The journey of the Loadstar rebuild

The LS tilt nose came out in '74,maybe some point in '73, I don't remember exactly,but it should fit any LS. If you looked at the link you'd see there is only one pn for the hood etc.
The basic difference between a regular cab and a flat back cowl is the FBC goes no further back than the dash panel,no windshield,no nuthin'. There are the usual things like trans.cover (and doghouse when applicable). From the cowl forward they're all the same.
Not all FBC's are bus chassis' either although a school bus chassis has it's own designation number,a "3" as the last digit of the model number,be it an L,R,S-173,A,B-173,1703 or 1723.

Interesting story,the thing I like best is you fought "big money" and won!

I saw one, and only one, LS tilt hood with butterflys on the side. It was for plow trucks, so you could do minor stuff with the plow on (check fluids, change an alternator etc) and the whole kit would tilt when the plow was off. Would be a nice feature to have.

Never saw a LS with access hatches,sure wasn't factory AFAIK. The S-series had them as an option,1600-1800,2500 & 2600. They also had a "stationary grille" option so the hood could be opened with a plow hitch in place.

No idea if it was factory or aftermarket, but it was nice. It was in our shop for a rear axle problem. Was owned by a landscape outfit that did plowing in the winter.

The tilt front end with the access doors on either side was a factory option, utilized mostly on trucks with snow plows or other front end equipment that was only used for part of the year.

hi,

I'm back . . ., well. . . , kind of. . . ., but not really yet. I'm in Northern Calif and my truck is still in Southern Calif, patiently waiting until I move into my own home where I can work on it once again.

But I do have a question - I came across a 65 Loadstar CrewCab and was wondering if the axles from my 65 Loadstar 4x4 would bolt up to the CrewCab? I know drivelines and brake lines will be different, but anything else?

I also think the LS 4x4 axles are not rated as strong as the axles now in the CrewCab LS, so in essence I will be down-rating the GVW carrying capacity of the CrewCab truck, but I never intend to work the truck all that hard in the future - the most it will ever carry is perhaps a cord of wood, or a camper of some type, perhaps custom built on the back of it. I always wanted a CrewCab 4x4 truck for camping etc and had to sell my 62 C120 4x4 CrewCab to finance my move to Northern Calif. I think this LS with 4x4 axles would make a great base for a dependable camper. What are your thoughts on putting the axles and transfer case from my 4x4 LS into this LS?

Thanks.


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I am not real familiar with any of these, but the back axle on the 4 door should be able to stay the same, the front one should be the only that would change, I think. Just my uneducated thoughts.

I see no "big" obstacles,just a whole lotta work.
It would be nice to know all the specs of the 4dr. to get a better gist if what may have to be swapped.
IF the rear axle and ratio on the 4dr. is the same as the 4x4 that could remove a step. If it's an RA-30 that would be fine as long as the ratio is the same. Your 4x4 has an RA-25 w/6.17 ratio and as the RA-30 uses the same R&P there's a good chance for it since that was a very common ratio. I did look at the housings and they are different between the 2 as are the shafts so swapping carriers is a no-go.

I took a quick peek in the MT-127 and it looks like all the front suspension would have to be swapped,even the brackets that mount to the frame. That's quite a job in itself since they are riveted and new holes would have to be drilled to mount them on the other frame.
I didn't check the rear because without knowing the axle and type of springs it's not feasible,plus the axle deal may make it unnecessary. If it is needed, it could be as easy as pulling the pins and rolling the axle as a unit in place. I didn't check steering either for much of the same reason.

In reality just what is needed for the front would have me rethinking things. It actually could be easier (and cheaper) to extend the frame on the 4x4 and swap cabs. It would eliminate relocating the transfer case and it's mounts etc., a big plus right there. A center bearing will likely be required for the driveshaft but by the pic the 4dr. should have one.
Stretching a frame like this really isn't a job for a novice though and still requires A LOT of holes being drilled. They make drill presses to do this,they are waaay more accurate than a large hand drill (and safer).
We did this type of job at the dealer,at first on a small scale we'd rent a magnetic base drill press and later they bought a horizontal.
Here's some vids to give you an clue.
This shows a magnetic base.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkeTNkcJuzk

That one is a quarter of the size of the ones we used and they didn't have those bits 30 years ago either.

Best I found of a horizontal drilling a frame.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsbSmWj5DvA
That one is exactly the kind we had.

It takes a lot of measuring and marking to get right. A carpenters framing square along with a good straight edge long enough to bridge the rails makes getting holes marked symmetrically. Plus good number of C-clamps (big ones) to hold things as you mark the layout.
Navistar still has a line of grade 8 bolts for frames so that can make getting good hardware easier. I have a catalog for it btw.

A cab swap should be pretty straight forward since you'd have a complete assy. along with the required cross members etc. Plus since the 2 trucks are apparently the same year and as long as the 4dr. has an SV8 the wiring harness(es) that plug in under the hood should match.

Another plus you'll have is everything you don't use or want can be sold and none of it grows on trees these days. You could part it out or try to sell assembled. Selling the stuff would help offset costs and keep other binders on the road.

Either way,is the 4dr. close enough for you to do an inspection? The cab should be gone over with a fine tooth comb,there are a number of areas prone to rust/rot and I'm sure body parts are like hens teeth for a 4dr. cab.

You have the LST and MT-112 so you can look at some of the things I did. I think it will give you some insight on what's different between a 4x2 & 4x4 ~ Regular vs. Travelcrew cab.
The common 4x2 front axle are FA-48,FA-71 & FA-98, open group 3 and do some comparing to what your 4x4/FA-58 is like vs. those.

Thank you everyone for your replies. I'm sure I'll be rereading them a dozen more times before the gold they contain all sinks in.

As for the CrewCab LS at the moment all I know is it has a 392 V8, 5 speed and 2 speed rear end. So unless one of the ratios is a 6.17 or a r & p can be swapped that has one of those ratios, (I wish) then unfortunately that rear end will not work for me. The present owner's plans for the truck initially were to put a Chevy truck front end on the cab and install a diesel engine/drive train. Fortunately he's reconsidered and decided to sell the truck. I've never seen two body styles mixed like that and not turn out looking like junk, imho.

I was hoping you'd say "just pull the spring pins and swap the entire assembly". But I know until the two trucks are sitting side by side for comparison, nothing definite can be said.

My preliminary measurements have me moving the transfer case back about a foot anyway because I wanted to put an auxiliary overdrive trans between the trans and the transfer case. I've had a new (zero miles of use) Spicer aux trans I've dragged around for 35 plus years, sitting in my garage or storage and if I don't use it for this project, I'll never use it. As I recall its ratios were 2 to 1, 1 to 1, and .73 to 1. So a 6.17 r & p ratio did not really bother me for its intended purpose of use as a camper.

The electrical will have to be completely replaced anyway as I don't trust 50 year old wiring. I can do that ok, its easy for me, just takes a lot of time.

And the frame of the 4x4 LS has some serious problems that need to be fixed by a competent frame shop, so overall I thought just transferring the axles and transfer case to the CrewCab LS would be the way to go.

I like the idea of selling the left-over parts. I was thinking just putting the parts onto the other frame and selling it as a complete truck, but I agree, people would rather just buy the parts needed to keep their own truck going, rather than buying another truck. Plus it would save me a lot of time.

That magnetic drill press was awesome! I've never seen anything like that before. The same with the one that used the chains. I wonder if equipment renters have either of those. They look very pricey, especially for just one project. What would I call them when looking for them - just a horizontal drill press?

Thank you.

It's extremely unlikely the 2spd's ratios are even close but without knowing what axle it is...
Good thing about is it's an Eaton and could be an easy sell at the right price.

There is no way you can "pull the pins" and roll the front axle under a non 4x4 chassis. The frame brackets for the 4x4 mount on the outside of the rail,with a 4x2 the springs sit directly under the rails,that means the 4x4 springs are around 3-4 ins. outward than those of a 4x2 (the front bracket is also where the bumper mounts to). This is why I said to open the MT-112 and look at the different set-ups.
Neither those nor the rear bracket are sufficiant enough for a front drive axle anyway. We always had a L/R set of front brkts and at least half a dozen rear on the shelf,that should be a tell of how "weak" they were. If they wore out or worse on a school bus... I can even drag the pn's out of my grey matter for some.
Plus I doubt the standard 7 leaf front springs on the 4x2 would be sufficiant either and even the HD 9 leaf is iffy. They may not even be the same width?

The aux. box would be better suited behind the TC and for only the rear axle. One reason is drive shaft length to the FA,the shorter the better,another is OD on 4wd is virtually useless since for one thing you'll rarely get out of 2nd offroad except on a hard dirt road.

I still feel a cab swap and frame stretch will be the best route to take. I would also consider using the 392 & 5spd. as the 304 in yours is already under powered for a 4x4 of that size IMO and adding a camper the weight would be a lot for it to handle.
What's the issue with the frame on yours? Too stretch the frame you'll have to double frame it anyway so that may resolve it(?).

As for either type drill you'd have to make some phone calls. We rented a magnetic from a tool rental that was geared towards contractors etc. It was a beast too, it took 2 people to lift. The mechanic that did the frames would use either the engine crane or forklift so he could move it alone.
Ask for a horizontal or magnetic base DP and if one doesn't have them ask if they know who does.
Yes,they are pricey and probably more than you'd want to pay for something that would be rarely used. Although I saw during my search plans to make set-ups for a magnetic to be used as a regular drill press.