'89 R3500 Crew Cab 2wd to 4wd conversion & beyond

[magik235]

Excellent pictures and outcome for your project.

 

[mrk5]

Thank you.

 

[cybrfire]

Pretty sweet! I wondered how the wheelbase would work out for you.

 

[mrk5]

Pretty sweet! I wondered how the wheelbase would work out for you.

I like it so far.

We'll have to talk about a Wraptor here in the near future.

 

[mrk5]

I wanted to compile this while it's relatively fresh in my mind.

Things I learned about 2wd to 4wd conversion:

• The holes for the 4wd components are NOT on the 2wd frame. I mistakenly thought the frames would all be the same and I could just basically bolt in the components I needed. However nothing was there.

• The engine crossmember is removed with the IFS components and the engine mount brackets for the 2wd are a completely different configuration from 4wd trucks. This was something I didn’t even consider before starting the project. I modified an Offroad Design engine crossmember and the 2wd engine mount brackets to work together. And of course you will need to drill holes in the frame to mount the Offroad design crossmsmber since it was made for a 4wd. Or you can do like I did and drill the new holes in the ORD crossmember and weld up the old holes. I like that idea better than putting a bunch of holes in the frame. http://coloradok5.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3250904&postcount=166

• I thought I could use DIY4x.com B-52 brackets to hang the front of the front springs by simply removing the core support body mount brackets and bolting the B52 brackets on. I had assumed the body mount brackets would be the same between 2wd and 4wd. This is not true. A couple holes are close, but not quite there. DIY4x makes no claims about the B52 brackets being used for 2wd to 4wd conversions, I just made a false assumption. There is another reason they are not the “easy” answer I’ll get to next. http://coloradok5.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3234751&postcount=107

• It seems like the rear hanger for the front springs should be a simple matter of drilling holes for the through-the-frame hanger, and it is. However where this bracket is located the frame is completely different between 2wd and 4wd. What it boils down to is the 4wd frame has a shorter profile to allow room for the rear spring eye of the front spring to swing back and forth on the shackles. This means in order to keep the Springs from hitting the frame you will end up with the rear of the front springs hanging lower on the 2wd frame than they would be on a 4wd. If you leave the springs like this it can affect ride quality and it will make the caster angle extremely positive. In order to fix the caster angle I had to modify the B52 brackets mentioned earlier and drop the front of the springs 3”. The net result was that with 4” lift springs I have 6” of lift. More lift than I planned, but it seems to be about perfect for this wheelbase. http://coloradok5.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3271264&postcount=265 & http://coloradok5.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3273274&postcount=266

• The 2wd transmission tunnel on automatic transmission equipped trucks is too short for the 4wd drivetrain. If you get lucky like me and have a manual transmission in your 2wd, this isn’t an issue. I didn’t even realize this could be a problem, good thing I had a manual trans.

• If you plan to use the factory 4wd transmission crossmember, you will need to drill new holes in the frame. Or you can do like I did and fabricate a crossmember that you can design to use existing holes. http://coloradok5.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3309029&postcount=356

• Probably obvious, but you will need to make a hole in the trans tunnel for the factory transfercase shifter. Another option I took was to use a cable shifter from JB Custom Fabrication. http://coloradok5.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3330138&postcount=480

• Another issued I didn’t see coming, the rear spring hangers are 3” shorter on a 2wd truck. This means you need to remove the 2wd hangers and source new brackets at the correct height. If you don't replace the hangers your rear suspension will need to be 3"taller than the front. The good news was the rear driveshaft had enough slip to accommodate the lift. http://coloradok5.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3265124&postcount=208

 

[mrk5]

Haven't been able to focus as much on the truck since Blazer Bash what with the kids' sports and other stuff that got neglected during the press to get ready for Blazer Bash.

I was shocked to come out and see this a few weeks ago.

I've been working on a rear bumper. While we were in Moab we got pulled over for not have a license plate light, rear bumper, or mud flaps. Luckily we didn't get a ticket, just a stern warning but I figured it was a good sign to get working on the rear bumper.

I didn't get many pictures. I worked on it during my lunch hour over the past few weeks. I thought it would be easier to use the rear bumper from the K5. It was pretty simple design, so I thought it would make a good starting point.

All of the brackets had to be cut off the K5 bumper along with the welded in receiver tube. I made a couple of brackets to bolt it the crew cab frame along with additional pieces.

The idea behind the bumper was to be tucked in tight. In Moab I never had trouble with the receiver hitting, even with the shackle holder in the receiver. I had modified the receiver hitch that was on the truck when I bought it so that it was higher and further back under the truck. So I knew if I could get the bumper to line up with the receiver, it would be good.

Here's the final result:

I used the brush-on Rustoleum hammered paint. I picked copper because it's not a color I've seen used before. I'm not certain I'm going to stick with it. It looks a little too art deco I think. I also had a little trouble because the paint was 60° to paint and it wasn't much warmer than that in the shop when I painted. There were some runs and places where the paint kinda sloughed down.

 

[y5mgisi]

From here it just looks like an off color of the red oxide primer. Looks good tho!

 

[82355]

Looks really low? You said the receiver never hit though.

Martin

 

[70jimmy]

You planning a swing down tire carrier? Just noticed the 4 tabs above the clevises. Maybe built in steps to get up in the back of the truck.

 

[mrk5]

From here it just looks like an off color of the red oxide primer. Looks good tho!

Thanks. That's the comment from a few. Kinda rust colored.

Looks really low? You said the receiver never hit though.

Martin

Yeah. I thought we'd be slamming the receiver the entire weekend in moab, but never did. I was thinking about it a lot while it coming together. Ultimately I decided worst case I would pull it off and cut it down if needed. I also think the lack of a tailgate makes the bumper look big. I kept thinking it was big but it's shorter than the front bumper.

You planning a swing down tire carrier? Just noticed the 4 tabs above the clevises. Maybe built in steps to get up in the back of the truck.

Shhh, no spoilers!

 

[Babaganoosh]

I read that last part like you were putting a spoiler on the tabs.

SRT10 wing weeeeeeeeeee.

 

[mrk5]

I read that last part like you were putting a spoiler on the tabs.

SRT10 wing weeeeeeeeeee.

Damn, you figured me out! I need to improve the rear downforce to get better cornering.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

No tailgate?

Have you braced the bedsides? Bedsides will get floppy with enough abuse.

 

[mrk5]

Not yet but I will. One of those lessons I learned from the K5. The bedsides got messed up on that truck even with a tailgate. Made it hard to operate the tailgate and rear window.

I have a lot of plans for the bed of this truck.

 

[mrk5]

Here's a side shot of the rear bumper that shows the clearance a little better maybe.

Down the road there will be a slider mounted behind the tire that will nest in a little tighter to the bumper.

Got the spare tire carrier mounted on the bumper.

I'm waiting on the latch to arrive before it will be complete.

 

[y5mgisi]

You do a lot of fun work. And it always turns out nice.

 

[mrk5]

Thanks!

 

[78SWB]

That's sweet!

 

[mrk5]

That's sweet!

Thanks!

Awhile back Wade (aka ktm...) picked up a Tuffy console for me from a local (to him) craigslist ad. $75, never installed. Sunday I stuck it between the front seats. It's a perfect fit. The console is the 12" wide version.

The trick is that I had to do something with my transmission shifter. I decided to mount the shifter to the console. Took my first shot at welding aluminum and made a bracket from a piece of .090 sheet and 2" angle aluminum. It's not pretty but it'll get the job done. Just bolted the bracket to the front of the console next to the cup holders.

Sorry for the blurry pic.

You can see the first 2 holes I drilled, but I decided to drill a set further back which is the perfect spot. The other thing I did that really turned out nice was to angle the shifter up about 10°.

Here are some additional pics of the console setup.

Here's a picture that shows where the shifter sits in relation to me when I'm driving.

You can also see the cup holders sit in a great spot for easy reach.

I mounted the CB in the front portion where they intended a stereo to be located. The CB is a little deeper in than I intended but it'll work. It is shifted to the far side which was intentional. I'm leaving room for the in-cab winch controller.

The only catch is that the little lid/door over the stereo section hits the shifter before it's open all the way.

I don't like the idea of leaving it open when I'm using the CB because it will impede access to the cup holders. I think what I'll do is cut off a little corner of the lid so I can shut it and leave the CB mic outside of it for use.

Now I just have to decide where I'm putting the transfer case shifter. Originally I had thought I could mount it inline behind the trans shifter but I forgot there was a long metal piece running out from the back of it. I have a feeling it's going to end up in about the same place a factory tcase shifter would be.

 

[mrk5]

By the way, that console is heavy!