99+ Chevy 1500 4x4 3/4 ton conversion.

XJsavage

XJsavage

CounterCulture
Joined
Aug 15, 2009
Location
Lyle's Ford SC
The truck I have currently is a bone stock, great running, low mileage 1500 4x4 long bed 02 Silverado. I have very little money invested in it so far and really don't want to part with it.
I was in a junkyard yesterday and spotted a few 2500 2 and 4 wheel drive models complete with everything down to wheels/tires. So my question is, say I was to snag up the parts fairly cheaply off of a 2500 truck and convert mine over, what all parts would I need to grab? Obviously the complete disc brake 14 bolt, 8 lug wheels, front unit bearings, brake rotors/calipers, and what else?

Is it worth it to buy both rear leaf packs or just do an add-a-leaf?
Are the knuckles different on a 2500 compared to a 1500?
TREs?
Will the axle shafts I have now work?

I'm prepared to spend upwards of $800 on everything I can think of so far but would like a detailed list so I don't have to keep running back and forth.
 
Friend and I did this swap on a 1999 2door Tahoe. It wasn't as straight forward as it seemed. The issue we ran into was the 3/4 ton frame was slightly different where the front diff mounts which required cutting and welding and we had to make custom front axles.
 
Monkeynono said:
Friend and I did this swap on a 1999 2door Tahoe. It wasn't as straight forward as it seemed. The issue we ran into was the 3/4 ton frame was slightly different where the front diff mounts which required cutting and welding and we had to make custom front axles.
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That's what I was afraid of.
 
Clubbs said:
Time for a SAS. Consult @Croatan_Kid for instructions and user's manual.
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Only problem with that is, this is my DD and I can't really have it down longer than a weekend.
I mean I do have the Jeep though.
 
ghost said:
Sounds like you should grab the 14 bolt and a front Ford 60 and rock on....
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I would actually prefer that, but the downtime would suck. And....knowing me, this thing would turn into a crawler REALLY quick....like I really need another. šŸ¤“
 
I donā€™t believe it would be as easy as a weekend nor as cheap as $800.

As mentioned the frames are different. You need the hydro boost brake setup, the A arms, custom axle shafts up front, probably a custom drive shaft out back at least. Then at the end of the day you still have a 4L60e.

I would take part of your $800 and buy air bags, a large trans cooler, and a Prodigy P3 brake controller and rock out.
 
When I was a senior in high school, I got tired of breaking my dana 35, and decided to swap in a full width 8 lug full float dana 60 rear. In order to remedy the width and bolt pattern difference, I made some 5x4.5 to 8x6.5 spacers. I made 3 so I could also adapt the spare mount. Those same 3 spacers still live on today, because I have a full width 8lug D44 front and explorer width 5lug 8.8 rear. You can see the one on the spare if you look carefully.
 
doc said:
Swap in the 14-bolt rear, carry two spares...
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And that right there is actually my main driving factor for doing the swap. 10 bolt.
I've seen 10 bolts break on pavement with 265s and a stock 5.3. F that.

Another thing I've considered strongly is to convert a 14 bolt to 6 on 5.5 and be done with it.
 
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jeepinmatt said:
When I was a senior in high school, I got tired of breaking my dana 35, and decided to swap in a full width 8 lug full float dana 60 rear. In order to remedy the width and bolt pattern difference, I made some 5x4.5 to 8x6.5 spacers. I made 3 so I could also adapt the spare mount. Those same 3 spacers still live on today, because I have a full width 8lug D44 front and explorer width 5lug 8.8 rear. You can see the one on the spare if you look carefully.
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Exactly my realm of thinking. I'd like to be 8 lug f/r, but in reality 6 lug is fine for me. I could even do adapters (6-8 lug) on the front and save a lot of work. Only thing I'd have to look into is what my factory gearing is, either 3.42 or 3.73. I'm betting it's 3.73 which would make replacing the rear with a 1 ton axle easy. This truck is factory tow package.
 
77GreenMachine said:
I donā€™t believe it would be as easy as a weekend nor as cheap as $800.

As mentioned the frames are different. You need the hydro boost brake setup, the A arms, custom axle shafts up front, probably a custom drive shaft out back at least. Then at the end of the day you still have a 4L60e.

I would take part of your $800 and buy air bags, a large trans cooler, and a Prodigy P3 brake controller and rock out.
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I knew there would likely be the unforseeable. <<< I misspelled the crap out of that and I'm perfectly ok with it.
 
The 2500HD is gunna have 4.10s. The rear will bolt right in.

Up front, the knuckles are different, wheel bearings (4 bolts on 2500 vs 3 on 1500, plug 8 lug vs 6 lug), brakes, possibly control arms...it's been so long since I've messed with the IFS stuff that I don't quite remember, but it could be done. You don't necessarily have to use the hydro boost.

If anything, swap out the G80 if it has one, for a true trac or something and keep on keepin on.
 
Croatan_Kid said:
The 2500HD is gunna have 4.10s. The rear will bolt right in.

Up front, the knuckles are different, wheel bearings (4 bolts on 2500 vs 3 on 1500, plug 8 lug vs 6 lug), brakes, possibly control arms...it's been so long since I've messed with the IFS stuff that I don't quite remember, but it could be done. You don't necessarily have to use the hydro boost.

If anything, swap out the G80 if it has one, for a true trac or something and keep on keepin on.
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Just the man I was hoping to hear from. #knowledge
At this juncture, I think a 6 lug converted 14bff will do what I need it to do.
 
The center bore on the factory Chevy 6 lug wheels is much smaller than the 14 bolt hubs. Depending how strong you think you need a 9.5 semi float 14 bolt was made in 6 lug. They came in 90s light duty 3/4s.
 
91samurai said:
The center bore on the factory Chevy 6 lug wheels is much smaller than the 14 bolt hubs. Depending how strong you think you need a 9.5 semi float 14 bolt was made in 6 lug. They came in 90s light duty 3/4s.
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Yeah, I was researching that too just now. I can do the machining at work with our recourses but it's one crossroad after another.
Thing is, I'm open to a lot of options and it's sending me into a frenzy.
 
I'm told there was a 6 lug SF 14 bolt in certain mid 2000s escalades. I considered searching one out to swap in the wife's 1500 yukon xl before I found the 2500. It would be coil, but hack off mounts and weld on perches.

The frames are certainly different. I had my 2005 Yukon XL 2500 parked next to Dad's 2004 Sierra 1500 last week seeing if I could make the rough country hidden winch mount for the 1500 work under mine and they're quite different.

Dad's truck is a factory heavy tow and has 3.73s and the same rear springs as DJ's 1500 HD.
 
LBarr2002 said:
I'm told there was a 6 lug SF 14 bolt in certain mid 2000s escalades. I considered searching one out to swap in the wife's 1500 yukon xl before I found the 2500. It would be coil, but hack off mounts and weld on perches.

The frames are certainly different. I had my 2005 Yukon XL 2500 parked next to Dad's 2004 Sierra 1500 last week seeing if I could make the rough country hidden winch mount for the 1500 work under mine and they're quite different.

Dad's truck is a factory heavy tow and has 3.73s and the same rear springs as DJ's 1500 HD.
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I looked at about 3 or 4 Escalades yesterday, all with the Vortec 5.7. Never thought about checking to see what rear was in it.
How is papa Barr doing anyways?
I talked to your brother a few weeks ago when me and PeePee were at DSV. Always a pleasure!
 
XJsavage said:
I looked at about 3 or 4 Escalades yesterday, all with the Vortec 5.7. Never thought about checking to see what rear was in it.
How is papa Barr doing anyways?
I talked to your brother a few weeks ago when me and PeePee were at DSV. Always a pleasure!
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The sf14 would be in 6.0 escalades from like 2004-2006.

Dad's doing pretty good. He's been messing around with the jeep a little lately.
 
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