hidesertwheelin
1/2 ton status
If so how much fabrication was involved? How short was the bed? Pictures? My wife went and bought a 04 Suburban w/ an 8.1 and now I'm thinking I should turn my old 89 Suburban into a crew cab 
CK5
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Anyone ever put a crew cab body on a Suburban frame?
- Thread starter hidesertwheelin
- Start date
I hope you get a lot of good responses and hopefully pictures. Since my 89' crew cab has been fully disassembled for a long time. But I want to build a 4 door rock rig. Burb wheelbase I like. And I want to turn my crew cab 8' truck bed into a nice tow behind trailer with a shell on it. Crew cab rig would be built for serious urban assault bug out Madmax s***, and crawling/wheelin. All tube bed and possible tube engine bay, no front clip. Or a minor taper job on the front clip. Full cage interior. Want to bullet proof fortify it too. At least for small arms handgun fire.
I'm pretty sure that's the route a lot of guys go when they do a CC short bed.
My brother is talking about doing that to his this winter.
My brother is talking about doing that to his this winter.
hidesertwheelin
1/2 ton status
That is what I am trying to find out.
Try a search in the garage and suburban forum. When I joined in '08 there was about half a dozen guys doing this. As I recall the big issue was fabbing up a rear cab support. The rest was basically r&r'ing the body and making up a short bed or platform.
I'll look in a little bit & see if I can find them for you.
I'll look in a little bit & see if I can find them for you.
gone huntin on here did it . in the link above.
I don't think it comes out right, Suburban frame is too short for a crew cab short bed, IIRC. Back tire is right up against the back edge of the rear door, IIRC.
I was thinking that too, but remember the rear axle is spaced back from the read door on a Burb just fine. See the pix linked above. I think you and I are thinking of a crewcab on like a longbed (single cab) pickup frame or something -- was it ORD had one of these?
I also think if doing this, one should prolly figure on a body lift, might simplify the body mounts.
-- A
It still doesn't put the rear axle in the correct position for a factory looking crew cab short bed. If a guy is building a moon buggy, then maybe that is better. I think I am going to do the crew cab short bed thing with my K30, and I will just shorten the frame to what a factory crew/short bed would have been, if one would have existed.
as said no stock short bed on crew cab burban frame unit .
129.5 wheel base for burban
here is a pic of my crew cab with frake cut down and suspension points all moved up to make 133 wheel base as it sits now . and this is set up for a 4ft bed / flat bed / what ever i wana do .
129.5 wheel base for burban
here is a pic of my crew cab with frake cut down and suspension points all moved up to make 133 wheel base as it sits now . and this is set up for a 4ft bed / flat bed / what ever i wana do .
Oh oh oh. You're talking about the bed, I was thinking about the rear wheels interfering with the back doors.
For reference, the wheelbases for 73-87/91 trucks are
Blazer 106.5"
Shortbed 117.5"
Suburban 129.5"
Longbed 131.5"
Crewcab (longbed) 164.5"
(there's also various oddball cab-n-chassis, but they're relatively rare.)
Anyway, if I count of my fingers right a crewcab shortbed would then want to be, hmm, 150.5" WB, which is more than the Burb has.
-- A
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hidesertwheelin
1/2 ton status
Thanks for all the info guys. That doesn't look like it's going to work for what I want to do.
blowedupmotor87
1/2 ton status
Would anything prevent one from doing this- move the spring hangers back on the 'Burb frame (to move the axle back a little and lengthen the wheelbase some) a Burb's got a long rear overhang anyway so, plenty of length to work with, right?
I think I am just going to move the hangers forward on my crew cab's frame and chop off the excess. (keeping the stock K-30 frame)
I think I am just going to move the hangers forward on my crew cab's frame and chop off the excess. (keeping the stock K-30 frame)
That seems like a difficult way to arrive at the same end product. It's not that hard to cut a frame down and reweld/reinforce it back together, that is the closest way to make it look like it came that way from the factory. Besides, doesn't the frame "hump over the rear axle anyway? I'd have to go look again.
blowedupmotor87
1/2 ton status
I would imagine it does on the Suburban, I KNOW it does on the crew cab, that's okay though, as I plan on a lift and a rear mounted winch anyway.
I am just thinking It could be an option if one had to go with a 'Burb frame for some reason or another. (like maybe they bought a 2wd crew with a damaged front end or something)
OR (in my case)
I will likely plan on changing the rear spring hangers anyway to a shackle flip and don't see a problem with changing out my front spring hangers. So, I will already be removing one set of hangers, I'll be halfway there anyway I reckon! Plus, then I don't have to worry about making a nice cut and lining it up nice.
gain 4" by flipping rear 56" springs backwards . 
blowedupmotor87
1/2 ton status
gain 4" by flipping rear 56" springs backwards .
Good point, I didnt think about that! I think that would solve what I don't like about the Suburban frame crew cab swaps- the rear tires are always too close to the cab corners for my taste. Even just an extra 4" wheelbase stretch would make a world of difference, IMHO!
If the wheel was centered under the super short box in the top pic, it'd look great IMO. The short box version below has a nice proportion to it that does look more natural though.
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