Fuel tank relocation??

I have a 86 with dual saddle fuel tank and am planning on air ride..getting closer and closer. Both sides were replaced 5 years ago but my question is,...is it better/safe to move fuel tank to back?? Reason I ask is because I see quite a few other guys (you tube) have fuel tank in rear between frame rails. Didnt know if there was a safety reason or what

It's just packaging. The saddle tanks often get in the way of some things, and having one tank in the rear means you get nearly the same capacity without the hassle of having a separate tank on each side.

Guess I’ve never been happier to have a truck with saddle tanks again. More room around the driveline and exhaust.
I lived through sidle tanks and even a couple behind the seat....
It took over 30 years after mfgs quit mounting tanks outboard of the frame to get back to the same or more fuel capacity.
Amazing how regulations can screw stuff up!

There is nothing wrong with saddle tanks. A rear tank does free up a lot of space on the sides, but not enough space for a spare tire. The guys I see going to the rear tank are doing driveline swaps and need a fuel ingected tank so they just go with a later model blazer type tank. Personally like the spare tucked up under the bed.

@gotyourgoat,

Yeah, that's what I was thinking was, where is the spare going to go. The only rear tanks I've seen are for racing, but yeah, I forgot about the Blazer tank being back there. When GM moved the tanks inside the frame after the huge contraversy over the exploding trucks and Pinto's. I still own one of those exploding trucks. I've always thought the tanks on the inside the frame held less gas. I know there's less space between the frame and the drive shaft.

My tank is 18 1/2 gals. I wish I could put the spare tank over on the left side. It'd be heavy but I'd like knowing I could get 300 miles further down the road by flipping a switch. Of course it'd be hell filling up two tanks! I found a C10 extended cab one day in the wrecking yard that had saddle tanks. It was complicated but it looked to all be there.

Raider L said:

@gotyourgoat I wish I could put the spare tank over on the left side.

Click to expand...

imagine having a 31 gallon burb tank and both saddle tanks Could go a long way with that.

I hung a 25 gallon Blazer tank in the rear for more range and am using a transfer pump to fill into the right side 20 gallon saddle. As a pilot I like, “The only time you have too much gas is when you are on fire”.

I love the dual saddle tanks.
My pops had my truck when I was a kid and it being a 73 originally came with the one tank on the drivers side.
Someone before he got it put an 80s bed bud left the one tank. I promised myself that when I got it I was going to finish off the dual tank.
I thought being able to pump on either side was the coolest thing known to man. As a result I’d never put a blazer tank on our pickups.