How to identify if your 73-87 was repaired by GM's fuel tank recall

[GreaseDog]

i worked for the general for almost 3 years, behind a parts counter. i've probably read the 73-86 C/K catalog front to back 3 times. crossmember placement is VERY similar, as is crossmember design. i've studied alot on these trucks, to the point that i can walk a bare frame and tell you exactly where its going to bend and kink, and which directions the kink will go.

[GreaseDog]

we dont play around when we build them either...



reinforced very little, but everywhere that was reinforced was right where it counted.

this is after 3 runs, and the frame was still arrow straight.

[BigJohnson]

of course... its a chevy!

[FordeatinZ71]

hell yea, what demo derby class are you in that you can use trucks? don't mean to sound naive, just always seen cars in demo derbys. and, just to add...i'm not saying that i know all there is to know about the frame issue...i really don't, i'm just going by what i read...come on, ya'll read it too, at the link i posted, right? it IS there...in writing, FROM GM...isn't it?

[GreaseDog]

we run a specific truck class, 1/2 and 3/4 ton 2wd trucks. not alot of people like to run against us at the particular show that those pics were taken at.

that particular truck i had driven the year before. there were 14 trucks preregistered, 7 showed, 6 of them were with our crew, the other one was related to one us by marriage. went out and played a 35 minute game of bumper cars, bent some sheetmetal for the crowd, and went and all went and had a few beers together afterwards.

for '07 we showed up with 9 trucks total from our crew, 12 total entries.

they've tried to change the rules on us several times, including the way we build our crush cages. things tend to go your way real quick when the entire show starts to load up because you tell one guy he's going to have to cut his crush cage.

here's a couple of pics of "the office"


all 2x4 .25" wall
here it is after the first go round...


and just a couple pics of my stacks for good measure. they sound badass. when i pulled into the track the last time and fired it up to back it off the trailer everybody within 100' turned and looked. never knew a worn out cammed 305 could turn so many heads

[FordeatinZ71]

lmao, those are great man! i wish they'd show the truck class on TV more, i think they would be more interesting than the cars. but, on a side note, i think you should run Fords...eliminate some of THAT population, hahaha

[GreaseDog]

we have yet to run a Chevy with floorboards!

just taking junk out, and it gets stripped of everything possibly usable.

[FordeatinZ71]

yea, i got ya...man that looks like some kinda fun! what all kinds of trucks are allowed? i mean, could someone run something like a K5/Bronco or is it JUST trucks?

[GreaseDog]

standard cab 2wd trucks allowed, no duallys no x cabs. there are some shows around here that allow burbs and vans in with the trucks, nobody allows K5s or Broncos due to fiberglass tops.

[FordeatinZ71]

ahh yea, i can see that. just watch out for the depressed guy trying to enter with no helmet and an all-stock '71 Ford Pinto...i hear he's planning on going out with a bang

[GreaseDog]

tanks must be moved forward of the rear axle, most of them are put in the passenger compartment (as you can see my picutre). battery must be moved from under the hood to the passenger side floorboard.

[FordeatinZ71]

tanks must be moved forward of the rear axle, most of them are put in the passenger compartment (as you can see my picutre). battery must be moved from under the hood to the passenger side floorboard.

so let me get this straight...and i'm not mad, i'm just sayin just for the hell of it...you were preachin to me earlier about running all these trucks in a demo derby with the tank in the stock location and holding fuel, and now you say that the tanks were in the passenger compartment?

well, which is it?

[MATTMC]

Here is page out of a 1991 Chevrolet truck fact book . ( dealer use ) granted this is for a suburban , but its still an old body style , it shows the thickness and RBM in- in. lbs of the frame R1500 = 2WD V1500 = 4WD

[FordeatinZ71]

hmmm...interesting. now, i'm a stupid Alabamian, but my logic tells me that a difference in frame thickness would make it flex less...i could be wrong...

[ocbaud]

my truck doesnt have the fix.

i plan on installing a fuel cell between the frame at the tailgate next fall so i doubt it would be worth it.

but i may see if the dealership would add them for me, because i want to see what they say about my truck, imo it would be one of the nicest ones they would have seen in there in a VERY long time. (i used to work there so i know!)

[FordeatinZ71]

lol i hear ya man, it's always cool to see the mechanics drooling...

[JCampbell1180]

we play with derby trucks with stock saddle tanks in them all the time. havent had one blow up yet.

tanks must be moved forward of the rear axle, most of them are put in the passenger compartment

so let me get this straight...you were preachin to me earlier about running all these trucks in a demo derby with the tank in the stock location and holding fuel, and now you say that the tanks were in the passenger compartment?

well, which is it?

Well?

I'm sure your gonna hang your hat on "most", but I'm still curious to hear your rebuttal.

[GreaseDog]

its called pre-bending, some of you may refer to it as practice. basically, just taking 2 trucks and smashing them together. the front ends get stronger when you wrap the front of the front fenders into the core support (into the "cavity" normally occupied by the headlights/trim/grille, and then wrap the front of the hood down around it all, the beds hit harder with the tailgate flipped upside down with the "top" even with the bottom of the frame rails, corners kicked up under the truck, and the lower rear quarter panels smashed tight over top of them. we've tested some different crush cage designs, as well as some "tricks" which explore the gray areas of the rules. rather than completely strip and build a truck, then prebend, we generally pre-bend, then build. pre-bending often leads to a little bit of playing around, in mostly stock trucks, often with stock tanks.

why do we even bother pre-bending with another truck? because its against the rules to bend it with a sledge hammer, but when you show up with a truck that already looks like its been through a derby, that rule no longer applies.

ironically, when building 2 identical trucks, one can bend the corners of the tailgate under on one truck, while packing the front fenders of another with one hit.

[JCampbell1180]

Oh. Sounds like a good time.

[Joe]

Don't bring up a 3 month old thread to start another arguement.