Anyone do a solid axle conversion on an S-10?

ManglerYJ

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Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Lexington, NC
I'm picking up a 95 2WD S-10 very soon for next to nothing. I'd like to convert it to 4WD using most likely Grand Wagoneer Dana44's. I've seen some build write-ups doing a solid axle conversion on 4WD rigs, but I haven't seen any on 2WD trucks. Would I have any more or less difficulty doing so? There seems to be some aftermarket support for the 4WD ones, in terms of kits available, but I hadn't seen anything in the 2WD flavor. I'm pretty sure the 4WD uses a torsion bar front end where the 2WD is coils over a-arms, correct?
 
Like marsfab on facebook, he is starting one now. Chris is the man! He has one already done also..
 
i remember seeing an s10 blazer in petersens probably 15 years ago where they used an old pass side drop d30 from a jeep using leafs.
 
I've done sas's on a bunch of s-10's from leaf springs to coil springs to coil overs. They are probably on of the easiest vehicles to do. The frame rails are wide and flat so they work with many different perch width axles if your doing leaf springs.

4wd and 2wd frames are different. The difference being that there is a large bulge in the front frame rail where the coil spring sits up inside it. This bulge makes it hard to fit a shock. There are ways around it, it'll just depend on how much work you're willing to do. One being to cut the outside of the area off and replace it with a flat piece of plate cut to the shape of the rail. The other is to mount the shock leaning to the rear at the top far enough back to clear it.

The kits like drkelly posted work well and are easy to install but like he said they usually end up making the truck sit a little high. I recently did a '92 std cab 2wd for a customer. It used a cleaned up dana 30 from a YJ. We started by using stock waggy front springs sprung over. The owner thought it sat a little too high for his 33's so we changed to 4" waggy springs sprung under. They lowered it down around 2".

S-10's use a standard Saginaw steering box so almost all XJ, TJ, YJ and MJ pitman arms will fit. You will definitely need to have your d44 knuckles machined and tapped for hi-steer, order arms and have steering built. With the right spring, shock, and steering setup these trucks drive and ride very nice.
 
I've done sas's on a bunch of s-10's from leaf springs to coil springs to coil overs. They are probably on of the easiest vehicles to do. The frame rails are wide and flat so they work with many different perch width axles if your doing leaf springs.

4wd and 2wd frames are different. The difference being that there is a large bulge in the front frame rail where the coil spring sits up inside it. This bulge makes it hard to fit a shock. There are ways around it, it'll just depend on how much work you're willing to do. One being to cut the outside of the area off and replace it with a flat piece of plate cut to the shape of the rail. The other is to mount the shock leaning to the rear at the top far enough back to clear it.

The kits like drkelly posted work well and are easy to install but like he said they usually end up making the truck sit a little high. I recently did a '92 std cab 2wd for a customer. It used a cleaned up dana 30 from a YJ. We started by using stock waggy front springs sprung over. The owner thought it sat a little too high for his 33's so we changed to 4" waggy springs sprung under. They lowered it down around 2".

S-10's use a standard Saginaw steering box so almost all XJ, TJ, YJ and MJ pitman arms will fit. You will definitely need to have your d44 knuckles machined and tapped for hi-steer, order arms and have steering built. With the right spring, shock, and steering setup these trucks drive and ride very nice.

Great info! Thank you!!! This is what I was hoping to find out. If you were to use standard (no lift) springs and keep it SUA, would you think there would be clearance issues?
 
Yes more than likely. It would be almost too low IMO. 3 or 4 inch waggys sua will ride decent and allow for a 33" tire. Plus sua you don't nesesscarily need hi-steer. Which is a big cost savings.
 
Uh oh, Matt's starting another 4x4 project....;)

Not yet.... just "dreaming" of another project. It would be at least another 2-3 years before I could get started on it and as you know how my projects go - it would be at least 8 years before it would see any trail time. By then, most other guys would have built theirs, wheeled em and sold em long before.

It will probably end up just being a beat-around truck for hauling lumber, etc. Kinda hard to do that kinda stuff with a mini-van.

Besides - I already have a project that my and my son are going to start working on once the girls go back to school in a couple weeks. I have the tub from a 55 M38a1 that I'm hoping to eventually build a rat rod out of. Slowly accumulating parts to build it It will have a 50's drive train - chevy inline six out of a 50's truck, t86 and Dana 18 mated to a pair of samurai axles and frame with postal Jeep steelie wheels and wide whitewalls.

It will be 4WD, but nothing trailworthy. (that's nothing new based on my previous projects!)
 
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