I like watching DD Speed Shop videos when they are doing something that is supposed to be tough in an ultra simple way. That is exactly what is happening right here with this Long Bed C10 conversion. Take one long bed C10 and make it into a short bed, in your garage with nothing but regular hand tools and a grinder. I’ve seen lots of conversion kits, and some of them are really nice, but it turns out you can do this swap without a kit or any welding. In fact the only cutting on the chassis is done behind the axle. There is no shortening of the frame in order to shorten up the wheelbase the 12 inches needed to make a short bed. All the cutting is done at the rear of the chassis. Watch and you will understand. I dig the thought behind this one and the simplicity of the solution.
Here is the info from the DD Speed Shop video description:
The video you have all been waiting for. I finally pulled the trigger on my LS powered C10 and started the short bed conversion. Step 1 was removing the leaf spring perches from the truck. Then some simple measuring to locate and drill the new mounting holes. Once the axle was in it’s new location it was time to test fit the bed sides. They are a little awkward so a buddy will be needed. Once everything is test fit and you’re happy with the look it’s time to cut. The short bed trucks have a 12 inch shorter wheel base and a 20 inch shorter bed. Since I moved the axle up 12 inches I cut the full 20 inches off the back of the truck. Everything seemed to line up and I was extremely happy with the fitment of all the parts. Once I finish the cab metal work I can bolt the box down permanently. Let me know what you think about shortening the wheel base this way.
