Questions on CONVERTING FROM A DUALLY TO SINGLE REAR WHEEL

[wildmanaaron]

I have been looking for a decent crew cab (81-91) lately to put a short bed on. I have found lots of duallys but very few single real wheel Trucks.

My question is, what all do you have to do to get rid of the dual rear wheels and the offset front wheels? I have never seen the wheels off of a dually to see the hubs, so I just guessed that there are spacers coming off of the hubs or something to space the front wheel out more. If this is the case, can you just remove the from spacers and on the rear?

[Square84]

not sur about the rear end but on the front the rotors are different thats what spaces the front whhels out like that.

[wildmanaaron]

After I posted that I think I answered my own questions.

Here's another though: Lets say I use 1 ton single wheel brake rotors and such on a Truck that was originally a dually. Can you still use the drop spindles that are advertised as for dually models on a one ton non-dually?

[Jonboy]

IIRC, the 3/4 and 1 ton spindles are the same. You could use 3/4 ton running gear in one (or convert to 1/2 ton all the way around). If I was going to build one, I would go ahead and just swap in the 1/2 ton gear in anticipation of the short bed that would be following it.

[LONGHAIR]

The off-set is built right into the rotors, it can't be removed. I am fairly sure that the spindles are the same though, so you could just use standard hubs/rotors.
The rear is a bigger issue. The entire axlehousing is different from the normal single wheel set-up. It is several inches shorter. IIRC it's 2 or 3 inches per side.

[wildmanaaron]

The only reason I considered keeping the 3/4 or 1/2 Ton set-up was for hauling purposes. I anticipate hauling a car or Truck with a crew cab shortbed and wanted the best ride, braking, handling that I could get for an older Truck.

[N2TRUX]

It sounds like you should expand your search until you find a 3/4 ton. If you really plan to use it for a tow pig you would be better off retaining the 3/4 ton brakes unless you want to spend the big bucks for a 1/2 ton with huge upgrades. $$$$

[dammitmitchell]

i took the 14 bolt Semi float off a suburban....
it's strong as hell and is a good holdover until someday i get ahold of a 14bolt ff for my 4x4....
alot of the drivetrain parts still come over from teh suburbans just fine....
might want to ask long honr more specifically or n2trucks that's who i run to

[budgetstperformance]

Originally Posted by wildmanaaron

The only reason I considered keeping the 3/4 or 1/2 Ton set-up was for hauling purposes. I anticipate hauling a car or Truck with a crew cab shortbed and wanted the best ride, braking, handling that I could get for an older Truck.

hey wildmanaaron i have been concidering this same conversion for my 87 big block dually. duallys look cool slamed and all but im not hauling a big gooseneck i only have a tandem car hauler and i think the fiberglass fenders are ugly plus mine are cracked.

so i was planning on 1 ton front rotors and 1 ton srw axle and i already have a non dually bed. then when i started looking for wheels there is not that much in 8 lug unless your into the bling bling big chrome look.

im now planning a 1/2 ton swap cuz ive recently aquired a 86 burbin for parts and there are a lot of nice five lug wheels in 20" or just run some 15x8 rallys with a chubby tires.

so i know the 1 ton srw conversion is just locating and swaping parts cuz there is 1 ton factory srw but i dont believe there was ever a 1/2 ton crew cab from the factory. so i don't know if i will need to change or make a custom drive shaft.
if your going short bed you will need to shortin it any way but i am staying long bed and would like to keep it all bolt on.
regardless of bed length 1/2 ton will be fine for towing a car trailer plus my car trailer has brakes. like n2trux said you can updrade 1/2 ton big brakes.
heres some pics first one is my truck the rest i found.

[wildmanaaron]

I had bid on this Truck on eBay but I only bid up to $675 or so!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...MEDW:IT&ih=013

[kevinr1970]

Originally Posted by wildmanaaron

I had bid on this Truck on eBay but I only bid up to $675 or so!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...MEDW:IT&ih=013

I bought the '87 GMC Crew in my sig for $500. It is rough except in the places that count but it does run and drive.
It is a TBI truck which I wanted, SRW, etc. The only it doesn't have that I wish it did was an OD tranny.

My point is if you keep looking they are out there. And with $4 gas people are unloading them cheap.

[wildmanaaron]

Well I have done some research and found out that the axles are different from a SRW to a DRW and the axle housing lenghts as well.

[budgetstperformance]

Originally Posted by wildmanaaron

Well I have done some research and found out that the axles are different from a SRW to a DRW and the axle housing lenghts as well.

I would not be concerned with the length of the axle houseing but rather the spring perches measurement being the same from dually to single.

would definetly be less work to swap a complete srw axle rather than to rebuild a drw axle.

heres a pick of one a guy was selling on c/l for $100 came out of a 1 ton truck he parted out. this was 1 of 4 others i found before i got the 1/2 ton burb for my conversion.

i still dont know if i will be able to use my driveshaft unmodified when i do my swap, i was hoping somone on here would be able to tell me????????

[wildmanaaron]

The spring perch locations are the same.

[budgetstperformance]

so how is the crew cab search going? i have seen a bunch of saburbans for sale lately. with the gas prices people are unloading there big trucks in favor of geo metros.

if you did find a clean dually i would go for it and just keep a look out for a complete axle and some standard rotors for the front. plus you might be able to sell the dually bed and dana 70 to someone looking to make there truck a dually.