Have a few questions - 83 CC 1 ton

[Mattman2010]

I have a few questions about a 83 Crew Cab 1 ton dually. The truck currently has a flat bed on it, I was wondering if a standard bed would fit on it, and could I put the dually fenders on that bed? Or would I have to find a dually bed?

I have also thought about converting it to single wheel, are the spring perches on the front and rear axles wider than say 1/2 ton or 3/4 tons? I have heard to convert the rear to single using 3/4 ton axles that you would have to move the spring perches out wider. is this true, and what about the front?

It has a 6.2 Diesel, While I will not be towing a lot with it (Vehicles, horse trailer), I hear that these engines really don't have much power, but get good gas mileage. I like that the engine parts for a 350 are cheap, but I also want some gas mileage and I hear that the 6.2 is really good for that. Would I be better off putting a 350 in it, or just keeping the 6.2 Diesel in it?

Thanks, Matt

[GmtGmt]

Originally Posted by Mattman2010

I have a few questions about a 83 Crew Cab 1 ton dually. The truck currently has a flat bed on it, I was wondering if a standard bed would fit on it, and could I put the dually fenders on that bed? Or would I have to find a dually bed?

would be easy just to find a dually bed. but make sure its not a Cab and Chassie because then the beds arnt long enough

Originally Posted by Mattman2010

It has a 6.2 Diesel, While I will not be towing a lot with it (Vehicles, horse trailer), I hear that these engines really don't have much power, but get good gas mileage. I like that the engine parts for a 350 are cheap, but I also want some gas mileage and I hear that the 6.2 is really good for that. Would I be better off putting a 350 in it, or just keeping the 6.2 Diesel in it?


Thanks, Matt

The 6.2 has a very poor rep but mostly by people who havent treated them good. like using Ether and there poor Glow plug system

They arnt power house. But they are Great on Mileage like 20 to 26 MPG
a guy on dieselplace just got 27 MPG in a Suburban with a roof rack and cold A/C! 350 gas 93 burban converted to a 6.2 Diesel.

If its the C Code engine it has 135HP
If its a J Code it has 145HP
the CUCV'S 165 HP
Turbo Charged has around 180 to 200HP the IP cant hold to more then 220HP

if your only going to do light towing with it and just drive it around the keep the 6.2 they are plenty full a used low millage CUCV engine is like 500-1000 bucks

[Mattman2010]

How can I tell if it is a cab and chasis? What will the measurement of the frame behind the cab be if it is?

Are you saying that at some point if I found a CUCV engine, that would be the best thing to put into it if I wanted more power and still have the same gas mileage?

[GM72K10]

If its a crew cab a standard 8'0" pickup box will fit on it whether its a C&C or not.

[Mattman2010]

So as long as it is a crew cab, it will fit a standard 8 foot bed on it?

[GM72K10]

yup unless the frame was altered by an after market manufacturer, i.e. if the flat bed was a rollback body, etc.

[Mattman2010]

Alright, Thanks for the info!

[Mattman2010]

I was also wondering, the Crew Cab is 2wd, I have a 80 K20 parts truck, I was wondering if I would be able to cut the frames, and weld the front of the K20 frame to the C30 frame. Would I be able to do this, or are the frames so different that it would not work?

[GM72K10]

I know that a 1 ton 2wd and 1 ton 4wd are exactly the same, 3/4 ton frame
has a lighter section modulus. You just have to swap the front frame hardware from the 4x4 frame over to the other frame.

[GM72K10]

frame specs

[Mattman2010]

So I should be able to take the 4x4 parts off of the K20, and take the 2wd parts off of the C30, and then just bolt the 4x4 parts to the C30 frame?

[1985-GMC]

1 Ton frame rails are taller than 3/4 ton frames. All the hardware should swap over to the 1 ton though and a lot of the holes will already be there.

[Mattman2010]

What would be the best axle to find for the front? Will one ton axles have their spring perches out wider than say a 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton? I think that I have seen that the rear axle has wider spring perches than the 1/2 or 3/4 ton.

Does anyone know what kind of rear axle it would have?

All I would need the axles to have is the same gearing and it should all run smooth?

[1985-GMC]

The best front axle for it would be a Dana 60 (drw and srw have different hubs so find the one you want), definitely with the same gears as whatever rear you use. Your 80 K20 should have a 10 bolt front and a 14 bolt full floater rear, your C30 should have a Dana 70 rear. 1/2 3/4 and 1 ton single wheel perches are all the same width, drw perches are actually narrower then srw perches.One thing I forgot to mention, 4wd rear spring hangers stick down about 4" lower than 2wd ones and the same goes for duallys but they are also tucked in closer to the frame. I remember something about crew cab rear spring perches being different than regular cabs but idk if it was drw or srw?

[Mattman2010]

Yeah it is a DRW, So I guess I would need a Dana 60 with the hubs that will work with the DRW.

As far as the hangers, Would taking the ones off of the K20 work to make the truck level? Would the truck be level if I used the front springs off of the K20, and used the stock springs off of the c30, but with the hangers off of the k20?

[1985-GMC]

Originally Posted by 1985-GMC

I remember something about crew cab rear spring perches being different than regular cabs but idk if it was drw or srw?

Originally Posted by Mattman2010

Yeah it is a DRW, So I guess I would need a Dana 60 with the hubs that will work with the DRW.

I meant I read something a while back about CC perches being different but I cant remember what exactly it was.

I might work if you use the K20 hangers on the C30 frame but you would have to cut and re weld the perches on the dually axle and that will put your springs closer to the tires. Ill do some measuring tomorrow to see if you could get away with it. But yes if you successfully do all that the truck should sit level.

[Mattman2010]

Alright, I am just trying to figure out what I can do, just so I kinda know before. I still need to go look at the truck, but that might be another week. I think most of the converting it to 4x4 will be figuring it out while I am there actually doing the conversion. Because some things I think I will actually have to try to figure out what works best.

I am assuming that there are probably holes drilled for the cross member for the transfer case to mount? With the rails being taller, would I have to use some kind of spacer for a transfer case and the transfer case cross member?

[1985-GMC]

Im not real sure if all the holes will already be there or not, and i don't think you will need any kind of spacer for the cross member. What transmission and t-case does the K20 have?

[Mattman2010]

I don't know exactly what transmission it has, but it is a 4 speed with a granny low. second gear is messed up on it. the transfer case is a 205. The crew cab has a 4 speed in it, but I dont think that the 205 will bolt to it because I would assume sense it is 2wd it will have a longer output shaft than a 4wd transmission.

[1985-GMC]

Its a SM465, and you will need to swap output shafts to make it work.

[Mattman2010]

Yeah that is what I figured, How hard is it to swap those?

[1985-GMC]

Ive never swapped them out so I don't know it should be fairly easy though with help from people on here. Alright if you use the K20 hangers on the C30 frame and you cut and re weld the perches to match you will have about 3.5" on each side between the drums and the top plate that your u bolts bolt to, so that will be plenty of room even if you go to bigger tires. Now the trans cross member on my K20 drops down a little over 2" more than my K30 one because of the difference in the frames, so you will need to probably make one. Ill get some pictures if you need them.

[Mattman2010]

Alright sounds like a plan. I might go look at that truck this weekend, but we will see.

[WigglesTheHoly]

it has a flatbed you say......and you don't want it any more you say....Hmm let me know what happens to that flat bed pls.

[Mattman2010]

well if I buy the truck, the flat bed will not be coming with the truck. I will look at the bed for you, and see if the guy would be willing to sell it if I buy the truck.