yes i searched didnt find anything.....is it possible to swap 3/4ton IFS under a 1/2ton truck 88-98......i'm thinking about turnin my 1/2ton DD into a 3/4ton tow rig.....i want to swap in a nv4500, the 3/4ton IFS and a 14bolt or Dana70 which ever the doner truck i find has.....i know that the IFS liftkits are different for the 1/2tons and 3/4tons, but is the frame the same where i can just swap in the 3/4ton stuff also is there any difference in the t-cases, as in would i need the case from behind the nv4500 or would mine from behind my 4L60-E work.....and before yall post up about just SASin it...my wheelin rig is SAS'ed and i want to stay IFS for my tow rig since it wont see any trail

any info you guys have would be nice

thanks in advance

TTT

over 50 views and no replys....hum i know yall hate IFS and i do too but i still figured somebody knew something about this

Somewhere I heard that it can be done. Need to do something with the balljoints, I think. There was a concern about the brackets and such, but apparently there are the same or very similiar. I think it would be easier just to SAS it. It's really not that hard or expensive if you have the some fab skills. That way you can get a heavier axle, be easier on parts, etc.

i know all about SASin it, just finished up the SAS on my wheeler and i dont want to SAS it, its not seeing any trail at all so i dont need the strength of a Dana60 over the 3/4ton IFS.....also about the balljoints i was planning on completely stripping the 1/2ton IFS including the a-arms and knuckle/spindles so that wouldnt be an issue......good to hear that the brackets are at least close to the same, i think i am going to make a run to the junkyard and compair a couple of them and see

thanks btw

If I'm not mistaken, to get a heavier diff, you have to go to a 2500HD or 3500 (much like the solid axles). I think they are basically the same on the smaller trucks. More than that, I have no clue...

i have a '97 K1500 (1/2 ton) GMC 4x4PU. 6" BDS lift, K3500 IFS diff., halfshafts, hubs, knuckles, discs and rotors. upper ball joint is K3500-I think-redrilled the mounts on the upper a-arm, the lower ball joint is stock K1500-pretty sure. minor mods to the BDS to fit the bigger diff. I'm pretty sure i used the stock K1500 upper/lower a arms in this conversion. much esaier than modifying the brackets at the frame to accept K3500 arms. This was a difficult conversion w/o proper tools and being the first time I tried it. Otherwise, it is really simple.

Rearend is a 14bolt (of course) and 6" replacement springs. I havn't driven this set-up yet-got sidtracked with life-but hope to try it soon.

Next conversion is to get rid of the torsion bars and use coilovers.

IFS sucks. I understand that its your tow rig, but still...IFS sucks. SAS with a dana 44/10b sounds good to me, it would be better for you in the long run. You could always keep the IFS if you like replacing cv's and half shafts regularly, of course. Sorry...I had to work on a light duty (6 lug) K2500 used for snowplowing, and never again...that thing ate front suspension parts everytime snow flew.

IFS is used on some heavy duty rigs-hummer for example! the right set-up would probably handle the snow-job you were dealing with. solid axle is good too, probably better for many things. my current project is building a 14 bolt-based IFS diff. to swap in front. will use 1350 drive shaft components for half shafts, cv's inboard and i-don't-know's outboard. may use 14 boltish spindles/hubs up front too, hmmm?

also, building a sm465/brownie 4 spd./np205 married combo. to swap in someday. hope to run 50" tires w/o breaking stuff!

I have a 74 ST 90-way cool!

i have a '97 K1500 (1/2 ton) GMC 4x4PU. 6" BDS lift, K3500 IFS diff., halfshafts, hubs, knuckles, discs and rotors. upper ball joint is K3500....

ah i knew somebody out there had atleast tried it thank you for the info which i also plan on swaping the control arms from what i can tell so far the frame looks close to the same

Davethorik IFS sucks. I understand that its your tow rig, but still...IFS sucks. SAS with a dana 44/10b sounds good to me, it would be better for you in the long run. You could always keep the IFS if you like replacing cv's and half shafts regularly, of course. Sorry...I had to work on a light duty (6 lug) K2500 used for snowplowing, and never again...that thing ate front suspension parts everytime snow flew.

ah the IFS haters :rolleyes: love it when yall dont pay any attention at all....the truck will be a daily driver with stock tires (265's) not a hardcore wheelin rig (like the rig in my sig which has a SAS) i know the advantages of a SAS and i know how that it isnt that hard to do, but you cant do it and keep the orginal ride height and handeling characteristcs.....i'm not going to be plowing snow with it so thats irrelivant and i'm not doing it to keep from busting halfshafts, dont seem to have much of a problem breaking those driving down the road.....so your probaly wondering whyi want to do this....i want to build the truck as a tow rig i'm also planning to swap in a nv4500...anybody ever seen a reg cab short bed 3/4ton from the factory? well thats basicly what i'm wanting to build, a stock lookin truck i dont want anything radical.......so thats the plan, it aint much but its what i got, if i wanted to SAS it i would, hell i've even got a HPD44 with 6lug cheby knucks on it that would swap right in but thats not what i want to do.

thanks anyways its good to hear that somebody else has had this idea and tried it, thats why i asked it on this board.

thanks guys

i have no real tech to add here, but...
your wheeler seems a bit on the heavy side. it seems like your heavy wheeler/trailer would want to push around your short wheelbase tow rig. maybe there is a reason chevy never made a regular cab short bed 3/4 ton.
and what about those reg cab short bed 454s? is that a 1/2 ton with a 454 or a reg cab short bed 3/4 ton?

on the other hand, i agree, IFS might just be the way to go for a street driven tow rig. but my buddy just got a F350 SD and it rides and drives way better than his moms 2500HD.

Jeffh555 i have no real tech to add here, but...
your wheeler seems a bit on the heavy side. it seems like your heavy wheeler/trailer would want to push around your short wheelbase tow rig. maybe there is a reason chevy never made a regular cab short bed 3/4 ton.
and what about those reg cab short bed 454s? is that a 1/2 ton with a 454 or a reg cab short bed 3/4 ton?

on the other hand, i agree, IFS might just be the way to go for a street driven tow rig. but my buddy just got a F350 SD and it rides and drives way better than his moms 2500HD.

yeah its a little heavy, which i plan to swap the rear springs as well, but really there isnt much difference as far as towin with a shortbed i mean its only shorter, and as compaired to a longbed would be only slightly lighter so i dont think it would be much of an issue, as far as the 454SS's they are 1/2tons with the lightduty 3/4ton 12bolt semifloat 6lug rear axle

this rig wont be my towrig forever, i plan on buying a regular towrig when this truck is paid off, they wont give me much on trade in so i plan on keeping this truck, so if it dosnt tow very well, i'll just turn it into a wheeler too, but i think i'm gonna try it and just see how it go's

have ya thought about a 14 bolt with duel wheels? even on a light short bed (might look funny or really cool) 1/2 ton you would have a lot more stability and better brakes too! 14 bolt/duel wheel axles are cheap at the salvage. as a Daily Driver it would still work well also.

naw i dont want dual wheels on that short of a truck....i would just like to make it a 3/4ton

And to think, I had a 1 ton IFS that I took out of my 89 for a SAS, and couldn't get rid of it. So I threw it away. The 454SS trucks used the 14 bolt semi float with the 5 lugs axles. Only time they did this. Also the light duty 3/4 tons with the 6 lugs used the same axle. Might as well go for a full floater if your gonna tow with it.

And to think, I had a 1 ton IFS that I took out of my 89 for a SAS, and couldn't get rid of it. So I threw it away. The 454SS trucks used the 14 bolt semi float with the 5 lugs axles. Only time they did this. Also the light duty 3/4 tons with the 6 lugs used the same axle. Might as well go for a full floater if your gonna tow with it.

ah that sucks wish i'd wanted to do this then i would have gave ya something for it anyways and yeah i plan on using the FF like in my wheeler if i do it

Keep in mind I'm saying this without doing any measuring or looking.....

How about putting 3/4 ton 8 lug unit bearings on the 1/2 ton spindle? Anybody know if the bolt pattern on the spindle is similar/same?

the unit bearings won't fit-1/2ton is 3bolt and 3/4ton is 4bolt. there is no "spindle"-the axle shaft is actually the spindle

If I'm not mistaken, to get a heavier diff, you have to go to a 2500HD or 3500 (much like the solid axles). I think they are basically the same on the smaller trucks. More than that, I have no clue...

In the '88-'98 trucks, the 6-lug 1500's & 2500's share a front diffy (8.25"). The 8-lug 2500's and 3500's have a 9.25" front diffy. 8-lug 2500's have a 9.5" SF rear if it's a small-block (might have been an optional upgrade, but every one I've seen has the 9.5" rear). I think diesel & BBC 2500's had full-floating rears, but not certain.



I like your idea, but I wonder if it's the easiest way to get there since you're losing all the original running gear 'cept the engine. What about STARTING with a 2500, taking a chunk out of the frame, and swapping on a shortbed?

TEX

I like your idea, but I wonder if it's the easiest way to get there since you're losing all the original running gear 'cept the engine. What about STARTING with a 2500, taking a chunk out of the frame, and swapping on a shortbed?

i could do that, but i'd have to first sell this truck which i still owe on, then buy a 2500, then buy a bed and have it painted, then chop the frame and relocate a bunch of crap, fuel lines ect.

or i could do it this way, i dont mind swaping out drivetrain parts, to me its easier to do that then to fawk with chopin the frame, as long as all the holes line up, i stripped my wheeler down till it only had the motor left and no suspension and drivetrain, then started building, and none of the holes lined up doin that, but i didnt expect them to using the parts i was using since they never came in that chassis from the factory like these parts for this project

You're still gonna have a short bed reg cab tow rig... Simple fact is, the shorter the wheelbase, the more the trailer is likley to push the truck around.
Now, you plan on sticking a trailer with a heavy extended cab behind this short bed.
Seems to me you have the tow rig and wheeling rig mixed up...
I cetrainly don't want to be anywhere near you when your trailer decides it wants to do the directional control...

You're still gonna have a short bed reg cab tow rig... Simple fact is, the shorter the wheelbase, the more the trailer is likley to push the truck around.
Now, you plan on sticking a trailer with a heavy extended cab behind this short bed.
Seems to me you have the tow rig and wheeling rig mixed up...
I cetrainly don't want to be anywhere near you when your trailer decides it wants to do the directional control...

I couldn't agree more! I tow with a Dodge Ram 1/2 ton short bed, Reg cab 4x4 w/360 and it sucks. I get pushed all the hell around. At first i thought about doing a 3/4 ton axle swap for the larger brakes and coolness factor but after towing with it for awhile i can't wait to get a 3/4 ton crew cab truck. Wheelbase does play a very important factor in towing. I would really reconsider what you are planning. Besides that sounds like a lot of work for little payoff.

yeah i know it would suck as a tow rig, but the question was about weather it was possible or not......not about how good of a tow rig it would be......but it dosnt matter anymore since i'm gettin a 99 dodge 3/4ton diesel

I own a 1990 GMC k2500 8lug standard cab long box and my friend has done a lot of comparing and measuring between my truck and his (1994 chevy 1500) and as far as we can tell its not a huge under taking to switch from 1/2 to 3/4. The 14 bolt is pretty sweet too. On a different note anybody know where i can find a IFS lift for my 1990 3/4 ton 8 lug?

So you are going to do all this on a truck you still owe money on? Sounds like money is already an issue. I'd say wait until you get it paid off and then get something made for what you need. I like unique stuff too but not anything that's not questionable for the application I need...