As soon as he said straight axle swap I realized that I really did have a brain fart. I had a 1990 Toyota straight axle swapped truck and I loved it. It rode better than my 81 Chevy 4x4. The weight difference had a lot to do with it probably. It wasn't quite as stiff as the 81.
I wonder what they mean by "won't clear a cummins swap?"
However, they mount at about the same height with the cummins pan being a few inches wider between the motor mounts......still wondering why the cummins is claimed to create clearance issues when going to SAS....
Is it the engine cross member? The Cummins pan being deeper?
Yes, it was because the pan is deeper and so much wider over the axle it creates clearance issues with the pumpkin.
I've seen those kits as well, and most of the reviews I read on them said the DODGE version was very limited by the size of the spindle arm as to how big of a bearing you could use. And that still leaves you with the small ball joints that Dodge had put in there dana 60's compared to Ford's. You can buy rebuildable ball joints, but I believeit will run you closeto $600 for a set of 4 for the heavy duty version, $1400 for the light duty hub bearing replacement setup, and you've just put $2K into a Dodge Dana 60 to make it as strong as the Ford Dana 60. You can normally pick up a set of 05+ dana 60/10.5" sterling axles with 3.73 gears with the radius arms, springs, and mounts for $1500-1800. Swap your 8x165mm wheels(8x6.5") to a set of 8x170mm 17" wheels, and you have a tighter turning radius, stout stock components you can get parts for anywhere, and huge 4 wheel disc brakes(hence the need for 17" wheels to clear the brakes). The Dodge axles can be had for well under a $1K and retain the stock lug pattern, but that's where there advantages end from my research.
I was just throwing that out there as a question.
Blind squirrel finds a nut some times. [emoji23]As always FERM your the man great info indeed.........
I compared the 98 and back k2500 Burb chassis layout in the official GM C/K Upfitter Manual page 90 and only difference I have found is that my 99 8.6k+ chassis has an extra x-member behind the torsen bar x-member and torsen bar rating one step below the highest rated bar for K3500.
Yes and no. The GMT-400 platform was still available in 99 in 2500/3500 pickups, tahoe, yukon's, and suburban's. BUT GM was rolling out the newer GMT-800 platform in 99 in the 1500/2500 pickups(yes, GM offerred 2 completely different 3/4 ton pickups for 99), and all the SUV's. So most catalogs stop at 98 for the GMT-400 platform, and pick up 99+ as the GMT-800, but there was GMT-400 platform vehicles available all the way into 00, so it is up to you to know the difference.
They all have that extra cross member, my 95 has that extra cross member in it, and my 95 also has the same torsion bars in it verified by RPO code. There is no difference between your 99 and a 98 of the same platform. The confusion comes in because of the switch over from GMT-400 to GMT-800, and both being available in the same years. It was the same from 88-91 with the square body trucks and SUV's being sold alongside the new GMT-400 trucks.
I had the new body style 99' with 6.0 for a couple years. Didn't realise they made both till I had to buy parts. Needless to say I was confused at first. [emoji27]
Now this is interesting, the images in the GM upfitter manual of the suburban chassis are missing that extra member so that's where I was misled again thanks for being on to of it, good info.
Good to know this could very well be the issue with lower suspension on SAS on a Burb too, thanks........
How would you know what was missing? You didn't design it.... Lol. Some people won't except help even if they're wrong. [emoji15]