Z71 to 1 ton Dually Conversion?

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How much do you want to tow???
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We'll optimally I'd like to be able to tow 3 to 4 rigs at once, but minimum 2 rigs, so I'm gonna need a pretty stout truck.

With all that you have on the table already...why go through such a major undertaking with the DD?

I've never known what people see in z71's anyway...but they sure attract rednecks like flies on shit.
Why are you so dead set on keeping it rather than trading for something far better suited for what you want?
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I have no idea, not that I think its the stuff it pretty much sucks in everything, not a good tow rig, not a good daily driver, not a good wheeling rig, lol. But I just can't get rid of it, it's not just what I drive, it's my damn truck, it's a part of who I am, I can't just throw it away . . . :shaking:
 
dude, when are you going to learn?

you have got to be either one of the most persistant or one of the most ignorant people i've ever seen.:flipoff2:
 
You have obviously never had to deal with a DMV officer for a towing violoation. If a officier saw a Z71 pulling 2 or more vehicles I would just about gaurantee you'd get pulled and fines and possible vehicle impoundment. The fines and tickets can be very pricey. Long run much cheaper to buy another rig and safer. Also people don't rag you for being young, they do it because you are hard headed and don't listen.
 
jrraw23 said:
But I just can't get rid of it, it's not just what I drive, it's my damn truck, it's a part of who I am, I can't just throw it away . . . :shaking:
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FACT: it is the first piece of property you have owned, there for it is what gave you independance.
FACT: it is an APPLIANCE, just like a refridgerator, or a washing machine, you don't drool over them like a boar in rut do you ?
FACT: Yes the truck is part of your "identity" as a young adult, but you have to let go of it at some point. Your identity will be formed and shaped by SO many other influences in your life, this truck WILL become an insignificant part of your history in short order, really it will.
As many who are on this forum will agree, buy a house, get married, have a kid, you will see, that truck will be the LAST thing you think about when it's time to pay bills, make a house repair, feed/clothe the family/kid(s).
Ultimately, your identity, your life will be defined by your kids/family, and possibly if you are really lucky, your job.
some day, you'll figure out how much time and money you wasted on The Truck because at the time you were doing what you THOUGHT was the best thing but really didn't have the time or resources to do it right.
Building stuff in a parking lot of a dorm or where ever may be neat and cool, and allow you to do some "neat things" but in reality, what ever you do you have to cut corners due to time and $$$ constraints. you don't have time to think things thru, cuz you have to "Get 'r Done" to get to the next project or get home or class or what ever.
it's not that we / I don't like your ideas, most all of use have been there, to some degree.
All I'm trying to impart to you in past statement, THINK about what is being said.
You want to redesign the wheel, GREAT ! have fun doing it, but realize, the bigger wheel is already out there, and probably cheaper than what you will spend time and material wise to rebuild the one you have.
 
jrraw23 said:
Ehhh, I just don't think it'd be all that hard to beef my exsisting frame to even stronger than a 2500 frame, I did part of it already and its not that difficult, we'll see, this is all speculation at this point but I gotta do something to be able to tow alot and I am leannin toward wantin to just mod the Z71 cause otherwise i have no idea what I'm gonna do with it.
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You can't beef to get a deeper structural frame member. Boxing yes, but not deeper. Depth of the frame is a large part of what keeps the frame from bending under a heavy load. You've got no practical or book knowledge on which to base your position.
 
jrraw23 said:
We'll optimally I'd like to be able to tow 3 to 4 rigs at once, but minimum 2 rigs, so I'm gonna need a pretty stout truck.
I have no idea, not that I think its the stuff it pretty much sucks in everything, not a good tow rig, not a good daily driver, not a good wheeling rig, lol. But I just can't get rid of it, it's not just what I drive, it's my damn truck, it's a part of who I am, I can't just throw it away . . . :shaking:
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Ricky, i actually think that putting the 1 ton suspension, axles, and tranny in your truck is a great idea if that is what you want. I'm not really positive on the frame strength issue, but most likely some beefing of the frame couldnt hurt. If you go through with these things, your truck will be perfectly capable of towing one rig very safely.
With that said, towing two rigs on a gooseneck isnt 100% out of the question, but towing 3-4 with a pickup is not gonna be doable.
Also, lets say you do beef the truck to the point where you can safely tow two rigs on a gooseneck. What are you going to do with the anemic 350 tbi? Cause i know its gonna be loving life pulling a 5000lbs trailer, and two 5000lbs rigs.:rolleyes:

My suggestion, find a 1 ton frame and get to switching parts. It will still be your truck and will be set up to do what you want.
 
4 rigs X 4000lbs= 16000
1 trailer x 5000lbs=5000
1 truck X 5000lbs=5000
total 26,000 at the very very least.
 
buy one of these. no DRW one-ton truck is going to pull 4 car/trucks at a time. step up. save the z71 for a DD.
 

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jrraw23 said:
So the frame just isnt thick enough? Thats something I can fix when I go through and finish beefing it, I can make the frame as big and thick as I want, thats not a problem. .
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I can't wait to see this.. gonna weld some 2" box on top of your existing frame? :popcorn:
 
im not sure what a 3rd wheel is .. a 5th wheel is what a camper uses its alot like a tractor and trailer and yes its in the bed
 
You can put a gooseneck/5th wheel into any type of truck. When you start talking about putting a car/truck on the very top of the trailer as in a wedge shape car hauler. then your going to need to get a dually to support the weight that is directly over the axle. A gooseneck/5th wheel will handle, brake, and turn better than a bumper pull trailer of equal weight capacities. We can all appreciate that you want to work with what you have. I myself have many times tried to make what I have work for my needs. Basically all you are going to do is add weight(steel reinforcement) that will take away from your GVWR. You will actually not be able to haul as much weight as you can now after you do your frame modifications. No matter how you cut it your 1500 Z71 is always going to be a 1500 Z71. The DMV and Chevy put a weight limit on that truck for a reason. Your going to put a lot of work into something that your engineering. Your taking a very well designed truck completely changing it into something that it wasn't made to be. There are forces on each piece of that truck that you, me, and the vast majority of all internet truck forum users can't begin to understand. I am not saying that you will get into an accident and hurt someone. I'm not saying that you will drive off a bridge. But, if you in an accident and your are over your GVWR your insurance company will not cover you or the people that are involved in the accident. Your going to be left wide open for a law suit. If your trying to start a business and have a reputable name, you need to start doing things the right way. If Beast Inc. is ever going to be credible your going to have to be the one that represents it that way. I don't really comment much on this type of post, but doing what your planning on doing it just plain stupid. This is going well beyond bolt ons and engine swaps. Your trying to re engineer a truck. Trust me, it took more that one person to design and build that truck to begin with and they had better technology and knowledge.
 
I cant wait to see this abortion, I just hope nobody is injured or killed from the finished result.
 
Unless you are just towing around your neighborhood your motor will never pull more than one rig at highway speeds.
 
Rich said:
I can't wait to see this.. gonna weld some 2" box on top of your existing frame? :popcorn:
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When I was 16 we lifted an S10 blazer by staking 2 frames and welding the seam solid....

Makes Ricky's idea not seem so bad...
 
lol when I was thinking abot that I was thinking more along the line of welding larger sized C channel cupped over the exsisting frame then boxing it in then puttin in crossmembers to support it but I mean thats all past now, I'm not gonna try to use the Z71 regardless of how much i want to, like I said I just gotta figure out what my next step is
 
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