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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Crittenden, KY
Posts: 1,965
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1989 Suburban 2WD 3/4 to 1/2 Swap?
Hey folks, I live in Kentucky where the rust is plentiful, but a year or so ago, I picked up a very solid 89 Suburban 2wd, 454/th400 3/4 ton, for what I think was a good price of $600, not running. Luckily for me, a new $28 starter solenoid and a cheap Walmart battery and she fired up.
Plans for this truck have always been to stuff it on the ground, and make it a family friendly hot rod(I have 4 kiddos, 6 and under.) So I purchased a rolling chassis of another 89 suburban 2wd, but this time 1/2 ton. Simply stripped off all the 1/2 components and crushed the rest. Here is where I'm hoping for some help... I removed the springs/rear axle, and front crossmember and all suspension up front. BUTTTT, is the 3/4 and 1/2 crossmember the same. I feel like I pretty much need to pull the motor if I want to swap the crossmember, or if the control arm bolt sizes and everything else as far as connecting hardware goes, I'll just refurbish the existing 1/2 ton control arms, throw drop spindles on it, and a flip kit and I'll be where I want to be. |
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#2 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2015
Location: Montana
Posts: 3,696
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Re: 1989 Suburban 2WD 3/4 to 1/2 Swap?
Seems like a damn shame to me
![]() Great old 'Burban, you could pull a house trailer with it.
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Current/past Chevy/GMC trucks: 1958 Chevy C-60; 1965 GMC C-50; 1965 Chevy C-10; 1971 Chevy K-10; 1973 Chevy K-20; 1976 GMC C-20; 1977 Chevy C-10 Suburban; 1980 Chevy K-10; 1989 Chevy K1500; 1991 GMC V1500 Suburban; 2016 Chevy K2500 HD Other vehicles: 1988 Jeep XJ; 2011 Toyota 4Runner |
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#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Crittenden, KY
Posts: 1,965
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Re: 1989 Suburban 2WD 3/4 to 1/2 Swap?
Really not looking to pull a house trailer with an old crusty Suburban, but what I would like to do is cruise to get some ice cream or take in a car show with my pile of kids, the big block is staying as is the TH400, so should still be able to pull a moderate load of whatever I need. I do have a diesel Excursion for pulling things though, after getting rid of the Cummins pictured.
![]() Hopefully someone will know whether I'll need to swap to the 1/2 ton crossmember or can utilize the 3/4 that is currently installed so I wont have to yank the motor. |
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#4 |
67-72 parts collector,…
![]() Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Mid-MO
Posts: 22,717
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Re: 1989 Suburban 2WD 3/4 to 1/2 Swap?
I would just swap everything from the a-arms out and leave the original crossmember in place.
Also use all the 1/2-ton steering.
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Keith Convert to disc brakes. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=444823 |
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#5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Gwinnett GA
Posts: 1,803
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Re: 1989 Suburban 2WD 3/4 to 1/2 Swap?
You should be tarred and feathered for even considering a swap on that suburban. They only made 850 thousand of those!!!!
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1982 K10 SWB 1987 V20 - Sold - Doh! |
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#6 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DALLAS,TX
Posts: 22,136
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Re: 1989 Suburban 2WD 3/4 to 1/2 Swap?
Quote:
The x-member is definitely interchangeable. I have a crossmember from a 1/2 ton under my 1-ton dually.
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67SWB-B.B.RetroRod 64SWB-Recycle 89CCDually-Driver/Tow Truck 99CCSWB Driver All Fleetsides @rattlecankustoms in IG Building a small, high rpm engine with the perfect bore, stroke and rod ratio is very impressive. It's like a highly skilled Morrocan sword fighter with a Damascus Steel Scimitar..... Cubic inches is like Indiana Jones with a cheap pistol. |
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#7 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Crittenden, KY
Posts: 1,965
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Quote:
Posted via Mobile Device |
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#8 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DALLAS,TX
Posts: 22,136
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Re: 1989 Suburban 2WD 3/4 to 1/2 Swap?
Quote:
__________________
67SWB-B.B.RetroRod 64SWB-Recycle 89CCDually-Driver/Tow Truck 99CCSWB Driver All Fleetsides @rattlecankustoms in IG Building a small, high rpm engine with the perfect bore, stroke and rod ratio is very impressive. It's like a highly skilled Morrocan sword fighter with a Damascus Steel Scimitar..... Cubic inches is like Indiana Jones with a cheap pistol. |
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#9 | |
67-72 parts collector,…
![]() Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Mid-MO
Posts: 22,717
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Re: 1989 Suburban 2WD 3/4 to 1/2 Swap?
Quote:
You can’t do that with the lower a-arm because the 3/4-ton ballpoint hole is larger than the 1/2-ton version. I would still not swap the crossmember itself.
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Keith Convert to disc brakes. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=444823 |
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#10 |
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: DALLAS,TX
Posts: 22,136
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Re: 1989 Suburban 2WD 3/4 to 1/2 Swap?
Yep.
__________________
67SWB-B.B.RetroRod 64SWB-Recycle 89CCDually-Driver/Tow Truck 99CCSWB Driver All Fleetsides @rattlecankustoms in IG Building a small, high rpm engine with the perfect bore, stroke and rod ratio is very impressive. It's like a highly skilled Morrocan sword fighter with a Damascus Steel Scimitar..... Cubic inches is like Indiana Jones with a cheap pistol. |
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#11 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Toppenish, WA
Posts: 15,824
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Re: 1989 Suburban 2WD 3/4 to 1/2 Swap?
Since you already have the 1/2 ton crossmember unbolted you should be able to unbolt the engine from the mounts, and lift it up and if needed make a bar that holds it up that sets across the lips of the fenders much the same way one does when you hold a transverse engine up to swap transmissions. Then drop the crossmember out and raise the 1/2 ton unit back up in place and bolt it in all cleaned, painted and ready to go.
Remember that if you swap A arms, spindles and springs you have to: Take the spindles off. unbolt the UPPer A arms. Remove the springs unbolt the lower A arms. ^^^^ Twice Bolt the 1/2 lower A arms to the Crossmember Bolt the upper A arms on fight the springs back into place (easy for me, hard for some guys) bolt the spindles back on, A quick check of the upper control arm bolts will tell the story there. You may want to replace all the bushings and ball joints in the 1/2 suspension and that makes the bolt and unbolt a moot point. No photos but 20 years ago my son and I swapped front subframes under my wife's 76 Cad Seville by jacking the car up pretty high and blocking it up , using my gantry and chain hoist to hold the engine up. dropping the bent subframe out, sliding the good one in and raising it up and bolting it back together. It wasn't easy but we had it done in a weekend and my wife drove it to work on Monday.
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Founding member of the too many projects, too little time and money club. My ongoing truck projects: 48 Chev 3100 that will run a 292 Six. 71 GMC 2500 that is getting a Cad 500 transplant. 77 C 30 dualie, 454, 4 speed with a 10 foot flatbed and hoist. It does the heavy work and hauls the projects around. |
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#12 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Crittenden, KY
Posts: 1,965
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Quote:
I should just bite the bullet and yank the motor, it’s a slimy bastard and could stand to get some leaks fixed but it’s just me and I don’t want to yank it all apart and never get it back together. I’d like to just get it riding right and play with the motor another time. I might do like you said tho, just lift the motor and swap the crossmember. Heck who knows Posted via Mobile Device |
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