3/4 to 1/2 ton swap

[Jaysonb]

Hi guys. I have started working on a 71 3/4 ton, and a freind of mine has a 72 1/2 ton that he is going to part out. I would like to swap over the 5 lug stuff so I have more options for wheels. Bolth trucks are coil rears. Does anyone know what all I have to take off the half ton as far as the front suspension goes? This is my first post, but I can't even imagine doing the work that I have done on this truck so far without the info that I have gotten from this site! Thanks for the help!

[Sublvr72]

I did this on my suburban. You will need 1/2 ton ball joints and tie rod ends. (I would buy new ones instead of re-use the 30 year old ones) Swap the spindles, rotors, and wheel bearings. Calipers are the same. For the rear it's a straight axle swap, unbolt and roll out the rear end and roll in the new one. You may need a custom U-joint. I did. The 3/4 ton driveshaft has larger bearing caps than the 1/2 ton so you will need a 3/4 ton u-joint on the shaft side and a 1/2 ton joint on the axle side. Napa had this in stock.

[Jaysonb]

So I will put 1/2 ton ball joints in the 3/4 ton A arms?

[mdwilf]

I would just swap out the entire front suspension - especially if the motor is out of your truck - it's only 14 frame bolts, the steering box, shocks & idler arm. If both motors are out & you have an impact gun you can do the whole swap in just a couple of hours -then everything on your truck will be half ton. If the motors are in, might be quicker to do it as the previous poster said.

[Ron 586]

We did this swap last Sat. on a 72 Blazer 2wd. 2 guys (Woody and Luv2xlr8) swapped the front alone in about 2 hrs. See link for pics. You have to scroll down to pics.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=369482&page=3

Rear was less.

[Ackattack]

You will need the 1/2 ton lower control arms too. The 3/4 ton ball joints are larger diameter seating area. So the 1/2 ton ball joints won't mount into the 3/4 ton lower control arms.

[66coffin]

Originally Posted by Sublvr72

I did this on my suburban. You will need 1/2 ton ball joints and tie rod ends. (I would buy new ones instead of re-use the 30 year old ones) Swap the spindles, rotors, and wheel bearings. Calipers are the same. For the rear it's a straight axle swap, unbolt and roll out the rear end and roll in the new one. You may need a custom U-joint. I did. The 3/4 ton driveshaft has larger bearing caps than the 1/2 ton so you will need a 3/4 ton u-joint on the shaft side and a 1/2 ton joint on the axle side. Napa had this in stock.

do you have the part number for the napa u joint you used, and the cap sizes on each side, i'm looking to use the same one, thanks!!

[Sublvr72]

Originally Posted by 66coffin

do you have the part number for the napa u joint you used, and the cap sizes on each side, i'm looking to use the same one, thanks!!

unfortunately I don't I did my 3/4 to 1/2 ton conversion about 8 years ago.

[Shyguy]

When we did mine I got the conversion joint from Fisher Auto Parts (Federated). I can not remember if it was a 348 or a 358 though.

We went from a 3/4 ton 4 speed drive shaft to a half ton rear-end.

Danny