94 ctd 4 dr. conv. swap with chev.

[98slushbox]

I have a 94 3500 dually 5spd. 4x4 that was converted to a full four door, with the back doors suicide. The truck is pretty rough bodied so i thought i may swap it with a four door chev. or a suburban, but didnt know how good the body would mount on it. Has anyone done this? Does anyone know or have a chevy body they would want to sell or do some trading with?

 

[DKarvwnaris]

I have a 94 3500 dually 5spd. 4x4 that was converted to a full four door, with the back doors suicide. The truck is pretty rough bodied so i thought i may swap it with a four door chev. or a suburban, but didnt know how good the body would mount on it. Has anyone done this? Does anyone know or have a chevy body they would want to sell or do some trading with?

I have done it with the 1 st generation dodges and a suburban body, but it was alot of work, frame dimensions weren't even close. I cut the rivets holding the body mount brackets on it and fabricated new ones that raised the body 2" as well. New cab mounts would probably be the least of the efforts to gettings coil spring dodge frame under a different body.

I wonder if a newer 99 year quad cab might be a solution for your truck? I am looking for one to put on my '96, but nothing has looked good enough so far. My driveline is in great shape, but my cab is falling apart too. I gave up and replaced the door hinges and window regulators, but its not solving the overall issue of 1/4 million miles of gravel roads and pulling a horsetrailer/car trailer.

Let me know if you go ahead with this idea, I'd be interested in helping out if I can. I suggest the first step would be locating a few books from a body shop for frame point measurements and cab mounts of both the frame and the new cab to go on if you decide on a different brand body.



On a side note, I remember a few years back there was a kit car company building a HUMMVEE rebody kit for all make trucks, they sent you the brackets to correspond with your donor truck frame. It was a decent kit, you could even use a factory hummer hood with it if I remember right. That would be one heck of a rebody project. They might have the measurements you'd want to research for your other cab. Urban Gorilla was the name of the kit.

 

[DogDiesel]

I put a 5.9L in my Chevy

Took out the 6. 5L and put in the 5. 9L.



First, on the 88-01 Chevy and GMC, you must put at least 2" of cab and bed lift to get the hood to close on the truck.

Second, all the cross-members will be re-set and positioned.

Third, the rear drive shaft must be shortened, the front 4WD lengthen, by about 2"

Fourth, if you can find an intercooler solution, I'd be interested. I still have the 6. 5L intercooler hanging behind the front bumper. While it cools mine, it just don't look right.

Fifth, a fan solution is hard. I have about 2. 5" between fan mount and radiator. I went with a solid fan and screw on mount. I run it in summer and remove it in winter.



lastly, it pulls well (NV4500), but is no racehorse. I like it.

Wayne

 

[98slushbox]

thanks for the replys fellas. I'm not sure yet what i want to do. I have two trucks and i need to get rid of one and focus on the other.

The frame on my truck now has been stretched about 4ft. so i'm sure whatever i do i will have to cut it back down to size up for a different body. My brother works at a dealership in St. Louis, MO. as a body man and he said they have some sort of program in a comp. that tells you the exact frame diminsions and measurements for every vehicle so that may help. The hood clearance thing, i guess a cowl hood would help some. It would be sweet to put a 90's model on the frame but that could get real $$$. I will try to get pics on of the truck but i'm not great with that stuff. You can take a look and see what you think.

 

[TKingsbury]

It would probably be much easier to just put your running gear in a different truck. Just my . 02

Travis. .

 

[98slushbox]

The way everyone is talking it sounds like it would be easier to put the engine and transmission etc... in another vehicle rather than put a body on my frame. Oh well, it was just a thought.

Somehting else i thought about trying was cutting my 2wd standard cab down to a short bed. Has anyone ever tried that??? Would definitely be a quick little drag truck.

 

[DKarvwnaris]

The way everyone is talking it sounds like it would be easier to put the engine and transmission etc... in another vehicle rather than put a body on my frame. Oh well, it was just a thought.

Somehting else i thought about trying was cutting my 2wd standard cab down to a short bed. Has anyone ever tried that??? Would definitely be a quick little drag truck.

The frame is different in length both in the front of the bed as well as behind the rear axle, you'd have to cut it on two spots to get a short bed to fit on it. Unless you like flatbeds, I would think the time involved would be prohibitive. Without a frame shop getting involved, would you have the means to keep the frame true? If you don't get the frame rails shortened and realigned, it will end up dog legging down the road, if you race with it, it will end up in the other lane, not a good launch to say the least. With that in mind, make sure you get good solid reference marks on the frame BEFORE you make any cuts to reference back to when you put it back together.

I don't think I have seen a short bed standard cab diesel dodge, it would be a neat parts runner, not much use a tow rig anymore, the shorter wheel base would make it handle like a blazer or powerwagon with a trailer behind it.

 

[98slushbox]

My brother said we could do it at his work one weekend. He can look up the dimensions and put it on there frame machine to keep the truck straight. The truck never tows much anymore just groceries home in a hurry lol. As a matter of fact, i've got a drop kit coming for it to make it level and i ordered 20's for it. Yeah, i think it will be a little different but since i've always had lifted trucks i thought i'd try something a little different for once. May look like s*** when i'm done but i'm gonna try it anyways. I dont know if i wanna do the short bed thing yet though just in case i ever do sell it and someone wants to tow with it, like you said it will pretty much be over with then. just curious if anyone had done one that i could look at.