4x4 conversion made easy (so far anyway)2 parts

[maximum destruction]

hey guys. i'm in the middle of converting my 64 to 4x4. i'm finding this to be pretty much a bolt on deal thus far. i started with an 88 4x4 suburban with a blown motor. i gave 800.00 for it but it has a brand new 4 in. superlift & 4 new pro comp gas shocks. once i got the body off, i noticed it also has a factory gm rebuilt 700r that isn't even dirty yet, so i feel i got a decent deal. i started by torching off all the rivets that hold the burb body mounts to the frame. then i put the 64 on my lift & did the same so when i lifted the cab up, the body mounts remained on the cab.the frames on these trucks are identical in width (at least under the cab). about 34.5 to the outsides of the rails under the cab & about 28.5 under the core support. i ordered a new set of polyurethane body bushings so that when i sat it on the burb frame, i wouldn't be fighting myself for level using old squashed & blown out rubber bushings. so at this point, we have a 64 cab on the lift with new bushings & the mounts still bolted to the floor & a burb cassis with no mounts on the frame rolled under it. i spent 2 hours this evening setting the cab down & trying to get everything level & square while trying to center the front wheels in the fender openings when i saw IT!!! (THIS IS WHERE THE EASY COMES IN) ---- see part 2

[Yukon Jack]

I'm eager to see Part 2!!!!!!!!!!!

[maximum destruction]

part 2---- after seeing this, i started praising gm for their insight. this is where explaining gets difficult by i'll try to make it as painless as possible. on the 64 mounts under the footwell area, the 2 holes in the front of the mount(read closet to the front tire) actually line up with the front to mount holes on the suburban frame. this lays the ground work for everything else. it does set the front tire forward about a 1/2 more which is what i wanted for fender clearance at the back of the fender & it's not enough to be noticable by eye. i drilled the bottom holes out & used 7/16 bolts just snugged because the mount needs to be able to pivot on this bolt as u level the cab. next u level the back of the cab & drill the holes for the rear mounts. i did this by putting a level on the bottom of the frame rail & then the bottom of the rocker panel. once the rears were bolted up, i noticed that the upper hole in the front mounts did not move enough to change anything so i drilled them & installed the other bolt. tomorrow, i lift the cab off again to access drilling & installing the rest of the bolts. i did notice that the radiator support mounts will have to be made but that's a small price to pay when the rest went this easy. so far, the elapsed time from 2x4 to 4x4 is 4 hours & 23 min. i'll post more when i get a little farther. i hope this helps answer some questions because i am always seeing posts with questions relating to this.

[62 short step]

Subscribed. Please posts pics if you can.

[toomanytoyz]

Post up some Pics when you Can, That was Clever Thinking with the Cab Mounts...............

Rick

[maximum destruction]

i'd love to post some pics for u guys but unfortunately, someone broke into my wife's jeep a few weeks ago & stole her stereo & my digital camera. i'm still not sure why the camera was in there but none the less, it's gone.i can either spend 400.00 for a new 1 or use the money on the truck. i choose the truck. today's progress is as follows: finished drilling & bolting on the mounts, set the cab back down & got her bolted up, & then started on the steering. this was fairly straight forward as well. i used pieces from both trucks. the steering sector (piece from the firewall down to the box) on the 64 is a solid piece of steel rod & the sector from the burb is hollow on the end closest to the box & then turns solid as it gets past the slip section.i cut the burb shaft 8 in. up from where it bolts to the rag joint at the box. then i eyeballed the 64 shaft so it would overlap that length on the burb shaft by 1 in.. i then drilled a 5/16 hole thru both sides of the burb shaft a 1/2 in. from where i shortened it. then u unbolt the burb shaft from the ragjoint & slide it onto the 64 shaft. i had to use a prybar to help get enough clearance for it to slide past the flange for the ragjoint.once on, i slid it back down & bolted it back to the ragjoint. the 64 shaft is slightly smaller o.d than the burb shaft i.d. so u have a tiny amount of slop.i cut a piece of 1 in. angle approx. 6 in. long & vise gripped it to the burb shaft. there is about 3/16 difference between the angle & the 64 shaft so i went to the hobby shop & bought a piece of solid 3/16 brass rod & slid it between the 64 shaft & the angle.now the angle is tight up against both pieces of the shafts. this acts as you're jig to hold it perfectly straight for welding. next , u jack up the truck high enough to get the front tires off the ground so a buddy can slowly turn the steering wheel while u run a good bead around the entire shaft. i made 2 passes to be safe. now u have the shaft welded & u still have the 2 5/16 holes. the 64 shaft should be sticking down into the suburban shaft beyond these holes if u did the eyeballing correctly. what u want to do is now drill into the 64 shaft thru these holes. i went about 3/16 deep on both sides. now just plug weld these holes up. what this does is act kinda like a key in case u're bead around the outside of the shaft breaks. it still can't spin inside itself & leave u with a dead stick in u're hand. always safety first gentlemen. total of time today was 4 hrs. & 18 min. the steel shop is closed tomorrow so it'll be next weekend before i can start on the front mounts so i'll see u then.

[66Gilbert]

Hi from Arizona,

This conversion sounds cool, but needs to be documented with some pictures. Sorry to here about your camera, you need to borrow one from a friend or family member because

[va_tlc]

i agree, i cant read!!! but i luv lookin at pictures .