kd4pbs
Newbie
First, I want to say a big "Thanks" primarily to all the members here that have made this forum what it is. Then a big "Thanks" to the owners! I used to own a forum for off road go-carts, and I know that it's alot of hard work to maintain, but the forum is only as good as it's members. I appreciate it a bunch! I've been lurking here for a year or so, but have finally splurged and joined up. Well worth the money; there is so much info!
So, for my first post, let me set out to describe what I have and ask y'all which way to go:
I have a 1987 GMC Suburban Sierra, 2500 2 wheel drive corporate 14 bolt FF diff, big block, THM400, and I'm the 3rd owner. It spent it's first 12 years towing an Air Stream around the country only during the summer, and stayed put in the driveway during the winter, owned by friends of my family. Then my sister bought it from the friend, and she and her husband drove it for about 1/2 a year. It then sat in her driveway until last year when I rescued it. Now it has about 133K on the clock. The engine runs like brand new, and I've fixed most of the piddly crap that's wrong with the truck. It has zero underbody rust, and the paint is in pretty good shape except for being faded. It's single-step paint, so a little rubbing compound will make her shine again if I wanted to. The only issue with this vehicle is that it's 2 wheel drive, and I really need a 4x4 for the times it snows, plus playing off road every now & then.
So, I purchased another '87 4x4 which has a body that's in pretty rough shape. Some of you guys from up North would probably take exception to that last statement, because all in all it has very little rust as compared with some that I've seen. It's a base model, so it's not got the niceties inside that I want to keep either. The 4x4 is a heavy-half, so it's got a SF 14 bolt rear diff, and I'm not sure of the front (probably the corporate; I don't think it's a Dana - I need to look). It's got a good running 350 and a nearly worn out THM400. I plan on making one good 4x4 truck out of my 2wd body and the 4wd parts. I'll probably build up the 350 and put it in my boat, and send whatever is left to the junkyard.
So my plan is to put the tail end of the 4x4 THM400 and the transfer case on my good THM400, and keep it married to the 454. Here's where I'm not sure how to proceed: I can either take the front axle off the 4x4, and put it on the 2x4 frame, using the 4x4 engine crossmember, welding up the holes I don't need and cutting holes for all the bits and pieces I do need, or I can swap the whole frame from the 4x4 and put it under the 2wd body. I know I'll have to either put a body lift on it in the process (most likely the route I'll take) or swap out the transmission tunnel. I'm sure there's quite alot of measuring, cutting, and welding that would have to be done, but then I'd have the 1 ton frame (I think the 2wd has a 1-ton frame under it - if there is such a thing for the Suburban; I'm not sure). To save weight, keep from having to re-gear the FF (if it's a different ratio), and since I don't plan on doing much rock crawling with 40" tires, I'll probably keep the heavy half SF rear diff, and hold onto the FF in case I change my mind somewhere along the line. Either way, I think I'd like to keep the 2wd frame due to it being in good shape with only superficial surface rust in a few places. The 4x4 frame isn't in that bad a shape, but it's not as "clean" as the 2wd frame.
From a practicality standpoint, I have the tooling required to weld and cut, but not the tooling required to lift two bodies off while I wheel frames around, so this is a consideration as well. Not that some 6x6 timbers and blocks would be impossible to purchase to git 'r done, but I'd rather spend 5 days and not have to do a body-off then spend 3 days and have to pull the body. At least that's what I think.
That brings me to y'all: I know someone here has probably done it one way or another, and maybe someone else has done it both ways. What do y'all recommend?
Oh, and I'll post some pics of the two beasties later when I'm home (I call the 2wd one my "Nabrubus" - the Nabru transportation vehicle, transporting me and my family of fellow Nabru's around).
Thanks a bunch!
-Matt
So, for my first post, let me set out to describe what I have and ask y'all which way to go:
I have a 1987 GMC Suburban Sierra, 2500 2 wheel drive corporate 14 bolt FF diff, big block, THM400, and I'm the 3rd owner. It spent it's first 12 years towing an Air Stream around the country only during the summer, and stayed put in the driveway during the winter, owned by friends of my family. Then my sister bought it from the friend, and she and her husband drove it for about 1/2 a year. It then sat in her driveway until last year when I rescued it. Now it has about 133K on the clock. The engine runs like brand new, and I've fixed most of the piddly crap that's wrong with the truck. It has zero underbody rust, and the paint is in pretty good shape except for being faded. It's single-step paint, so a little rubbing compound will make her shine again if I wanted to. The only issue with this vehicle is that it's 2 wheel drive, and I really need a 4x4 for the times it snows, plus playing off road every now & then.
So, I purchased another '87 4x4 which has a body that's in pretty rough shape. Some of you guys from up North would probably take exception to that last statement, because all in all it has very little rust as compared with some that I've seen. It's a base model, so it's not got the niceties inside that I want to keep either. The 4x4 is a heavy-half, so it's got a SF 14 bolt rear diff, and I'm not sure of the front (probably the corporate; I don't think it's a Dana - I need to look). It's got a good running 350 and a nearly worn out THM400. I plan on making one good 4x4 truck out of my 2wd body and the 4wd parts. I'll probably build up the 350 and put it in my boat, and send whatever is left to the junkyard.
So my plan is to put the tail end of the 4x4 THM400 and the transfer case on my good THM400, and keep it married to the 454. Here's where I'm not sure how to proceed: I can either take the front axle off the 4x4, and put it on the 2x4 frame, using the 4x4 engine crossmember, welding up the holes I don't need and cutting holes for all the bits and pieces I do need, or I can swap the whole frame from the 4x4 and put it under the 2wd body. I know I'll have to either put a body lift on it in the process (most likely the route I'll take) or swap out the transmission tunnel. I'm sure there's quite alot of measuring, cutting, and welding that would have to be done, but then I'd have the 1 ton frame (I think the 2wd has a 1-ton frame under it - if there is such a thing for the Suburban; I'm not sure). To save weight, keep from having to re-gear the FF (if it's a different ratio), and since I don't plan on doing much rock crawling with 40" tires, I'll probably keep the heavy half SF rear diff, and hold onto the FF in case I change my mind somewhere along the line. Either way, I think I'd like to keep the 2wd frame due to it being in good shape with only superficial surface rust in a few places. The 4x4 frame isn't in that bad a shape, but it's not as "clean" as the 2wd frame.
From a practicality standpoint, I have the tooling required to weld and cut, but not the tooling required to lift two bodies off while I wheel frames around, so this is a consideration as well. Not that some 6x6 timbers and blocks would be impossible to purchase to git 'r done, but I'd rather spend 5 days and not have to do a body-off then spend 3 days and have to pull the body. At least that's what I think.
That brings me to y'all: I know someone here has probably done it one way or another, and maybe someone else has done it both ways. What do y'all recommend?
Oh, and I'll post some pics of the two beasties later when I'm home (I call the 2wd one my "Nabrubus" - the Nabru transportation vehicle, transporting me and my family of fellow Nabru's around).
Thanks a bunch!
-Matt
