Project 76 Chevy K10 4 spd

[AustinDube]

Hi guys, got a 1976 chevy k10, want to turn it into a mud truck till i can put it on the road, wondering with no lift at all how big tires i can fit in my wheel wells, the truck's front leaf springs are bend the opposite way due to 20 years of being a plow truck. Also wondering (for when i lift it) ive been looking at a shackle flip for the back, what is the best method to remove the factory rivets? and do i just torque some bolts with loctite after? And in maine we are allowed 24 in. Max frameheight for a half ton k10 like mine, and im at 14 inches right now, so there is 10 inches to lift, how much of a lift do i get? and would it be illegal to throw on bigger tires after inspection? I'd like to jack it up the highest i can for it being on/off road. Also what boggers do you guys prefer on your trucks? and where do you guys buy your sheetmetal from, ive looked at ebay, lmc, brothers, all of that but ive heard AMD is the best quality but they don't have too good of a selection anywhere.

 

[Lastwords]

If the front is sagging i wouldn't go any bigger than 33" tires

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[1973c10]

welcome aboard

 

[Swims350]

technically yes it would be illegal to put on bigger tires after inspection, so you have to look at it this way the size lift you put on and how much it adds, say 4 inch, so that leaves you with 6 inches, so that's a tire 12 inches bigger then you have, so that's like a 45, and you know 4 inch lift and say 44's aint gonna work without chopping out alot of fender.

You can buy a body lift to help add clearance.

Now do they mean 24 inches in the middle or like bumper height or frame at the front? if so then you gotta be close. Here in wv it's 31 inches for bottom of bumper or frame, meaning in the very front or back, not the side.

 

[theblindchicken]

Welcome aboard!

First off, the front springs on the k10s came from the factory with a negative arch. Having had a plow on it that long, they've probably sagged a bit.

I can tell you that 32x11.50 R15 will fit without any sort of rubbing on a set of 15x10" wheel with approximately 4in backspacing on stock suspension. 33's aren't a huge difference unless they run large for some odd reason.

Second: tire size is greatly limited based upon your lift size and whether or not you're willing to trim. If you don't want to trim anything:

4 in lift - 33" tires offroad (or possibly 35's street only)
6 in lift - 35" tires offroad

6in of lift is where you start hitting the issues of possibly needing to look towards crossover steering, driveshaft extensions, angled shims, etc.

With the shackle flip, you can easily use an air chisel or a cutoff/grinding wheel on an angle grinder. Then use a BFH with your preferred heavy duty bolt or spike or whatever to pound em out. Use grade 8 bolts with matched nuts or a locking washer with grade 8 nuts. Can also use thread locker to help ensure they're not coming loose without you wanting them to.

Before you really get into it: take a look at the frame around and under your power steering box. With larger tires and a bit of harder wheeling, that's the first place our trucks tend to crack the frames at.