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Solid Axle GMT400's

BigGreenChevy

BigGreenChevy

New member
Joined
May 19, 2020
Member Number
321
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2
Hey yall, I'm going to post a full build thread when I get the time to do it. But let's talk Solid front axle swapped 88-98 GM's!

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I working on my 88. It has already been swapped to a hd 44 with leaves springs. I"m in the process of totally redoing the truck and going 2.5 ton rockwells with 47" tires.
 
Unfortunately long dead and parted out, but this was my 95 2 door Tahoe. Had an LB7/ZF6/NP241 in it. D60 front and 14BSF rear with ARB lockers. On 37s, York OBA, ARB front bumper, and Blue Lake offroad rear bumper (Tactical Armour Group at the time. I would never order anything from those dickheads ever again. Took 6 months to get my bumper and it needed a ton of work to be remotely usable). Was 3 linked up front with King coilovers and hydro bumps and on leaf springs out back. Had a shop in BC do the 3 link front suspension (BCC) and they royally f'd it up. Was completely undriveable on the pavement with horrific roll steer due to terrible geometry. The frame failed at the link mounting locations multiple times which lead to the eventual part out of the rig and the construction of a newer truck that could be safely driven to and from the trail.

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I spent a few years building this. 97 1500 350/4l60e/241.

Aam 9.25 front, 14 bolt rear.

Drunken neighbor totaled it in the middle of the night last year. Been looking for an 8.1l gmt800 to replace it with.

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Here is a 98 k2500 that I built, Unfortunately I had to sell it before my last move. At leas it lives on with the new owner. Wheel base shortened 24" down to 131" 36" cut out of the bed. D60/14B 4.56s locked. 5.3L, NV4500, twin stick'd 205. Came out to about 5" of lift on 37"s. AC, Power everything, and all that fancy stuff.
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My old wheeling rig. Technically I still have it but....... Wheeled it for 9 years.

454, 4L80E, BW4401, 79 HP60, '06 14 bolt, Hummer Alpha beadlocks, 40" LTB's

winch is tucked under the bumper now.

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None to display sorry....

Went from 1973 to 1979 and then 1985 and jumped past a GMT to 2007 classic.

There needs to be a GMT chart for one with a sketchy memory that dont remember the series.

At least the 2007 is the 6.6L LBZ.
 
I'm still working on my 98 tahoe.. it's about 8 inches lift, 03 super duty axles.. hp60 front, high steer, tie rods, drag links, modded steering box,, pitman arm, panhard bar..4 inch 52's up front, sterling 10.5 in rear, shackle flip, fuct up rear springs with a few extra leafs a over load and a small block to get it level.. long 3 hole spring perches to push axle back a inch.. still need to do the rear springs and frame mounts... did np241c swap, new motor, new trans.. I have been driving it about 2 years now.. have about 14kmiles on it..I still need tires, wheels, gears and lockers.. just finally got the front shaft in.. the rear was done first to get me driving when I had to give up my other daily drivers..kids n stuff coming in age.. I tow a boat so wasn't really worried about the lack of rear flex but it definitely needs to be addressed soon as it sucks.. there was a lot more that went into it.. a lot more to go..

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Crap not gear box.. It was just reman steering gear with I think super lift arm... I modded the power steering pump.. got rid of that assisted pump stuff and drilled out a office..
 
Front and rear shafts by south bay driveline...
 
I had been saving parts for a year before I even started on it... I was actually saving them for my 95 tahoe.. this was my aunt's tahoe she just had the transmission done with updates.. then the motor blew up less then a thousand miles later... It was the second motor.. the first one was replaced by chevrolet under warranty at 70k miles. they were over it and bought a toyota... I got this one and put a hd vortec 5.7 4 bolt main motor in it.. did the hd flex plate and spider injection kit... I broke in the motor for a thousand miles then started on the axle swap... my whole reason for wanting to sas my original tahoe was the ifs sucks ass... It really sucks when your kid calls with his lifted cr-v stuck in the mud,, you go to pull him out and the stupid front diff actuator doesn't engage..again I just replaced that thing... I couldn't even go a hundred yards down the muddy road.. he was stuck up past his doors about a half mile in.. had to call my other kid to bring his jeep... After that I said no more ifs crappy 4x4..
 
As for the power steering pump... If anybody ever had the chevy power steering evo go bad it's scary.. it took a while to figure it out.. that sensor goes bad on the steering shaft or whatever it is,, your in the middle of a turn and it boosts the pump pressure to full for a split second to where your reaction can't keep up.. feels like a ball joint flopping over or you hit a patch of black ice... strangest shit ever.. after I swapped axles it still did it.. then I figured out it was that pos system... I deleted that stuff along with the abs... I got drilled slotted rotors with new calipers for the ford axles.. the ford front and rear rubber lines bolt right up to the chevy lines.. this thing stops better then ever even towing my boat..
 
Loften said:
It really sucks when your kid calls with his lifted cr-v stuck in the mud,, you go to pull him out and the stupid front diff actuator doesn't engage..again.
Click to expand...
FWIW you can unscrew the actuator put some sockets in the hole and screw it back in and you'll have 4x4 again.
 
That's a good tip but I won't need to worry about that anymore ...
 
I know this thread is a couple of years old…

Loften, did you finish you 98 Tahoe? How do you like those slider boxes?
 
How have I not found this thread?
1998 k1500. 5.7/4l60e/241c. D60/14b. 4.88s 40s. Mechanical Lockers. 47” ORD leafs up front. Truck works really well. But the truck is tall and the front suspension could be improved. Thinking going 4” 52s for more travel and to lower the truck. Open to inputs.
DMANbluesfreak
 

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BigWheel said:
How have I not found this thread?
1998 k1500. 5.7/4l60e/231. D60/14b. 4.88s 40s. Mechanical Lockers. 47” ORD leafs up front. Truck works really well. But the truck is tall and the front suspension could be improved. Thinking going 4” 52s for more travel and to lower the truck. Open to inputs.
DMANbluesfreak
Click to expand...
Is it your daily or often street driven? 52's can be washy on the road. Especially without a sway bar. I have a square body but the change from 47s to 52s was very noticeable when it came to driving dynamics. The travel gained was worth it.
 
Former daily. Trailer queen now. Mostly driven from trailer to trailhead. Figured at this point for me, giving up some road manners for better trail capability is worth it
 
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