaf-sprung front end. Ya know, hung in there like that one in your 4x4 thingie.

Do-able but obviously a bit more work and some custom fab to be sure.

Richard

oops , i got a 1977 C1500 myself
the picture isnt my truck but gave me the idea to build one like it in the future , got most of the parts needed but still need to fins a workspace big enough to house the truck