Project Hank

Been working with my son on the rear axle to get it ready for the four link brackets. (spoiler alert) Ford lovers tune out for just a moment. Yes that is a GM 14 bolt rear axle....Blasphemy I know, but way easier to narrow than any Ford axle, Strong as the day is long, and huge support in the aftermarket.

We have settled on the triangualted four link with Firestone rolling sleeve airbags for load capacity. Here he is removing the spring perches, and before and after:

After a million measurements, the bed of Hank was removed and sold. Here is a pic from last night on the way home. The decision was made to sell the bed of Hank for a couple of reasons. First, the OEM toolbox on the side is really cool but takes away from the look I am going for. Secondly, I don't like the bedcaps on the 70 to 72 model because the body lines are interrupted by the government mandated reflector/marker light integrated there. Third, I don't have the room to store it and I need to get at the frame to narrow and c-notch it, and install the four link. Finally, because I am relocationg the axle rearwards, I am going to have to chop and section two beds together and the tool box is right in the way. I will not be using this model year tailgate either so it was sold as well.

Looks cool with no bed!

So this brings us up to date on this forum. I need some help from the experts here on wheel and tire fitment. Before I can go any further I MUST settle on a wheel and tire combo. Everything else from this point forward with this truck will be determined by the wheels and tires. So here is my dilemma:

From wheelwell lip to frame I have exactly 21.5". I want 1/2" from the frame and 1/2" from the wheelwell lip. That leaves me 20.5" for the overall width for two 22" dually wheels and tires.

Up until yesterday I thought this was impossible because from searching on the Internet two 22" Alcoas with 265/35/22 tires was about 23 and 3/8" wide. I ran across the Townasty wheel, but according to Trevor is about 22" wide if I run two of them together. Still not close enough. I had all but given up on the idea of not narrowing the frame.

Until yesterday... on this forum I came across the Gulf Coast Speed rear wheel which he states is only 20 and 7/8" wide. That I can probably make work with a little massaging of the frame and fenderwell.

Does anyone have dealing with his company? I'm going to call Trevor again at Tennessee Wheel and Tire and see if I just misunderstood.

Any other options out there for me?

Thanks in advance

truck is nastyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

I read the whole thread, but came back to this point because here it seemed you had started what I was imagining.
Mine being a chassis-cab, my stock, SRW-width Dana 70 is already extra far back, compared to that red one you showed later. I too am going to need a pair of beds to splice together.
Going with the GM 10.5" makes sense, as it's rated to carry 1100 pounds more than my D70, and offers 3.21:1 gearing.
If you get the Chassis-cab version, IIRC, possibly swap to van hubs? then you can have a width of 63", where the SRW pickup version is 67.5". Then you may not need to narrow anything. The details are in the 14-bolt bible in the tech garage section of pirate4x4.com

You know great minds think alike! I relied heavily on that GM 14 bolt bible for most of my axle research. Thank you Billavista! Almost all of that info on there is spot on, but be warned, like he says in his disclaimer, there are always variations to the theme. Don't ask me how I know .

Anyway, Unfortunately I only have an inside dimension of 76.25" from fender to fender. The outside dually wheel plus the mounting flange of the inside wheel plus the adapter costs roughly 13" per side so likely 26" for both. That leaves WMS to WMS somewhere in the 50" range. 63.5" is still to far away to fudge.

thats a sweet project you got there....we have done a few I beam trucks at the shop...they ride awesome...as for your rear frame rails id say just narrow them...if its gonna be that squeezed in there id just spend a few extra days and bout 50 bucks to narrow it....since your rear end is gonna be so far back you wont have to narrow the whole frame...just find out where the front of your link bars are gonna mount and narrow it a few inches in front of that....that will allow you room to mount link bars too

Thanks comegetsome. I hope it looks as good as it does in my head when it is done. I am not opposed to narrowing the frame. I'd rather not. I know logically that if it is done correctly it is just as strong but somewhere in my head it feels like it's not and if I can make it all fit .......but I never get an easy project.

Well I spent an entire sunday morning pulling F-350 radius arms from two different trucks in the bone yard that looked beautiful on the truck, but when I got them off were so corroded where the radius arm bushings go that they were unusable. GRRR. Cool thing about these model radius arms is that they are completely flat on top (perfect to mout airbag buckets on top of) and have a bigger opening for the modified steering linkage to ride through. Heres a pic of the ones I'm looking for if anyone has a set:

Well it appears my attachment quota has been exceeded. Is there something I can do to continue to add pics of the build? A membership fee or something?