1976 Chevy K20 - Retro Adventure Build

[locrwln]

Hey thank you! My dad and I built that 71 when I was in high school! It was a great project and fantastic experience I got to share. 6 years later and he’s still driving it every weekend.

I would love a Cheyenne super, it’s on my bucket list for sure. Both trucks are just customs.

That’s exactly how I felt Jack! I needed to fill the void the k10 left. There’s something about driving an older truck that just makes you want to smile.

-Luke

They are great driving trucks. My wife had a '69 SWB 4wd when we first met. And yeah, we regret not keeping the '69 and '72 (insert kicking myself). That was prior to the values going through the roof...

I agree, I like my newer truck, but enjoy it when I get to drive an older one. I grew up with trucks of the '60's and 70's and they will always hold a special place in my heart.

Jack

 

[zoomad75]

They really are! I’m suprised that more people haven’t jumped on them. Parts at any auto parts store in the nation, tried and true powertrain, great design, and simple enough for anyone to work on!

I’ll do my best to keep the thread interesting, right now it needs a lot of preventative maintenance but the first mod will probably be from off road designs!

Oh there are plenty that have jumped on the squarebody bandwagon. Just not all of them go overlanding. CK5.com is probably the best technical resource from full blown crawlers to stockers and everything in between. Many take them on long runs and short local weekend trips.

ORD is the place for these trucks. I'm running their shackle flip out back and the steering box brace which is probably mandatory for these trucks. I'm saving pennies to get pair of their custom front leaf springs eventually. Good stuff all the way around.

 

[AdventureSilvy]

Yeah that was more so what i meant! I know there are all sorts of guys that swear by these trucks as a general off-road rig. I will definitely head to CK5, i had always thought that it was blazer based. Good information, i didn't know that these trucks had that as a weak point. As for the shackle flip what does that provide you? I was looking at their 3 inch kit, and was going to model the build off of their shop suburban. I will most likely have to piece it together due to budget restraints though.

-Luke

 

[Explorerinil]

Awesome truck, solid drivetrain. You can’t kill the sm456

 

[zoomad75]

Yeah that was more so what i meant! I know there are all sorts of guys that swear by these trucks as a general off-road rig. I will definitely head to CK5, i had always thought that it was blazer based. Good information, i didn't know that these trucks had that as a weak point. As for the shackle flip what does that provide you? I was looking at their 3 inch kit, and was going to model the build off of their shop suburban. I will most likely have to piece it together due to budget restraints though.

-Luke

CK5 really started out for the Blazers, but really they are all pretty similar and with the trucks and Suburbans. All things GM truck get discussed over there.

There are a couple other weak points that ORD has done really well to address the issues.

The shackle flip on the rear changes the way the shackle swings. Your stock setup is a tension shackle with it pointing up from the shackle mount. Going to a standard lift springs with a high arch brings the possibility of a rougher ride. Or you are adding a block to get the lift and that brings in the ability to have more axle wrap. The flip changes it to a compression shackle, in other words the shackle is hanging down instead of up. This allows the use of the stock springs (less arch with stock spring rate). The lift is caused by dropping the shackle mount down some, but with the shackle being inverted technically provides the lift.

I can say the difference between stock and the shackle flip is noticable. It goes over rough stuff so much smoother. Mine flexes really well out back. The ORD kit is really well built and worth the money. There is an argument that if you plan on towing or carrying heavy loads the tension shackle is better, but in my case with a FWC camper on my K5, loaded with gear for week long trip to the desert at over 6,000 pounds my handles the highway just fine.

These trucks are great even on a budget. I'm 4 years into mine and it has been on a pretty tight budget. Selling parts from my old Blazer and flipping a couple of old cars helped the funding in my case. Saved in some areas on my build and spent money where it was needed. My Ord parts and Bilstein shocks were some of the things I spent part of my budget on.

 

[bknudtsen]

I’ve been very impressed with the ORD stuff that I've purchased/installed. The shackle flip does help the ride out back, even more so with some weight in the bed. Only thing I would have done differently is gone with a 4” lift instead of 6”. The front springs are really stiff with all that arch in them.

Looking forward to seeing your progress.

Brad

 

[pappawheely]

I drove a 79 blazer for years that was bulletproof. 350/sm465/ and 14 bolt I swapped in. You have a solid truck there.

 

[AdventureSilvy]

Awesome truck, solid drivetrain. You can’t kill the sm456

That’s what I’m hoping!

 

[AdventureSilvy]

CK5 really started out for the Blazers, but really they are all pretty similar and with the trucks and Suburbans. All things GM truck get discussed over there.

There are a couple other weak points that ORD has done really well to address the issues.

The shackle flip on the rear changes the way the shackle swings. Your stock setup is a tension shackle with it pointing up from the shackle mount. Going to a standard lift springs with a high arch brings the possibility of a rougher ride. Or you are adding a block to get the lift and that brings in the ability to have more axle wrap. The flip changes it to a compression shackle, in other words the shackle is hanging down instead of up. This allows the use of the stock springs (less arch with stock spring rate). The lift is caused by dropping the shackle mount down some, but with the shackle being inverted technically provides the lift.

I can say the difference between stock and the shackle flip is noticable. It goes over rough stuff so much smoother. Mine flexes really well out back. The ORD kit is really well built and worth the money. There is an argument that if you plan on towing or carrying heavy loads the tension shackle is better, but in my case with a FWC camper on my K5, loaded with gear for week long trip to the desert at over 6,000 pounds my handles the highway just fine.

These trucks are great even on a budget. I'm 4 years into mine and it has been on a pretty tight budget. Selling parts from my old Blazer and flipping a couple of old cars helped the funding in my case. Saved in some areas on my build and spent money where it was needed. My Ord parts and Bilstein shocks were some of the things I spent part of my budget on.

I got this response in my email and I was beyond stoked when I read it. The goal for the truck is definitely to use it but I’m not sure it will ever get used around it’s maxium payload. I’ve thought about one day getting an Alaskan camper but it isn’t a serious thought.

I’ll definitrly look into the shackle flip! Right now this thing will rattle your teeth out over the rough stuff and I’m pretty sure that my organs are rearranged.

Your k5 is beyond cool and the direction I’m trying to take this truck! Also do you have a build thread you could link to? I couldnt find it unfortunately. I’m very interested in following it!

-Luke

 

[AdventureSilvy]

I’ve been very impressed with the ORD stuff that I've purchased/installed. The shackle flip does help the ride out back, even more so with some weight in the bed. Only thing I would have done differently is gone with a 4” lift instead of 6”. The front springs are really stiff with all that arch in them.

Looking forward to seeing your progress.

Brad

That’s good to know! I’m trying to keep the truck relatively low, just enough to possibly clear 35s but will most likely have it end up on 33s.

I love how cleanly your build has come along! It’s inspiring to me to get the nugget to that level!

-Luke

 

[AdventureSilvy]

I drove a 79 blazer for years that was bulletproof. 350/sm465/ and 14 bolt I swapped in. You have a solid truck there.

Thank you! So far I can’t stop driving it to work I’m enjoying it so much!

That setup sounds tough, big axles under a blazer is a gnarly combo.

 

[zoomad75]

I don't have a build thread over here as I've got two versions going on over on CK5.com and 67-72Chevytrucks.com. The one on CK5 is the one I update first. Here's the link to it.

My build thread.

If there is one thing I can state, these trucks don't have to ride like buckboard wagons. On the front, less lift equals less arch to the spring. For this kind if wheeling, you don't have to run 38-42" tires and 8" of lift. 35's are a good happy medium and you can clear them with 4" of lift. Keeping the lift low will help the ride quality. Skyjacker softride and Tuff country e-z rides are good choices for front springs that ride good without high spring rates. They complement the shackle flip well. Add quality shocks and the combo will elevate the ride quality. Mine is good, but not as good as it could be as I'm running Rough country springs up front. Mainly because they were cheap when I lifted my 75 originally. They got recycled onto my 91. The difference maker in mine that helped the most were the Bilstiens. Mine will get better when I upgrade the springs up front eventually.

Keep this in mind, it's easy to get caught up on one of these builds by seeing the stuff done by others and wanting to build to that level. You can get caught up into wanting to find all the right parts like a Dana60, 52" front springs or links and coil-overs. You then stall out trying to get all these parts and run out of money or it never really gets completed. Don't do this. Go after the basics. Make sure it runs, handles and stops safely. Drive it and make sure it can make it short and long distances without issue. As the basics are covered then you can start upgrades. Try to plan them around a weekend from start to finish. Try not to incapacitate it for longer than that. Working on it in longer stints leads to burnout possible and a loss of interest. It's a chore to finish and not fun so it turns into a drag.

Your setup is pretty good to start with. With a moderate tire size those parts will last. Despite the popular opinion that one HAS to use a Dana60 in these trucks to survive off road. A D44 is fine for moderate wheeling. Outside of a couple of freaky failures in my own case that were most likely helped along by my tru-trac diff, My D44 has been fine. I should get chrome-moly shafts though.

 

[Klutch7]

Wow, that paint cleaned up nicely! Huge difference between the first and second photo. Do tell, where did you find this gem?? I have been scouring western craigslist pages for something similar (you can see through most of the trucks here in the Midwest...)

Good luck with the build, I'll definitely be following along.

 

[plumber mike]

Nice truck for sure. I seem to remember DIY4X having some nice parts available as well when I had my old SM465 Burb

 

[AdventureSilvy]

I don't have a build thread over here as I've got two versions going on over on CK5.com and 67-72Chevytrucks.com. The one on CK5 is the one I update first. Here's the link to it.

My build thread.

If there is one thing I can state, these trucks don't have to ride like buckboard wagons. On the front, less lift equals less arch to the spring. For this kind if wheeling, you don't have to run 38-42" tires and 8" of lift. 35's are a good happy medium and you can clear them with 4" of lift. Keeping the lift low will help the ride quality. Skyjacker softride and Tuff country e-z rides are good choices for front springs that ride good without high spring rates. They complement the shackle flip well. Add quality shocks and the combo will elevate the ride quality. Mine is good, but not as good as it could be as I'm running Rough country springs up front. Mainly because they were cheap when I lifted my 75 originally. They got recycled onto my 91. The difference maker in mine that helped the most were the Bilstiens. Mine will get better when I upgrade the springs up front eventually.

Keep this in mind, it's easy to get caught up on one of these builds by seeing the stuff done by others and wanting to build to that level. You can get caught up into wanting to find all the right parts like a Dana60, 52" front springs or links and coil-overs. You then stall out trying to get all these parts and run out of money or it never really gets completed. Don't do this. Go after the basics. Make sure it runs, handles and stops safely. Drive it and make sure it can make it short and long distances without issue. As the basics are covered then you can start upgrades. Try to plan them around a weekend from start to finish. Try not to incapacitate it for longer than that. Working on it in longer stints leads to burnout possible and a loss of interest. It's a chore to finish and not fun so it turns into a drag.

Your setup is pretty good to start with. With a moderate tire size those parts will last. Despite the popular opinion that one HAS to use a Dana60 in these trucks to survive off road. A D44 is fine for moderate wheeling. Outside of a couple of freaky failures in my own case that were most likely helped along by my tru-trac diff, My D44 has been fine. I should get chrome-moly shafts though.

Yeah I don’t think I’ll wheel hard enough to warrant anything too crazy! I’m not trying to spend an arm and a leg but I’m going to make sure it’s clean, safe, and ready for an adventure. I will do my best to get some Springs here shortly.


I went through your build thread and I loved it!