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99 obs suburban 2500 solid axle swap

11K views 33 replies 2 participants last post by  Tonypart117  
#1 ·
So this is my second attempt of doing this solid axle swap, the forum for my first attempt is floating around somewhere but instead of continuing that one and making it super long I decided to make a new one. So here it goes.
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This is my 1999 gmc suburban 2500.
 
#7 ·
Here is the WFO 3 piece crossmember for the obs trucks, it replaces the stock transmission crossmember that was pretty easily removed. the two side pieces will bolt up to the Holes that the old crossmember bolted up to and I used that to punch and drill out the rear third hole for the new crossmember along with the two on the side of the frame. And the center section will bolt up to the transmission mount bushing and the side pieces
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#8 ·
Seems i forgot to take many pictures but here I am making the radius arms, I'm using a 2 inch od and .25 wall dom round tubing for the radius arms, there is the 1.5 inch tube insert with the 2 and 5/8 wide chromoly poly joints welded up to the tube. I also drilled 2 half inch holds to plug weld.
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#16 ·
I took the axle back out to replace the ball joints and tie rods so I decided to fit the steering arm I had for the d44 and fit it to the d60 knuckle, I machined the top of the knuckle flas along with taking alot of the rust off for welding and welded the arm to the knuckle as well as slot of gussets to reinforce it
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#19 ·
Here is the prototyme pandard bar and drag link it was hard to tell with they were perellel do to the picture pipes having a bow to them so I measured from the ground to the the mounting holes and they were about half an inch off for i jad to correct this later. And yes i knew the ground is uneven for i had a long piece of 2x4 that wend from one side to the other and leveled it out same as the truck to get an accurate reading
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#22 ·
In order to get the panhard bar and drag link perrelel I had to shorten the frame side bracket but a few inches to get the pangard bar to sit as high as possible and extended the axle side higher as well I know doing this weakens the axle side bracket alot but I add in some gussets to try to strengthen is back up

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#23 ·
I installed the drag link and panhard bar with a few bends in it, I was really hoping to keep is straight as that would made adjusting ie alot easier but it is what it is. Yes I did cut and weld the tube instead of bending I do not have a tube bender so I'll just be guesting the bends and that will make a plenty string enough
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