Frame / Springs: c cab 1/2 ton truck frame

[Subsea69]

Anyone near Mississippi with a C-cab 1/2 ton truck frame. Need for a 51. Are all C-cab 1/2 ton short wb frames the same? I'm looking into designing a narrowed Crown Vic front xmbr to allow the use of the CV control arms and brakes with a Mustang rack. I want to make this bolt-in and keep the engine and radiator mount xmbrs in the frame. I think this would be a preferred option over welding in a MII. I'd be happy with just the frame section forward of the cab mounts if someone has one that has been cut for something else. It would be easier to work with than our assembled trucks.

I apologize if there is another thread, I tried to post yesterday and I cannot find it today.

Thanks,
Dwayne Watkins
Starkville, MS

[Lamar]

Don't have a spare front section but would love to see the end result when your finished. Lamar

[Skip Lackie]

Anyone near Mississippi with a C-cab 1/2 ton truck frame. Need for a 51. Are all C-cab 1/2 ton short wb frames the same?

The early 2R5 truck frames were designed for the Champion 6 and had a simple ladder frame, with a single front cross member for the front motor mounts. Later, the Commander 6 was made optional and a K member was added to the frame for its motor mounts. The V8 engines used the same K member holes. The early trucks also had lever shocks, while the later ones had modern airplane-type shocks and different shock mounts. There were some other minor running changes, but they probably wouldn't matter to your project.

[Mrs K Corbin]

There's a guy on CL in Nashville that is not selling a Studebaker, but probably still has the truck he started selling and gave up for no one wanted it.
He took apart a 57 that was running and welded in a Crown Vic front end. Looked like a good job to me, plus I think he boxed the frame.
Bout as far as he got i think. If you want, I can put you in touch.

[Subsea69]

Thanks Mrs K Corbin, I would not mind speaking to him about it and perhaps get some pictures. From my measurements the stock CV front suspension will look too wide.

Skip, We've had several of these trucks but nothing older than 50. They've all had the K member frame you described. I want to maintain that for engine mounting. Our 51 has a 259 with an S-10 S-speed. We have a 58 and from what measurements I could get it appeared to be the same as the 51.

Thanks,
Dwayne

[Mrs K Corbin]

PM has been Sent .

[thom]

You might want to consider a full frame swap. I put my '55 cab and bed on a '87 Dodge Dakota chassis. It worked out well. The Dakota has rack and pinion steering and of course front disc brakes. Pre 90 Dakotas have a 5 lug pattern and use Ford car pattern wheels. My chassis came from a regular cab, long bed Dakota so I had to shorten it 12 inches by seperating it at the factory joint, under the cab and chopping of the 12 inches and welding it back together. Then I cut off several, ( can't remember exactly how many) inches off the back of the frame so the Studebaker bed would fit. I also raised the floor in the bed 1 and 1/2 inches to align the cab and bed as before. The cab could be raised instead but I believe the frame would be visable from the sides, not good. S10 and S15 frames are very similar in dimensions to the Dakotas but don't have rack and pinion steering. Just a suggestion.

[thom]

Yes, be sure to check the width on a Crown Vic before buying one. I believe they are pretty wide. Check the bolt pattern too. You may be very limited in wheel choices with them.

[Subsea69]

thom,

Thanks for your comments. We may consider the Dakota swap but I would like to use the stock rails if possible just for the correct look and fit of everything. It is also difficult for me to get my Dad to make anything non-stock! If I can do a bolt-on front xmbr it would seem less evasive and perhaps returnable to original as far as he is concerned. The standard CV is too wide, although I have found an M series truck on one on-line. It would work but I do not like the high offset wheels on an older vehicle. The narrowed CV front suspension uses a Mustang/T-bird rack and is 4.75" narrower. By my measurements it is just about the perfect width. I'm not looking at using the stock CV aluminum x-mbr, although that would be far simpler. I want to manufacturer a bolt in xmbr that utilizes the CV a-arms, spindles and brakes. These are tough common and inexpensive and I feel would be better suited for the weight of a truck over a MII based suspension. From what I've found the bolt pattern is the same 5 on 4.5" for the CV. I'm still researching and hope to grab the suspension to get real world information in the next few weeks.

Dwayne