Awd c10?

[Keith Seymore]

Originally Posted by silverbear

... I should have just sold the 2wd and bought a 4x4 and then build it the way I wanted it.

This.

K

[Custom.Chevy]

this is an older thread but i wanted to bring it back to life with some updated information.

I was recently at the good guys show in the bay area and saw a couple truly AWD hotrods . the one that stood out most was the 32 ford coupe that was utilizing the AWD system from a chevy cyclone which also apeared in other AWD s10 suv's. The owner told me it was a very reliable set up and he was running a LS motor to it as well. \\

I brought this up because i am seeking information regarding putting awd into a square body and figured that using the s10 sytem with upgraded limited slip differentials would be the best way to go. IMO it would be easiest to get a full front clip and drive train from an awd/4wd s10. the 700r can be built to take a beating and the rest it pretty simple to upgrade form there.

Also what about dropping a square body onto a 94 and later 4wd drive frame and then lowering that. the reason i say 94 and later is because you might as well get a vortech and a 4l60 since your doing all the hard work for a lowered 4wd anyway. thats my goal at least.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Custom.Chevy

this is an older thread but i wanted to bring it back to life with some updated information.

I was recently at the good guys show in the bay area and saw a couple truly AWD hotrods . the one that stood out most was the 32 ford coupe that was utilizing the AWD system from a chevy cyclone which also apeared in other AWD s10 suv's. The owner told me it was a very reliable set up and he was running a LS motor to it as well. \\

I brought this up because i am seeking information regarding putting awd into a square body and figured that using the s10 sytem with upgraded limited slip differentials would be the best way to go. IMO it would be easiest to get a full front clip and drive train from an awd/4wd s10. the 700r can be built to take a beating and the rest it pretty simple to upgrade form there.

Also what about dropping a square body onto a 94 and later 4wd drive frame and then lowering that. the reason i say 94 and later is because you might as well get a vortech and a 4l60 since your doing all the hard work for a lowered 4wd anyway. thats my goal at least.

Summit Racing sponsored/built Quadra-Deuce years ago. The mastermind behind it is the same guy behind the latest Z28 that's tearing up road courses & is one of the best bang for the buck race-cars built (Mark Stielow). The car was 'updated' by Rad Rides by Troy.... IMHO, ok for a S10 based platform, but the heavier C10 would need to go on a diet or parts failure would follow soon after.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...TQL-SRwtM3s3WA

[Leonard60]

Not sure what you call it but my 2001 GMC 2500 4x4 has a turn knob AUTO 4
4 Hi 4 Lo 2 hi. Works great on the hi way if you think there may be ice. Instead of putting it in 4 Hi. I've had the truck since new and never had any issues with it. But don't what they call this system.

[andrewmp6]

Leonard you have a 4x4 system,Most awd systems that have a switch will say awd on it or auto.Some suvs and cars that are awd have no switch at all.

[andrewmp6]

Leonard you have a 4x4 system,If it was awd the switch would have awd or auto option on it.

[daddyjeep]

I like the thought of using a new 4wd chassis as Custom Chevy mentioned. A Trailblazer frame might even work. My Trailblazer also has AWD too.

[Custom.Chevy]

The newer truck idea seems easiest, and not sure about when the original post was made but now in 2016 i have seen guys laying pinch welds on the ground with 90s and later 4wd trucks. Although not awd like preferred i would be perfectly fine with a 4wd.

my personal interest is not in racing it per say, but i live in snow country limiting driving my c10 between april and late september early october if im lucky. maybe thats being picky but i love driving my old pickup. and my wife loves when i take my old pickup as well since that means she can drive my new one lol. shes a truck girl and even wants her own short bed stepper 65.

[cadillac_al]

No matter what you put into a square body it won't work any better than the factory installed NP203. You have never-get-stuck AWD all the time with 100 mph capability and if you have an automatic trans the wife can drive it easily. GM already figured that out many years ago.

[Skunksmash]

Originally Posted by LONGHAIR

Modern AWD is very similar to the old-school "full-time" 4 wheel drive, with the added precision of computerized technology. The computer sensors detect wheelspeed differences and compensate. The old "mechanical" way worked with a "differential" inside the transfercase that worked pretty much like an "open" rear end, only with the driveshafts. It put the power to the wheel that was easiest to spin, that's why there was a locking function. It would lock the differential and give equal power to front and rear, but it was not to be used on hard pavement, just like a regular 4x4.

It is a bit more complicated than that, but it gives you the idea.

Well to me the obvious difference would be that one is simply on all the time and never goes off (AWD) and the other has to be engaged mechanically (4WD). Another thing is, the old mechanical style is always limited in speed, isn't it? I mean say you take one of those newer AWD Volvo 4 door luxury cars. Or something like that. It can do its top speed of 120 mph in AWD. Cause the AWD simply never turns off. But there is no way you're doing that in a 4x4 truck. Right? Or am I wrong about this? That is just how it was told to me long ago.

[Custom.Chevy]

in not entirely sure. to my Knowledge awd transfer cases have friction plates in them that allow for slipping which is why awd does work on asphalt and at any speeds but still is able to power the grip wheels once it detect wheel slip. im pretty sure the newer trucks also utilize an awd style transfer case which is why my 2015 silverado and my 2001 suburban both have a system which allows you to put in into 2wd hi , awd , 4wd hi , 4wd lo . last winter in my suburban i used awd for like 3 straight months because the snow never melted. the awd is slow to engage when the wheels begin to slip but you can tell that its sending power to the grip wheels. it still primarily uses rwd until it senses slip. when i switch it to 4wd the front axles lock which make it very hard and dangerious to turn on packed ice like snow since the truck will just push.

[KQQL IT]

Originally Posted by FB85C10

will 4x4 leaf springs and front axle bolt up to a 2wd frame

Yes, with some work. Remove 2wd x member add 4x4 x member and spring hangers and shackles. Steering box is different too.

Readers digest version, but it's possible

[68Timber]

Originally Posted by SCOTI

The car was 'updated' by Rad Rides by Troy....

The guy has talent but I thought the same thing about what he did to that car. It was possibly the most innovative and easily recognizable 32 around at the time, he swapped the stick for a slush-box and gave it a tame paint job, kind of erased the features that made it stand out.

[Custom.Chevy]

i wanted to bring up the whole chevy cyclone drive train once more. someone had said the the cyclone awd couldn't handle the weight of the full size truck, but that may not be entirely true. i looked up the stats and the chevy cyclone weighs in at 3,550# on a scale
the shortbed square c10 comes in at the weight which is posted on the pink as 3880# unladen weight. So again the s10 style awd which comes on trailblazers envoys i think and the oldsmobile versions im confident will work fine.

[NurseBen]

Originally Posted by Custom.Chevy

i wanted to bring up the whole chevy cyclone drive train once more. someone had said the the cyclone awd couldn't handle the weight of the full size truck, but that may not be entirely true. i looked up the stats and the chevy cyclone weighs in at 3,550# on a scale
the shortbed square c10 comes in at the weight which is posted on the pink as 3880# unladen weight. So again the s10 style awd which comes on trailblazers envoys i think and the oldsmobile versions im confident will work fine.

Yeah I'm bringing this one way way back from the dead! Do it! The cyclone drive is plenty stout for a swap but might be hard to come by. I would do a Denali/Silverado/Savanna/Express transaxle and a np149 transfer case, all mechanical. A lot of the other transfer cases rely on the abs to kick in to transfer power.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

Another cheap way would be to use a gmt-400 front clip, and a awd transfer case.

With gmt-800 spindles you can lower them, and the whole truck can be had cheap if you look.

Another is to use a trailblazer ext 4x4 frame or just the front clip, and go to town.

I dream of this, but in la we do not get snow or ran.

[D13]

You have to be careful in your parts selection. Most GM cases are not AWD, they are 4wd, whether that be manually or electronically shifted.

What you want is the viscous clutch versions, cyclone/safari/bravada or later Trialblazer / Envoy. The last ones are the best bet for an LS swap since they came with the later trans / tcase bolt pattern. You may be able to drop a C10 body on a Trailblazer chassis, IIRC the wheel bases are off but stretch the frame and driveshaft and it might work.

[NurseBen]

Originally Posted by D13

You have to be careful in your parts selection. Most GM cases are not AWD, they are 4wd, whether that be manually or electronically shifted.

What you want is the viscous clutch versions, cyclone/safari/bravada or later Trialblazer / Envoy. The last ones are the best bet for an LS swap since they came with the later trans / tcase bolt pattern. You may be able to drop a C10 body on a Trailblazer chassis, IIRC the wheel bases are off but stretch the frame and driveshaft and it might work.

I'm about finished with my AWD c10 that I used an AWD Savana chassis for. You definitely want a viscous coupler t-case but a lot of them rely on the abs system to work just right. My BW 4473 died, luckily for me, so I could justify a np149 case, fully mechanical, no abs stuff. Before the BW 4473 died the AWD was very fun and quick!