66 GMC 4x4 Sub. Just got it!

[padresag]

Originally Posted by aerotruk63

Ron, I took math in school as well, but thank you for pointing that out. What would you like to argue about now? lol

i wasn't arguing, but if you think that I am, then that is to bad
ron

[j.kirn]

Originally Posted by aerotruk63

Ron, I took math in school as well, but thank you for pointing that out. What would you like to argue about now? lol

mr. personality

[aerotruk63]

I apologize Ron, j.kirn, ralf, Greg63 and especially dugvera@gmail.com !

[padresag]

Originally Posted by j.kirn

mr. personality

hey Mr. Kirn ; is that your new signature?
ron

[padresag]

Originally Posted by dugvera@gmail.com

What if i wanna go with dana 60s? arent the perches smaller on my burb than the ones on the say... 73-87 units? how about the width?

the frts are all the same. it is just the rears that you have to relocate
I did put 3/4t axles under mine. frt was a Dana 44 and the rear was a corp 14 bolt. the newer axles are wider overall i think by about 1 1/2 ". it does push the tires out a bit further.
what wheels are those on your truck now and tire size
here is what the tires would look like with 33 x 12.5 x15 with 84 axles under it. this is one that I just bought for the body. it has an 84 frame under it which I don't want

yours looks pretty good
ron

[Captainfab]

That's a good looking Suburban

Nice and clean and straight......and no rust holes.

The power steering adapter plate will help stiffen the frame some. But if you will be running good sized tires, and/or seeing some offroad time, an inner brace would be a good idea.

[dugvera@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by aerotruk63

Have your steering box holes gone oval or is your frame showing any cracks?

There is no sign of any stress at this point but id like it to stay that way. My 76 chevy the frame was cracked nearly to the point that the box was about to come off. Id rather take the per-cations now before taking my family in it.

Originally Posted by 510hpLs

sell this beautiful rig to me i have a spare dana 60 an 14 bolt an some 36's an ls begin to go in it !!!!!!! I love it !!!! great score

hahaha! I need those axles! Yeah, I cant explain how happy I am with my new purchase. I have searched high and low for years for the perfect burb. Now I have it. And it will be a fun project to boot.

[Dinos63]

wow very nice find!!and welcome

[padresag]

Originally Posted by padresag

the frts are all the same. it is just the rears that you have to relocate
I did put 3/4t axles under mine. frt was a Dana 44 and the rear was a corp 14 bolt. the newer axles are wider overall i think by about 1 1/2 ". it does push the tires out a bit further.
what wheels are those on your truck now and tire size
here is what the tires would look like with 33 x 12.5 x15 with 84 axles under it. this is one that I just bought for the body. it has an 84 frame under it which I don't want

yours looks pretty good
ron

I forgot to put this picture in . my 33's stuck out a little further on my 4 x 4 panel. depends on your back spacing

By rondavid at 2011-09-20
ron

[Baketown Scotty]

Nice Suburban. Let me know if you see another one.

['63GENIII]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

That's a good looking Suburban

Nice and clean and straight......and no rust holes.

The power steering adapter plate will help stiffen the frame some. But if you will be running good sized tires, and/or seeing some offroad time, an inner brace would be a good idea.

X2 on the awesome score! And X2 on the advice. I have the PS adapter on mine and have not had a problem yet, and although it's not a Sub, it's still a Chevy. The stiffener is an easy fix IF you end up needing it. The frame around the steering box has given me ample warning on the few occasions (with other Chevy's) of imminent problems. I'd say just keep an eye on it and use good judgement if you're running larger tires. If it looks like it's flexing, fix it. As far as bigger wheel studs go. I've lost a front wheel (a 35" at that) on the freeway at 70mph. Scared the begeezus outta me. I like bigger wheel studs if the funds permit. Just my .02c

[padresag]

another problem with 4 x 4's is when someone install an a/trans and remove that crossmember under the bellhousing. that removes a lot of support in that frame as there is nothing between the small rad crossmember and a rear trans crossmember ecept for the neg mounts which are rubber. one can easily bolt that crossmember back so that it is easily removed if needed. you just do not need to use any eng mounting there,
. those big tires while not having any wheel stud problems and uyou shouldn't if kept tight. always did feel mushy. I did have a frt spindle crack off at 60 mph and didn't notice it until I smelt the smoke fom the drum rubbing on the brake shoe. the snap ring kept it from coming off. there is a lot of weight to those 36'' tires and a lot more to the 39's
ron

['63GENIII]

I just noticed the AC compressor and serpentine drive. Is there an AC unit hiding in there somewhere? Love the IBEW bug on the glove box too! Where is Hemet anyway?

[dugvera@gmail.com]

first off, thanx for all the feedback! I think this forum is a great tool for guys interested in learning about these trucks.

Originally Posted by aerotruk63

I apologize Ron, j.kirn, ralf, Greg63 and especially dugvera@gmail.com !

No, worries.

Originally Posted by padresag

the frts are all the same. it is just the rears that you have to relocate
I did put 3/4t axles under mine. frt was a Dana 44 and the rear was a corp 14 bolt. the newer axles are wider overall i think by about 1 1/2 ". it does push the tires out a bit further.
what wheels are those on your truck now and tire size
here is what the tires would look like with 33 x 12.5 x15 with 84 axles under it. this is one that I just bought for the body. it has an 84 frame under it which I don't want

yours looks pretty good
ron

Right now I have 15" wheels on it with 31" tires. Id like to run 33s or 32s. Id like to go with a set of 15x8 rally's with bfg a/ts.

Originally Posted by Captainfab

That's a good looking Suburban

Nice and clean and straight......and no rust holes.

The power steering adapter plate will help stiffen the frame some. But if you will be running good sized tires, and/or seeing some offroad time, an inner brace would be a good idea.

I will be for sure talking to you soon about a ps adapter. The wife isnt big on the steering now.

Originally Posted by padresag

another problem with 4 x 4's is when someone install an a/trans and remove that crossmember under the bellhousing. that removes a lot of support in that frame as there is nothing between the small rad crossmember and a rear trans crossmember ecept for the neg mounts which are rubber. one can easily bolt that crossmember back so that it is easily removed if needed. you just do not need to use any eng mounting there,
. those big tires while not having any wheel stud problems and uyou shouldn't if kept tight. always did feel mushy. I did have a frt spindle crack off at 60 mph and didn't notice it until I smelt the smoke fom the drum rubbing on the brake shoe. the snap ring kept it from coming off. there is a lot of weight to those 36'' tires and a lot more to the 39's
ron

my cross member is modified now. its there but cut a bit fore clearance. I plan to weld it in solid again.

Originally Posted by '63GENIII

I just noticed the AC compressor and serpentine drive. Is there an AC unit hiding in there somewhere? Love the IBEW bug on the glove box too! Where is Hemet anyway?

there is an ac pump on the truck now. no ac yet though. Hemet is about an hour south east of orange county ca. it gets hot here! we need ac

[dugvera@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

That's a good looking Suburban

Nice and clean and straight......and no rust holes.

The power steering adapter plate will help stiffen the frame some. But if you will be running good sized tires, and/or seeing some offroad time, an inner brace would be a good idea.

So I just spent some time reading through the posts in both the p/s bracket thread and p/b bracket thread. Here is my situation, my burb has a closed knuckle dana on it now. Id like to go with an open knuckle with power steer/disk front. I understand there are many options out there for setting this up. With that being said, what in your opinion would be the easiest way to get this done as far as components go(axle/box/ect)? I dont plan on doing this for quite some time but Id kinda like to know what to keep my eyes open for while trolling the swap meets and junkyards. Then once i have all the parts together i can do all the work at once.
Thanks in advance for your knowledge!

Doug

[Captainfab]

To simplify things I would do the front axle and the power steering box at the same time. You should be able to get the axle, steering box with pitman arm, and the draglink from the same donor. Or at least from a similar donor. Most any squarebody K series would make a good donor.

Originally Posted by dugvera@gmail.com

So I just spent some time reading through the posts in both the p/s bracket thread and p/b bracket thread. Here is my situation, my burb has a closed knuckle dana on it now. Id like to go with an open knuckle with power steer/disk front. I understand there are many options out there for setting this up. With that being said, what in your opinion would be the easiest way to get this done as far as components go(axle/box/ect)? I dont plan on doing this for quite some time but Id kinda like to know what to keep my eyes open for while trolling the swap meets and junkyards. Then once i have all the parts together i can do all the work at once.
Thanks in advance for your knowledge!

Doug

[dugvera@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

To simplify things I would do the front axle and the power steering box at the same time. You should be able to get the axle, steering box with pitman arm, and the draglink from the same donor. Or at least from a similar donor. Most any squarebody K series would make a good donor.

Sounds good! How about the breaks? Should I do all that at the same time too, or will it be okay to run the later disk breaks on my manual break system for a while?

What gears did these trucks come with? Mine was a stick shift truck. It seems like they must be low to me. It has no problems getting up to speed. But then again my daily draiver is on 35swith no geand a 3 speed auto so maybe I'm a bit used to a more sluggash start from that. Thanks again guys.
Posted via Mobile Device

[dugvera@gmail.com]

I stopped in at brothers in corona ca. I have been there before buying parts for my 76. Got a set of side mirrors, glove box and some small stuff like screws and things. Prices are a bit high there but seems they heve what ya need. While I was there I got a parts catalog. I now have a great wish list going in my head! I'm thinking right before it starts to get warm here Ill be doing their ac kit. The main reason I went there was to get a radiator hold down. Guess the gmc subs are different and they didn't have those. The one in mine is a tall one for the larger rad. I need to low one.
Posted via Mobile Device

[padresag]

Originally Posted by dugvera@gmail.com

first off, thanx for all the feedback! I think this forum is a great tool for guys interested in learning about these trucks.

my cross member is modified now. its there but cut a bit fore clearance. I plan to weld it in solid again.

you will want that cross member to be bolted. otherwise it will be the biggest PITA to ever take that a/t out if it had the low hump in it and a little easier with the high hump floor as that crossmember will be in the way of the a/t either going forward or rearwards
ron

[dugvera@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by padresag

you will want that cross member to be bolted. otherwise it will be the biggest PITA to ever take that a/t out if it had the low hump in it and a little easier with the high hump floor as that crossmember will be in the way of the a/t either going forward or rearwards
ron

I see. I guess when i have to take the trans out some day Ill be bolting that thing back in. I believe mine is the high hump floor. I didnt mean I was going to weld it to the frame itself. Just box the crossmember back in where it was cut out.

[justcuz]

Do you still have the divorced rockwell t-case? If you keep it 1/2 ton the front axles are easier to find. The rear axle is either a Dana 44 if its a GMC or a GM 12 bolt. If its a GM 12 bolt it is stronger than any current 1/2 ton rear axle except a 14 bolt semi-floater. If you want to run 6 lug rally wheels a late model disc braked front axle and a 14 bolt semi-float rear would make a unbreakable combination and probably double your braking capacity. If the axles are stock it probaly has 3.73 ratios in the axles. However you could really do a lot of special order stuff with a GMC so they may be different. Best bet would be to change your gear oil and look for the ring and pinion tooth count on the edge of the ring gears, or just count them and divide the number of pinion teeth into the ring gear teeth. Example is 11 pinion teeth divided into 41 ring gear teeth is 3.73. I am pretty sure all 4x4's in those years ad the high hump floor since none came from the factory with an automatic transmission that I have seen.

[padresag]

Originally Posted by dugvera@gmail.com

I see. I guess when i have to take the trans out some day Ill be bolting that thing back in. I believe mine is the high hump floor. I didnt mean I was going to weld it to the frame itself. Just box the crossmember back in where it was cut out.

now I recognize your truck. here are a couple of pics of what it looks like under there

By rondavid at 2011-11-25

By rondavid at 2011-11-25
ron

[padresag]

Originally Posted by justcuz

Do you still have the divorced rockwell t-case? If you keep it 1/2 ton the front axles are easier to find. The rear axle is either a Dana 44 if its a GMC or a GM 12 bolt. If its a GM 12 bolt it is stronger than any current 1/2 ton rear axle except a 14 bolt semi-floater. If you want to run 6 lug rally wheels a late model disc braked front axle and a 14 bolt semi-float rear would make a unbreakable combination and probably double your braking capacity. If the axles are stock it probaly has 3.73 ratios in the axles. However you could really do a lot of special order stuff with a GMC so they may be different. Best bet would be to change your gear oil and look for the ring and pinion tooth count on the edge of the ring gears, or just count them and divide the number of pinion teeth into the ring gear teeth. Example is 11 pinion teeth divided into 41 ring gear teeth is 3.73. I am pretty sure all 4x4's in those years ad the high hump floor since none came from the factory with an automatic transmission that I have seen.

some did come with a 3 speed though
ron

[dugvera@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by justcuz

Do you still have the divorced rockwell t-case? If you keep it 1/2 ton the front axles are easier to find. The rear axle is either a Dana 44 if its a GMC or a GM 12 bolt. If its a GM 12 bolt it is stronger than any current 1/2 ton rear axle except a 14 bolt semi-floater. If you want to run 6 lug rally wheels a late model disc braked front axle and a 14 bolt semi-float rear would make a unbreakable combination and probably double your braking capacity. If the axles are stock it probaly has 3.73 ratios in the axles. However you could really do a lot of special order stuff with a GMC so they may be different. Best bet would be to change your gear oil and look for the ring and pinion tooth count on the edge of the ring gears, or just count them and divide the number of pinion teeth into the ring gear teeth. Example is 11 pinion teeth divided into 41 ring gear teeth is 3.73. I am pretty sure all 4x4's in those years ad the high hump floor since none came from the factory with an automatic transmission that I have seen.

Thanks for the feedback! I'm thinking Ill be going with 1/2 ton running gear. Cap. said i should look for a front axle out of a later strait axle chevy. I believe that's the direction Ill be going. Id just kinda like to be able to find one in the same ratio im running now so I dont have to change out the gears. Although Id like to have something other than an open front and rear axle so i might be looking at changing out to a limited slip or even a locker at some point. I do have other things in mind that will be taking priority on this project other than this part. Id just like to know exactly what ill be needing so if i see something on craigslist or at the junk yard Ill be armed with the knowledge to buy the correct parts. I must say y'all are making that happen for me!

[dugvera@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by padresag

now I recognize your truck. here are a couple of pics of what it looks like under there

By rondavid at 2011-11-25

By rondavid at 2011-11-25
ron

Thats it.