Getting my OLD MANs truck.

[1leg]

Looks like i'll be getting my dads truck (he passed away in Feb). It a 93 chevy 1/2 ton short bed reg. cab. 4wd 350/auto.

I really don't have a need for another 4wd, being reg, cab it's not much of a road trip truck. none the less i need to keep it and fix it up. My dad was a hotrodder at heart and this truck was a huge part of his identity. so I'm thinking about hot rodding this truck. My thought is a big engine swap, street/strip low 13's would be nice. It will need to be street legal.

Heres what im thinking, 6.0/4l80 swap and switching to a Borgwarner 4472 AWD transfer case. Maybe a turbo or super-charger in the future. I was thinking i would leave the body and wheels alone (I want it to look like dads truck) But i was thinking about some low profile tires and maybe lower it a few inches nothing radical, just to make it handle better.

I'm just now starting my reseach, I'll be picking the truck up in August. And the plan is to get it California legal(nevada truck) and make it my daily driver. Then I'll start to collect parts over a year or so.


Questions
I know a 4472 will go behind 4l80, a lot of syclone guys have done it. My question is what would it take to make it work with this front axel?

For the 6.0 engine, what year is the best to get for a swap? I don't really want the electric gas pedel.

Can you lower a 4wd front end on a chevy IFS. I'm thinking 2 or 3 inches. I don't want a bumper dragger, just so it will look good on a 26 inch tire and 16 inch rims.

 

[79rustyk10]

Honesty, I think lowering one of those will be major uncharted territory. IFS hates being lifted, I would think that lowering one would probably fubar most of the suspension geometry, not to mention the CV axles would probably be pretty close to fully compressed, with little more room to collapse when the suspension cycles.

At worst using that Tcase, you need a different front shaft made up.

And its badass that you have your dads truck. I have my grandpa's old 89 2wd ford, Im DDing it now for the time being. I remember driving it around my aunts farm with him when I was 8, riding all over hell with him in it, and theres no way I could let it go. I'm not exaclty sure what I will be doing with it though.

 

[86454K30]

Belltech makes a 2/3 drop for 88-98 4wd's. The front gets new torsion keys, the rear gets new spring hangar and drop shackle and new shocks front and rear. No driveshaft mods needed.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

Belltech makes a 2/3 drop for 88-98 4wd's. The front gets new torsion keys, the rear gets new spring hangar and drop shackle and new shocks front and rear. No driveshaft mods needed.

What he said. Has been done before.

I'd imagine the alignment will be a bit odd. The 2-3" lifts are famous for having screwy steering issues. This would probably be just as screwy in the opposite direction.

 

[TheBeast_88K5]

Screwy Hot Rod Chevy Truck, w/ too much power and sh*tty geometry.....

Now, yer entering Rat Fink territory.

Do the old man proud!