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Yes, I did the body channel. No, I did not do a specific "how to" thread, but I have answered questions along the way. No there are not changes to basic cab dimensions...leg room, for example. The cab sheet metal is untouched.
Here are the basics... Remove the outer facia panel (the one with the grill and lights), remove the doors, remove the fenders, remove the radiator, remove the inner facia/valance (whatever it's called....the one with the radiator support brackets). Do not remove the hood. Cut out the spot welds holding the vertical "posts" to the inner facia panel. Attach clamps in place of the welds and reinstall the post/facia assembly. (You're eventually going to adjust the height of that panel (lower) on the posts such that hood will still close while clearing the air cleaner). But you can't do that until you have the cab/body roughly where you want it. So, place jacks at the corners of the cab or body for the SUV, and remove the rubber donuts. Now start lowering and adjusting the rake angle with the jacks. Set an angle and lower the hood. Keep adjusting the cab angle in combination with that forward facia/valence/cross piece (where the hood latches are located) until the hood to air cleaner clearance is adequate and the hood cab angle lines up). At some point the posts will be sticking up and hinder hood closure, and the inner fenders will contact the frame rails. Trim accordingly. Note that the radiator cap is also going to hinder hood closure....so when you think you have the air cleaner housing clearance set, clamp the radiator to the posts. It will have to be located lower. Interference with the steering box is the limiting factor for the radiator. I should note that if you get to very high rake angles the radiator will have to be tilted rearward at the top to clear an under hood cross brace. ...easy to accomplish with spacers.
Again, there no modifications to the floor panels on my truck. The front donuts under the cab are completely removed and replaced with thin nylon washers to eliminate metal to metal contact. The rear donuts are about 1/2-3/4" thick. The lower sheet metal on the rear of the cab clears the frame rails by about 1/2". Very close. I did have to "persuade" the passenger side exhaust heat shield (not the floor boards) just a bit (maybe 1/2") during the last lowering evolution because it was contacting the frame. Absolutely no cutting or bending of the basic cab sheet metal. The floor clears the T-18 and the transfer case by about an inch. The only other adjustment was for the clutch release mechanism (no cutting, grinding or welding).
When everything is where you want it, either weld, or drill holes and bolt the inner facia and radiator to their new locations on the (shortened) posts.
For my pickup, the bed mounts/shims didn't change all that much...shimmed just enough to align the angle with what I did to the cab. By the way, it's difficult to detect, but the cab now sits lower relative to the bed....same angles, but at different heights. I think it looks better with the cab sitting lower on the frame because the geeky tall cab appears to be shorter...sort of an illusion...better balance for the overall assemblage...easier than chopping the top. That said, the bed looks easy to lower a bit if you're willing to cut and reweld the forward support leg/platform. I don't have much space because of the 3/4" steel plate for the goose neck ball.
I can provide measurements of where the radiator and the inner valance are now located on the support posts if anyone is interested. But it's for a step side pick up with 360 /Edelbrock Performer manifold/T18/208. The extent of what can be achieved with another combination will likely vary, although I'd think a short bed fleet side pickup would be similar to my step side. To get it any lower would require suspension changes. I think I could get away with a 1" block at the front and still have adequate pumpkin/oil pan clearance for a street truck (not so safe, but I've seen it done). The rear could be dropped by raising the forward spring mount in combination with a slightly longer shackle. Maybe 1" max. Going up is much easier than lowering.
The goose neck plate is still welded to the frame, and the hole in the bed floor for the screw-on ball is still there. I have a piece of corrugated floor and will fabricate a snug fitting blanking plate for the hole. Support tabs for the plate were welded onto the bed before painting. I've thought about removing that hitch bracket under the roll pan and welding a receiver hitch behind the horizontal frame "C" beam . Punch a square hole through the license plate area of the roll pan and the frame beam. Then weld the receiver box into the frame with some extra structural bracing. Remove the license plate to stick the ball/bar into the square receiver hole. Mount the license plate to the tailgate with magnets when towing.
Yes, the truck looked nasty when that epoxy started to fail from UV. I decided to take it to the blaster when surface rust began to appear on the hood and roof. A lot of work and expense, but I hated to see it beginning to seriously deteriorate.
Here are the basics... Remove the outer facia panel (the one with the grill and lights), remove the doors, remove the fenders, remove the radiator, remove the inner facia/valance (whatever it's called....the one with the radiator support brackets). Do not remove the hood. Cut out the spot welds holding the vertical "posts" to the inner facia panel. Attach clamps in place of the welds and reinstall the post/facia assembly. (You're eventually going to adjust the height of that panel (lower) on the posts such that hood will still close while clearing the air cleaner). But you can't do that until you have the cab/body roughly where you want it. So, place jacks at the corners of the cab or body for the SUV, and remove the rubber donuts. Now start lowering and adjusting the rake angle with the jacks. Set an angle and lower the hood. Keep adjusting the cab angle in combination with that forward facia/valence/cross piece (where the hood latches are located) until the hood to air cleaner clearance is adequate and the hood cab angle lines up). At some point the posts will be sticking up and hinder hood closure, and the inner fenders will contact the frame rails. Trim accordingly. Note that the radiator cap is also going to hinder hood closure....so when you think you have the air cleaner housing clearance set, clamp the radiator to the posts. It will have to be located lower. Interference with the steering box is the limiting factor for the radiator. I should note that if you get to very high rake angles the radiator will have to be tilted rearward at the top to clear an under hood cross brace. ...easy to accomplish with spacers.
Again, there no modifications to the floor panels on my truck. The front donuts under the cab are completely removed and replaced with thin nylon washers to eliminate metal to metal contact. The rear donuts are about 1/2-3/4" thick. The lower sheet metal on the rear of the cab clears the frame rails by about 1/2". Very close. I did have to "persuade" the passenger side exhaust heat shield (not the floor boards) just a bit (maybe 1/2") during the last lowering evolution because it was contacting the frame. Absolutely no cutting or bending of the basic cab sheet metal. The floor clears the T-18 and the transfer case by about an inch. The only other adjustment was for the clutch release mechanism (no cutting, grinding or welding).
When everything is where you want it, either weld, or drill holes and bolt the inner facia and radiator to their new locations on the (shortened) posts.
For my pickup, the bed mounts/shims didn't change all that much...shimmed just enough to align the angle with what I did to the cab. By the way, it's difficult to detect, but the cab now sits lower relative to the bed....same angles, but at different heights. I think it looks better with the cab sitting lower on the frame because the geeky tall cab appears to be shorter...sort of an illusion...better balance for the overall assemblage...easier than chopping the top. That said, the bed looks easy to lower a bit if you're willing to cut and reweld the forward support leg/platform. I don't have much space because of the 3/4" steel plate for the goose neck ball.
I can provide measurements of where the radiator and the inner valance are now located on the support posts if anyone is interested. But it's for a step side pick up with 360 /Edelbrock Performer manifold/T18/208. The extent of what can be achieved with another combination will likely vary, although I'd think a short bed fleet side pickup would be similar to my step side. To get it any lower would require suspension changes. I think I could get away with a 1" block at the front and still have adequate pumpkin/oil pan clearance for a street truck (not so safe, but I've seen it done). The rear could be dropped by raising the forward spring mount in combination with a slightly longer shackle. Maybe 1" max. Going up is much easier than lowering.
The goose neck plate is still welded to the frame, and the hole in the bed floor for the screw-on ball is still there. I have a piece of corrugated floor and will fabricate a snug fitting blanking plate for the hole. Support tabs for the plate were welded onto the bed before painting. I've thought about removing that hitch bracket under the roll pan and welding a receiver hitch behind the horizontal frame "C" beam . Punch a square hole through the license plate area of the roll pan and the frame beam. Then weld the receiver box into the frame with some extra structural bracing. Remove the license plate to stick the ball/bar into the square receiver hole. Mount the license plate to the tailgate with magnets when towing.
Yes, the truck looked nasty when that epoxy started to fail from UV. I decided to take it to the blaster when surface rust began to appear on the hood and roof. A lot of work and expense, but I hated to see it beginning to seriously deteriorate.
But someone is going to get a very nice ride. Thanks for posting all your work. That goes to each and every build thread. It makes for great reading and sure beats reading the news by miles.
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