Need "pro" opinions on my planned setup!

[tx72k15]

I'm no 4x4 guru but I know there's plenty of them around here so I wanna throw out the gear I intend to run and see what some wisdom and experience may have to say about it.

My truck is a 72 K15 custom body lifted on an 83 Suburban frame with a mostly stock suburban drivetrain. I know it's stock axles and gears but it has a "K" series 700R4. Most of the work done to the truck so far has been rust removal and other body and interior work. I also added a 4" rough country suspension lift which totals up to 10" of lift with the custom body lift. It also has an early vortec 350 with not much more than a high rise intake, edelbrock carb, hooker headers, and flowmasters.

It has 35" tires on it now and I would like to change the gears to 4.56 and upgrade to some 37" tires. JEGS has some 4.56 gears for it for $159.99 a set. Are JEGS gears worth a damn? How well will the stock suburban axles and 700R4 hold up to the bigger tires with the new gears?

The truck is never gonna be a truly hardcore rig. Atleast not any time soon. For now it is going to be something for me to be proud of and enjoy and will probably spend at least half of its time on pavement and dirt roads. I'm not gonna be scared of playing in it but its probably not ever gonna be the truck on youtube with water rolling over the hood as it crosses a small river or slamming through ruts with the gas on the floor in 4low.

Also, how do I go about allowing for the bigger tires and lower gears with the speedo? Is there an adapter you buy for the cable?

Anyone know how to use the OD on the 700R4 without the electronics? Right now it might as well be a TH350 cause only 3 gears work.

Thanks in advance for all the help,

Doyle

[Chevy1TonFun]

It has a 6" body lift!? That doesn't seem safe to me. I'd like see a picture of that. Does it have the stock 72 axles or the 83? If its 83 then it should have 10 bolts front and rear. The 700R4 will do find with the sbc and big tires. I'd would say that you would be at the limit or just over with 37 with the 10 bolt axles. If you are sticking to mild 4 wheeling then you should be fine. worst case you break something.

[tx72k15]

Originally Posted by Chevy1TonFun

It has a 6" body lift!? That doesn't seem safe to me. I'd like see a picture of that. Does it have the stock 72 axles or the 83? If its 83 then it should have 10 bolts front and rear. The 700R4 will do find with the sbc and big tires. I'd would say that you would be at the limit or just over with 37 with the 10 bolt axles. If you are sticking to mild 4 wheeling then you should be fine. worst case you break something.

Stock 83 axles. They're 10 bolts. Its mounted (welded) to the frame with 6" pieces of 3" or 4" tube. Very sturdy. Its not going anywhere.

Anyone have any experience with JEGS gears or know how to solve my speedo or tranny woes?

Thanks again!

[Burt4x4]

THe offroad community agrees that 35" is max tiresize for GM 10bolt axles.
Some run bigger tires with success as they don't really offroad their rig. Street only you cold probly make 44" work..hahah it would look like a toyota axel on 35s hahah
Anyway ~ Your Jegs gear question is better answered if you knew who make the gears for Jegs?
Sounds like your application they would work fine..for me I only run quality, even if I have to save a few more months to get it. Cheep gears, like GenuneGear and other less percision types are cheeper...but there is a reason they are cheep and I'm not willing to find out what that is...
I am currently using
http://www.yukongear.com/

Good Luck

[Redcap]

6" body lift is about 5" too much. Those welded tube body lifts are "ghetto-fab" and nothing to be proud of either. And I agree with Burt4x4, 35"s are about the max for 10bolts.

[plummen]

Originally Posted by Redcap

6" body lift is about 5" too much. Those welded tube body lifts are "ghetto-fab" and nothing to be proud of either. And I agree with Burt4x4, 35"s are about the max for 10bolts.

have you seen a picture of his work to call it ghetto fab? ive made plenty of 3-4" body lift kits out of heavy walled steel pipe capped with steel plates.
it all depends on how much time/effort you spend in the fab/clean up of the parts youre making

[tx72k15]

Originally Posted by Redcap

6" body lift is about 5" too much. Those welded tube body lifts are "ghetto-fab" and nothing to be proud of either. And I agree with Burt4x4, 35"s are about the max for 10bolts.

I guess the "pro" in the title of my post was used a little too loosely. Your opinion, which really is nothing more than unnecessary criticism, is uncalled for and unwanted.

I am proud of my rig. Even if the body is the only authentic piece of a 72 truck it's still a piece of history and an example of true American style and engineering before it was ever influenced and diluted.

Go slam someone else's rig sight-unseen somewhere else buddy.

To anyone else that would like to offer constructive feedback or criticism, positive or negative, feel free. It will be well received.

[tx72k15]

And to Burt4x4:

Thanks man. That was pretty much the advice I was looking for. I just want advice and hints from people with experience. I'd like my rig to last as long as possible without going bankrupt trying to get it that way.

[e rock]

No offense, but I'm not particularly inclined to help someone get a truck on the road when I don't think it should be on the road.

If you're going to defend a body lift that sounds scary at best (and leaning toward "death trap"), please post some pictures. From what I've read here, it doesn't sound like you comprehend the torque load on those mounts.

Maybe I'm wrong - maybe those towers are trussed and triangulated to reduce the torque generated by shear loads. Feel free to show why yours is safe for highway travel.

[tx72k15]

Originally Posted by e rock

No offense, but I'm not particularly inclined to help someone get a truck on the road when I don't think it should be on the road.

If you're going to defend a body lift that sounds scary at best (and leaning toward "death trap"), please post some pictures. From what I've read here, it doesn't sound like you comprehend the torque load on those mounts.

Maybe I'm wrong - maybe those towers are trussed and triangulated to reduce the torque generated by shear loads. Feel free to show why yours is safe for highway travel.

I don't currently have any pictures of it but I will get some. The truck is currently at my brother in laws house 250 miles away. He has been doing the rust repairs. He is a mechanic and body man by trade and has been restoring old muscle including big 4x4s since the late 80s. He does plan to modify some of it but I'd be lying if I tried to tell you what or how. It may sound questionable at best to someone who doesn't know him or me but I guess my only defense is that I trust his opinion that it's in safe operating condition. I got nothing to hide though so as soon as I can get some pics I'll sure post them up. The only thing that offends me is blindly bashing someone else's stuff when they clearly said they're pretty new to this whole building, not buying, a 4x4 and just want advice.

[TheWhiteElephant]

Originally Posted by tx72k15

I don't currently have any pictures of it but I will get some. The truck is currently at my brother in laws house 250 miles away. He has been doing the rust repairs. He is a mechanic and body man by trade and has been restoring old muscle including big 4x4s since the late 80s. He does plan to modify some of it but I'd be lying if I tried to tell you what or how. It may sound questionable at best to someone who doesn't know him or me but I guess my only defense is that I trust his opinion that it's in safe operating condition. I got nothing to hide though so as soon as I can get some pics I'll sure post them up. The only thing that offends me is blindly bashing someone else's stuff when they clearly said they're pretty new to this whole building, not buying, a 4x4 and just want advice.

Don't feel you have to qualify yourself to ANYONE, especially random strangers on the internet, for that matter. Listen, this is your rig, if you like it and if it is safe, then more power to you. One thing I've learned is there are way too many "experts" on the internet. Just weed out the uncalled-for criticism and take in the good advice. No offense to anyone, but there's no need to rag on someone trying to learn here. This isn't Pirate4X4.

Now, to your question--do you have a link to the gearset you are looking at on Jeg's? Jeg's uses different suppliers, so you could be looking at a set from a number of different companies sold through Jeg's. I've had good experiences with both Jeg's and Summit.

For all your intents and purposes, 35" tires will do fine on the street with the 10 bolts. You did say after all this was not a hardcore rig. 4.56 gears is what many consider the "ideal" gearset for 35" tires as it puts the engine in the "correct" powerband. Burt's points are good ones. He always has good advice to offer.

M