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2000 GMC SAS: Hydro assist assistance

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Cruz89K5

Cruz89K5

1/2 ton status
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Oct 24, 2005
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Seminole, Ok
Cruz89K5 submitted a new Build:

2000 GMC SAS: Hydro assist assistance

Just noticed the pictures from the first post are not showing up, I'll work on it later.

So I've never done a build thread, and the fact that I am dismembering my K5 to build this truck might not be incredibly popular on here, but I figure some people would appreciate the build, and I would appreciate any information or opinions others would have along the way. This isnt going to be a big street truck. This is going to replace the K5 as a beater. With good AC and heat. And a radio I can hear.

Here is the plan so far and the parts I have/are on order.

I'll be using a Sky SAS kit in the front. I'm going to try to keep it as low as possible. I'm going to use a Offroad design shackle flip in the rear with stock springs (hopefully) and a zero rate to keep it centered. In the front I'd like to use a 52" spring, but I'm thinking I'm going to have to use a 47" spring to keep it as low as possible. I've got a Chevy 60 for the front and a 14 bolt for the rear. I've got a chevy NP205 in the garage and I plan to use a northwest fab adapter to bolt it to my 4l80e.

Progress wont be incredibly fast, but I hope to have it done in a month or two. I dont have much of a game plan as far as what springs are going to give me the lift I want, or how much lift I'm going to need to run my tires.

Does anyone have a SAS truck on 38" tires? I'm curious as to how much lift it takes to clear this much tire. It doesnt look like I've got much room to cut in the front, but I'm just basing this on eyeballing the fender openings.

I found a cab at the salvage yard, and I think I got a pretty good deal. The driver door has some damage, as well as the passenger door, but I got the entire cab with all the doors and glass for 600 bucks. And its the same color. They wanted the same price for the matching bed, but thats a little steep for me.

Anyhow, here's a few pictures of progress so far, and the trucks I'm working with.

This is the K5. I've had it for 7 years. Its a bittersweet feeling tearing it apart, but I have plans for it in the future. I'm just tired of it breaking all of the time. I just had the 400 rebuilt a few hundred miles ago. Three days later the crank snapped. I bought the GMC for the 6.0. Then decided to rebuild it.



This is the truck. Its a 2000 2500 GMC.





We got the bed and bumper off of it before the snow got too bad.



We started tearing the K5 apart a few days later.

Pushing her up to the shop.



Axles out. Its starting to feel...
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Read more about this build here...

View attachment 230640
 
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Looks like a decent parts k5, if you were two hours closer id be hauling that body off for you. haha.


Looks like a fun project, using a new body style truck i assume?
 
KansasTwister said:
Looks like a decent parts k5, if you were two hours closer id be hauling that body off for you. haha.


Looks like a fun project, using a new body style truck i assume?
Click to expand...

Its the gray GMC. Are the pictures not working? The K5 is rusty. Odd for a truck thats been in Oklahoma for its whole life. That is a major reason its getting torn apart.
 
depends on how far forward your azxle sits and how much you want to cut. i fit 40's on 8.5-9" of lift. they still rub more than i like, but thats the nature of the beast with leaf springs.
 
Is there any way to get more lift in the rear with the stock springs?

I'm really planning on trying to keep it around 7" of lift. I will shove the front axle as far forward as I can. The reason being is I dont want to have to buy new rear springs. From what I can figure out by reading is a 4" shackle flip with a 6" shackle will give 5.5" of lift in the rear. That and a zero rate should get me around 6.5 in the rear. With the sky brackets in front and a zero rate I should be around 7 in front. On the tuff country IFS lifts I saw say 6" will clear 36's, I figured with a little cutting I could get a 38" bogger in there. I think they only measure 37".

Anyhow, went to get the cab today. My gooseneck was tied up with the K5, so I borrowed a smaller trailer. It was a tight fit. Both of the rear windows wernt latched and broke on the way home. I had one from the other cab, but I'll have to buy another one for the driver side.

Chevycab.jpg


Chevycab2.jpg


Chevycab3.jpg


chevycab4.jpg


Hopefully we'll start pulling the other cab in the next few days.
 
Please forgive my iPhone pictures, my camera isnt working. When it comes time to do the SAS I'll borrow my girlfriends camera to get some better pictures. The cab swap is pretty straight forward anyway.

I used the wrecked truck to pull the other cab over to the shop. Unloaded the cab, pulled the fenders and interior the other day. Got the old cab off and the new cab back on and powered up today. Got the interior back in also. We are going to have to pull the column out of the other truck, it is compressed and has some broken mounts. I'll get some pictures of it complete in the next day or two. Its going to take some massaging to get the hood supports back on, as part of the cab under the cowl is damaged.

The only problem we've really had so far was fitting the 3/4 hydroboost to the 1/2 ton cab. One hole had to be drilled and one made a little larger. Other than that there isnt any difference between a 1/2 ton and 3/4 ton cab.

Anyhow, pictures.

Pulling the cab to the shop.

GMCbuild3.jpg


Cab off and on the trailer.

GMCbuild2.jpg


I tried to get a picture of the hydroboost fitment, but it didnt turn out well.. Damn phone.

GMCbuild1.jpg
 
No pictures just yet, but the cab is on and the truck is running and driving. The only other problem we ran into was an issue with the trucks security setting. We pulled a box out from under the dash of the wrecked cab and put it in the new cab. Everything works in the new cab, its nice having windows and headroom. The hood alignment looks terrible, and the front left fender is pretty banged up and it isnt helping things.

I'm going to get some stock front springs from the salvage yard on tuesday, and I'm just waiting on the SAS parts to get here to start the swap.
 
Since there wasnt much interest in this when I started I didnt feel the need to document the build, but I figured I'd show where I am now for anyone else looking to do a similar swap.

This is the end of phase 1. I will drive it like this for a week or so before I start working on the rest of it. I've still got to figure out how to get my 14 bolt in it, get the 205 behind it and figure out what to do about a VSS, figure out a front shock tower, get it tuned, get exhaust, and get drivelines built. Dont mind the random u bolt on the pumpkin side or the hacked tractor 3 point thing in the steering, a good u bolt and ORD drag link are on the way. Its just like this to check clearance around the yard. And I still dont trust it.

I used stock 4 spring 52's with the overload and a zero rate to move the front forward 1.5" to get it out of the rear of the fender. Its got an ORD 4" shackle flip in the rear with a short shackle. I used sky rear hangers and a DIY4X universal mount in front. Rear springs are stock, I plan on flipping the overload since they are barely working with no weight on the rear. Anyway.. As always, cell phone pictures


GMC15.jpg


GMC16.jpg


GMC14.jpg


GMC12.jpg


GMC13.jpg
 
Looking good....i was wondering what happened to this. A nice set of shock hoops for the front shocks, bilsteins seem to work nice on the sas trucks. Talk to the guys at ord about the 205 vss in you truck, they've done it...also articles here and on pirate where people have done it themselves. Or even bolt up a 241 with vss and have no probs, just have to look for passenger drop. Your 14b prob just move the perches.
 
:waytogo:

Hell with everyone, I am very interested in seeing some pics of the build. Looks great man.
 
What he said, good stuff.

What's the plan for the bed?
 
Take a look at the chevy section on pirate, theres a 2500 on there that has tube work around the bed floor. It looks pretty good too...take a look..
 
rob h said:
Looking good....i was wondering what happened to this. A nice set of shock hoops for the front shocks, bilsteins seem to work nice on the sas trucks. Talk to the guys at ord about the 205 vss in you truck, they've done it...also articles here and on pirate where people have done it themselves. Or even bolt up a 241 with vss and have no probs, just have to look for passenger drop. Your 14b prob just move the perches.
Click to expand...

I just haven't found a hoop I like. I don't have the tooling on knowledge to bend my own. Bilsteins are in the plans, I've got some 13" travel no names for mock up, but it will be getting a good shock eventually.

My initial plans were to have a tone ring added to my trans and just dealing with the odd shifting in low range, but my local trans shop won't pull and restack my trans without rebuilding it. So I'm considering doing the work to add a vss to my 205. I just need to find someone local who knows enough about this trucks computer to change the ratio to fit the 205. A 241 was considered, and it is still an option, but I want to twin stick this 205. I think front digs may be needed on occasion with 145" of wheelbase.

The 14 bolt may be too narrow. The Nbs perches are 49" center to center. It looks like my springs would be into the calipers at that point. My truck is a light duty 3/4 ton with the 9.5 rear end. Inboarding the springs isn't attractive because my rear frame is tweaked from the rollover. I'm going to move them first, and possibly rotate the calipers down to get them away from the springs. Another option is finding a van rear end for the width, but I'm not sure where they get the extra inches. the final option is a modern 14 bolt. I might be able to do a little trading to get a good deal, but I don't know if my gears and carrier will fit into a new housing.

It's just details now, the hard part is done. I'm looking forward to driving it as is for a week or so when the new drag link gets here. I'm also looking for fender ideas. I just know one of the boggers is going to throw a rock through my back window.

As always, thanks for the kind words. I'm ready to go tear it up.
 
Looks great! :waytogo:

There are several very nice looking tube bed ideas out there that also cover the rear tires.

I know there is a Green 88-98 style on Pirate that has a pretty slick bed.
 
Nothing new to report. Waiting on the ORD drag link to come in and the twin stick shifters and rails for the 205. I'm trying to find someone local to do the machine work to fit the VSS in the 205 tailhousing. Not having much luck so far.

I did take a driveway poser shot to show the size of the new truck against my Dodge. The dodge is stock height on a 33" tire. Tried to keep the GMC as low as possible.

3-4tons.jpg
 
Why don't you just leave the 9.5" in it, or just get a newer full floater rear that fits that year?
 
rjfguitar said:
Why don't you just leave the 9.5" in it, or just get a newer full floater rear that fits that year?
Click to expand...

I'm trying to keep costs down, so regearing the 9.5 isnt something I want to do. Also, I'm incredibly hard on parts. I'd like the extra strength of the big 14 bolt.

Local yards want a fortune for a new 14 bolt. I've got a low mile 14 bolt out of the K5 with a matched set of gears, a detroit and disc brakes. A new 14 bolt would be ideal, being wider and having the newer brakes and parking brake.

I've done a little research but I cant find out for sure if the older gears will fit into a newer housing. I read the newer housings have bigger pinion bearings, but thats all I've found so far.
 
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