Recommendation please

[paulrees57701]

Hello everybody. I am currently looking for a 72 K5. My plan is a LS3, 4L80E and 1 ton axles. What transfer case do you recommend. I am planning on a 4 inch lift and 35's. This truck will see daily driver usage and off-road trails on the weekends. Mostly up in the mountains. Planning on moving to Oregon, maybe Washington.

 

[83ChevyK5Blazer]

Np241, unless you're crawling

 

[fourwheelerjeff]

Hello everybody. I am currently looking for a 72 K5. My plan is a LS3, 4L80E and 1 ton axles. What transfer case do you recommend. I am planning on a 4 inch lift and 35's. This truck will see daily driver usage and off-road trails on the weekends. Mostly up in the mountains. Planning on moving to Oregon, maybe Washington.

are you keeping it on leafs or linking it? in my personal opinion tons are overkill for 35s; you will lose a bunch of ground clearance, especially if you are doing crawling type trails. plus the extra weight will affect mileage on a daily driver.

 

[HankScorpio]

Probably going to need an SCS for a rig like that.

 

[paulrees57701]

are you keeping it on leafs or linking it? in my personal opinion tons are overkill for 35s; you will lose a bunch of ground clearance, especially if you are doing crawling type trails. plus the extra weight will affect mileage on a daily driver.

Keeping on leaf springs. This truck will be a daily driver. Will use it on trails on the mountains on summer weekends. I've never been into the hardcore rock crawling

 

[K85 Octane]

3/4 ton axles
241
Stay more realistic

 

[sweetk30]

3/4 ton axles
241
Stay more realistic

1/2 ton front and semi float 3/4 6 lug rear . . 241 be good if you can find a 90-91 unit or customize one . this would be boom proof then with good guts / shafts and brakes .

 

[paulrees57701]

1/2 ton front and semi float 3/4 6 lug rear . . 241 be good if you can find a 90-91 unit or customize one . this would be boom proof then with good guts / shafts and brakes.

I already have a Dana 60 front and a 14 bolt full floating rear on the back of my garage.

 

[imiceman44]

3/4 ton axles
241
Stay more realistic

Yeah 3/4 ton would help with brakes over the 1/2 ton for stopping the 35" tires.
Otherwise no need for stronger axles.
I actually wheeled for years with 35" tires, 1/2 ton axles and lockers front and rear.
Didn't have problems with my axles on rocks, dirt, mud and snow.
I just had a turbo diesel and kept a light foot and did everything I wanted

 

[HankScorpio]

Since you already have a D60, (I assume a GM king pin passenger drop) you will need a passenger drop t-case. That's going to be a little more difficult with the late model engine and transmission. To get the 4L80 to shift right you are going to need an electronic vehicle speed sensor. The only real choices for passenger drop are NP208, NP241, NP205. No good reason to pick the 208, the 241 is better. 205 is overkill and heavy plus the 241 has a better low range. The problem is the passenger drop VSS NP241 is a 1990-1991 only t-case and will only be in blazers and suburbans. The crew cabs got the NP205 and the pickups were GMT400 after 1987 with a driver drop transfer case. You can modify a NP205 to take a VSS or a 1990-1991 should have one but again, rare part and you probably want a round pattern one to make the trans adapter work out better.

The factory 4L80 NP205 VSS passenger drop does exist in 1991 crew cabs only.

A decent option for the LS 4l80 setup is to keep the factory driver drop 241 transfer case that the donor trans had with it and use a ford axle for the driver drop. Not great if you already have a kingpin 60 passenger drop. The Ford kingpin 60 is also pretty rare and the easier to find super duty ball joint 60 has a goofy wide spring spacing that doesn't swap very well.

Find the VSS t-case and run 37's to make up for the lost ground clearance of the 1 tons.