Body swap

[Turbine Doc]

Not sure where this one belongs but need some advise from ya'll

Scenario is I have a:

98 C1500 Burb, 6.5 engine-4L80 trans 3:42, body needs serious help tree landed on it sort of straight now but leaks around drivers side door jambs both doors, roof was crushed body sits low that side about 1/2", unknown damage to frame but front end alignment was done without issue after new pitman arm and tie rod end swap.

have a 96 K2500 Burb body, no engine no trans had 6.5 & 4L80 in it, rest of body/interior in decent/better shape 3:73 gears, don't want 4x4, or 3:73 ratio 4x4 burb sits higher than the 4x2 part of which it taller tires

So can I/do I put the engine tranny from the 98 in the 96 body/frame & swap to 4x2 axles to the 4x4 frame

or do I swap the 96 4x4 body to the 98 4x2 frame, looking for path of least resistance. lowest down time/cost bBoth are 8 bolt axles

easiest keep 4x4 3:73 gears/axles/t case etc but for family hauler I want lower to ground and 3:42 economy

thoughts/recommendations

 

[minisub]

The C chassis would scare me. It also seems to me that it would be easier to swap the drivetrain than the bodies. The bonus to doing it that way is not having to mess around with panel alignment and rattles down the road.

You also would be able to pull each piece of the 98 out in to the bright light of day before putting it on the K chassis.

 

[Turbine Doc]

Kinda my thoughts as well, rear axle should swap easily, is it easy to swap 4x2 front axle to 4x4 body any issues there ???

 

[SnowDrift]

TD,

This is nearly the same situation I was in before my time in the diesel world. I had planned to do a suspension swap and then after I found out how different the 1500 to 2500 frames were, it came down to doing a body swap. The chassis differences are very apples to oranges different.

Aside from that, you're looking at locating and welding mounts and such. Get them misaligned and you'll be spending lots of weekends replacing wear parts. If you have the time, then anything can be done, but you have a lot of work ahead of you.

Go the route of the '96 body to the '98 chassis. If you have a shop to use that has a lift that comes in from the outside, then your job will be pretty simple. Roll it in, unbolt the body, raise it up, roll the chassis out and roll the other one in, drop it down, bolt it up and you're golden (give or take a couple minor challenges, possibly).

 

[Turbine Doc]

Thanks,

I knew of big difference in truck frames , Diesel suburban frames on C1500 vs K 2500 look very close, when I was installing my FS2500 kit & stainless oil cooler lines on the burb, I found some other body damge that makes me wonder about the 98 frame now, I'm going to have to check it on a frame machine before considering body swap.

If it turns out 98 C1500 frame is junk as well, I'm thinking of swapping 3:42 rear axle complete that looks to be a fairly easy swap, but what do I do with disabling the front 3:73 geared trans axle, can you just pull the guts and let half shafts be supported in T case then I shouldn't have to do any special body work and run it as a 4x2 that just sits taller than the C1500. Preference would be to get rid of any non necessary K2500 stuff to get best mpg.

 

[SnowDrift]

On our trucks, the front drive shaft doesn't spin if the 4wd is disengaged. You could remove the front shaft, but you'd be losing weight and that's all. The savings would be if you could lose the front shafts, totally, so you're not turning the extra mass. I don't think there's an easy way to do this.

In thinking about this, I guess, if you wanted to go to the extreme, you could disassemble the cv shafts and cut off the inner portion, so you're left with a stub at the hub, itself, just to hold in the grease in the hub bearing. I don't think that would hurt anything. You'd have the only 2WD with torsion bars, instead of coil springs.

 

[minisub]

... after I found out how different the 1500 to 2500 frames were, it came down to doing a body swap. The chassis differences are very apples to oranges different...

I totally spaced on the 1500/2500 variation. Guess I got distracted by TDs remark that they are both 8 lug.

Then again, the whole "heavy-half" mixed in with the diesel power train thing has always seemed like GM voodoo to me...ut:

I still think that the drive train swap might be better (safer). And I think it would be cool to have a "unique" torsion bar 4x2. Probably be able to take a few cranks out of the front and get some lowering shackles for the rear to make the height difference negligible....

 

[SnowDrift]

I totally spaced on the 1500/2500 variation. Guess I got distracted by TDs remark that they are both 8 lug.


....

You know what? I went back and read that again and didn't see anything on both being 8 lug, but either way, I think he's mentioned it in the past. I think I've been down this road of confusion before with the whole 1500 8 lug thing. I forgot that the Suburbans are different than the trucks on suspensions. Ok, I'm waiving the white flag. I'm not as smart as I thunk I was on this subject.

oops

 

[Sparky8370]

Not sure where this one belongs but need some advise from ya'll

Scenario is I have a:

98 C1500 Burb, 6.5 engine-4L80 trans 3:42, body needs serious help tree landed on it sort of straight now but leaks around drivers side door jambs both doors, roof was crushed body sits low that side about 1/2", unknown damage to frame but front end alignment was done without issue after new pitman arm and tie rod end swap.

have a 96 K2500 Burb body, no engine no trans had 6.5 & 4L80 in it, rest of body/interior in decent/better shape 3:73 gears, don't want 4x4, or 3:73 ratio 4x4 burb sits higher than the 4x2 part of which it taller tires

So can I/do I put the engine tranny from the 98 in the 96 body/frame & swap to 4x2 axles to the 4x4 frame

or do I swap the 96 4x4 body to the 98 4x2 frame, looking for path of least resistance. lowest down time/cost bBoth are 8 bolt axles

easiest keep 4x4 3:73 gears/axles/t case etc but for family hauler I want lower to ground and 3:42 economy

thoughts/recommendations

.............

 

[SnowDrift]

.............

Thanks. How many times did I miss that???

 

[qwomack]

Just came upon this thread, Tim. I hope I'm not too late for some input. I have a good friend that does some serious body work on Chevy trucks and I have personally helped him to swap suspension components from one truck to another. The older body styles have the whole 2wd front suspension bolted to the cross member by 6 bolts (I think). What I am getting at is if the 2500 frame is good, you very well may be able to easily swap the 1500 suspension over to it and be good to go. Hope this helps.