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December 13, 2022
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THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
Barely Legal
“I built this Jeep to handle a variety of terrain,” Todd Tice told us. “The coilover five-link rear and three-link front suspension provide excellent articulation for rockcrawling, and it is stable enough for hammering the desert at higher speeds. I wanted the Jeep to be able to handle most off-road challenges and still be able to cruise down the highway. This is an everyday driver,” he added.
High Speed Med Machine
Starting from the ground up, Chamberlain and his good friend Owen Hopes created a new chassis for the truck using 2X4 boxed steel tubing. Since he was intrigued with the Pro Street look, Chamberlain located some of the widest street legal tires made at the time, knowing they would set the tone for the rest of the project. Almost fat enough to qualify for separate zip codes, the 21-inch wide Mickey Thompson tires were rolled into position and Chamberlain began adjusting everything until they fit.
HOW A G-MACHINE WORKS
Not your ordinary Hemi Challenger, this low-slung, force-fed, Hemi-powered G-Machine has more going for it than meets the eye, although what you see initially ain’t all that bad. The R/T hood and subtle R/T markings don’t begin to tell the whole story. Designed by Jason Rushforth, this E-body Mopar has some serious long and fat legs.
Spotlighter
Axle Conversion: One Less Nut
Swapping Over From Six- to Five-Lug Axles
Author
Josh Kaylor
Photography by Will Smith
The Need for a Lug Conversion
When updating an early truck to five-lug disc brakes up front, the six-lug rear bolt pattern should be changed to match, as this directly affects the wheel selection and fitment for the truck. Many wheel manufacturers offer three times as many five-lug wheels as six-lug. They look better, and the available styles and offsets are generally more accommodating for slammed pickups.
Converting an Old International Truck
We recently converted an old International, a truck we affectionately think of as farm fodder. We updated the truck with a Fat Man Fabrications Mustang II with a five-on-five pattern, but we still needed to match up the rears.
Choosing the Right Parts
We called the folks at Classic Performance Products in Anaheim, California. Since we have a ’65 Chevy frame hiding under our ’47 body, they had just what we needed. The ’64-’65 Chevrolet axle conversion kit comes complete with everything needed to swap your axles to a five-on-five pattern, including a brand-new set of axles, drums, wheel studs, and a rear differential gasket. The kit includes everything to complete the installation except two quarts of gear fluid.
Step-by-Step Guide
In just a few hours and with a 50-pound bag of Oil-Dri, we had the rear completed. Should you face a similar problem, check out the highlights of our swap.
ARTICLE SOURCES
Classic Performance Products, Inc. (CPP)
378 E Orangethorpe Ave.
Placentia CA 92870
Tech Line 714-522-2000
