Cab Interchange Questions

[Jake292]

Im looking at buying a 77 chevy k20 that has the driveline that i like and the price is right. the only problem that there is would be that the cab is a rust bucket and it doesnt have a title.what i am thinking is buying another cab that is in good shape and has a title.

My question is would a 81-87 cab fit on the frame? I have heard that the center hump for the tranny would be too short if it is a 2wd model. would the front clip bolt right up besides the hood hindges and the wipers?

any help would be appreciated. i may just find a 73-80 cab to simplify things but have found alot of newer cabs but none of the older ones.

 

[Swims350]

2wd stick shifts had high hump same as the 4x4's, if not they can be removed and changed.

the hood hinges have to be cut into the cab for the 81-87 front end on the older cabs, but using the newer cab on the old front end works from what I hear perfectly, as far as bolting up. I hear the wiper linkages get changed and some holes redrilled or what not to make it work. the hood hinges for the older truck bolt to the fender, as far as I remember, so there's no real worries just have extra holes in the cab for the newer style hinges if you get an 81-87 cab and those could be covered over easy.

From what I've heard you use the body bushings that fit the frame and it all bolts up fine.

wiring may give you fits not sure, thinking you can reuse the old stuff in the newer cab or something.

 

[bucket]

2wd stick shifts had high hump same as the 4x4's, if not they can be removed and changed.

the hood hinges have to be cut into the cab for the 81-87 front end on the older cabs, but using the newer cab on the old front end works from what I hear perfectly, as far as bolting up. I hear the wiper linkages get changed and some holes redrilled or what not to make it work. the hood hinges for the older truck bolt to the fender, as far as I remember, so there's no real worries just have extra holes in the cab for the newer style hinges if you get an 81-87 cab and those could be covered over easy.

From what I've heard you use the body bushings that fit the frame and it all bolts up fine.

wiring may give you fits not sure, thinking you can reuse the old stuff in the newer cab or something.

Yep, on all counts. It seems there were no major wiring changes until '84, but the original wiring can be used in needed. The cutouts in the firewall are different between AC and non-AC cabs.

 

[Jake292]

Do you know when they stopped putting in the Bolt in center hump? I thaught that they stopped in 80

 

[Swims350]

I thought and think only the high hump bolts in and none of the low humps do? but maybe I'm wrong maybe some high humps don't bolt in?

 

[bucket]

All of the bolt-in humps went away at some point, but they can be added without much trouble if you have a donor floor.

 

[Jake292]

All of the bolt-in humps went away at some point, but they can be added without much trouble if you have a donor floor.

Would I cut the floor around where the thump in bolts and then cut that out of the good cab and tig it in? Or drill and tap holes in the good cab to bolt the hump to?

 

[bucket]

Would I cut the floor around where the thump in bolts and then cut that out of the good cab and tig it in? Or drill and tap holes in the good cab to bolt the hump to?

Whatever you want to do. People have hacked them in there all sorts of ways, it just depends on how nice you want it to look.

 

[Jake292]

If I were to place the removeable hump on the floor of the newer cab would it flow with all the contours of the floor?

 

[Swims350]

the cabs are the same from 73-87.

 

[bucket]

If I were to place the removeable hump on the floor of the newer cab would it flow with all the contours of the floor?

Not sure. Sometimes there will be a gap at the rear to fill in.

 

[crazy4offroad]

If I were to place the removeable hump on the floor of the newer cab would it flow with all the contours of the floor?

When I did mine I was putting a 78 K10 bolt-in hump (and flange) into a 77 C10 cab. I had to cut part of it out back under the seat as well, it looked like it was shaped for clearance on the ttransfer case. When you cutit out give yourself about an inch on it to weld to. I would just drill 1/4" holes along the flange about every couple inches, put some silicone caulk (Type II) down in a way it wont interfere with your 1/4" spot welds then just fill the holes with weld.