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3500HD 2x4 to 4x4 questions

1967k10

1967k10

1/2 ton status
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Nebraska looking for D60's
I've always wanted a 94-00 3500HD 4x4 for a ranch truck but since they are hard to find in my area what about converting one to a 4x4. I just found a really clean 95 2x4 and thr price is good. A guy I know has one and he says the spring pad width is app 32" which would be close enough to the 32.5" or a GM or 78/79 Ford D60. So that looks like it would be bolt in. Now for tha t-case should one run a divorced setup or change out the tailhousing and tailshaft on trans? Truck I'm looking at has an nv4500. The last question is could a person find some 10lug hubs or would it be easier to just buy 8lug 19.5"s for the front? I have access to 8lug 19.5"s :D.
 
Why not just buy a new c4500 with a dmax? Ranchers are made of money:haha:

I would think a divorced tcase and custom crossmember/shafts would be the easiest. Maybe a frontend from a wrecked F450-550 would net the axle and wheels.

Pics if you do it:D
 
Yes I have been looking for a crew cab 4500 4x4 :D but I am a few dollars short of buying one. I'm looking at one of them for a tow rig. This 3500HD would get a bale bed and be a ranch truck cause our 86 K30 is shot :(.

plumber mike said:
Why not just buy a new c4500 with a dmax? Ranchers are made of money:haha:

I would think a divorced tcase and custom crossmember/shafts would be the easiest. Maybe a frontend from a wrecked F450-550 would net the axle and wheels.

Pics if you do it:D
Click to expand...
 
There was a thread over on pirate about these trucks. The spring perch width is like 34", you could move the pass side (if using a Ford axle) perch over and weld an extension on the pumpkin side. Steering is already a type of crossover.

Need to figure out how big you want this to be. If you use the stock springs, you will need to go spring under, cause if you go spring over, it's gonna have like 10" of lift.
 
My buddy said his measured 32" pin to pin on the springs. The local F/D trucks I have seen have that are 4x4 aren't super high. They look to have 4"-6" of lift over the 2wd's and the regular 19.5"s.
I want it as close to the heighth of a 4x4 one as possible.


b454rat said:
There was a thread over on pirate about these trucks. The spring perch width is like 34", you could move the pass side (if using a Ford axle) perch over and weld an extension on the pumpkin side. Steering is already a type of crossover.

Need to figure out how big you want this to be. If you use the stock springs, you will need to go spring under, cause if you go spring over, it's gonna have like 10" of lift.
Click to expand...
 
Sorry to hijack.....
were the 94-00 3500HD 4x4's solid axle? I've never seen that gen in a 4x4 HD just the 2X4... interested.....
 
NEWENGLANDK5 said:
Sorry to hijack.....
were the 94-00 3500HD 4x4's solid axle? I've never seen that gen in a 4x4 HD just the 2X4... interested.....
Click to expand...

I am pretty sure that I heard those trucks were converted to 4x4 by an outside contractor and didn't come from GM that way.
 
ohhh ok, I knew I'd seen 3500HD's before, and always wondered why they made them in a solid axle 2wd but no 4wd... Looks to be a sweet platform to build your own 4X
 
solid drop axle beam in the front ends. so you WILL get some good lift from spring over 4x4 axle swap.

i have seen 1 and its big but not to bad. was a kit truck not home fab.

he used it for plowing and salt spreader use.

also driveline ebrake on these trucks. so tranny will be ebrake tail housing style.

this will make it set for divorced tcase best option for home brew stuff.

and a nv4500 in them has a super long 2x4 tail shaft setup. not like the std truck 2wd tail.

and thinking back i checked a 2wd 1 time and its close but not 32" width. more around 34" or so.

but why not remove the frame brackets and have someone at a good steel fab shop remake them and move the spring eye mount points in to 32.5" width. then rebolt back up. or better yet for more stable use move them out to match a ford 36" width and more comon cheeper dana 60 axle that can be had in high pinion and king pin setup over the newer ball joints ones.

i would love to build 1 my self. and if i did it i would toss the 10 lug rear out and go for a good old dana 80 from a dodge cummins truck. those things are about as huge. and for my needs would work just fine. then all ends are 8 lug setup. then swap to 19.5 8 lug rubber.

found pics.

pic #1 std 2wd tranny slip tail
pic #2 3500hd tranny with long tail and setup for driveline ebrake ( not bolted on in this pic )

4500 2wd std case.jpg

4500 3500hd.jpg
 
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Just sold a transfer case to a guy who's doing the same thing, '98 3500HD 4x4 conversion. He's using a D70 front with custom knuckles/outers. I've toyed with the idea but I've never seen a crew cab 3500HD . . . .

Just hafta overbuild my K30 a bit more :haha:
 
There's a few crew cabs out there. I saw a crew cab 4x4 with a Cummins in it on Ebay a while back :D. I should have bought it but I didn't :(.

Wrench said:
Just sold a transfer case to a guy who's doing the same thing, '98 3500HD 4x4 conversion. He's using a D70 front with custom knuckles/outers. I've toyed with the idea but I've never seen a crew cab 3500HD . . . .

Just hafta overbuild my K30 a bit more :haha:
Click to expand...
 
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