'85 Chevy 2wd 1/2ton to 3/4 ton

Skylar1321 · 10-18-2007, 08:22 PM

how hard is it to put 3/4ton suspesion in a '85 Chevy Short Wide 1/2ton

75K30 · 10-18-2007, 08:54 PM

Welcome to the site;
Question about what your intentions are? You can pretty easily install the heavier duty a-arms and springs with larger spindles and bearings up front with little modification, and the rear axle will bolt right up provided the donor axle has the same spring pad width, but the frame will still be a 1/2 ton frame and you will realy only gain strength in the axles and not much GVWR, or towing capacities. You will be limited by the wheelbase, and the engine and trans will still be that of a 1/2 ton truck.
Added strength brings its own set of small problems such as wheel bolt pattern differences, and rear driveshaft lengths. The master cylinder will be a little small for the larger brakes, but will also work. Best bet would be to run the hydro assist.
Yeah there are a few issues you will run into, and I have to question intent to actually see if this type of swap is actually worth the effort.

10-18-2007, 08:22 PM	#1
Skylar1321 Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 1	'85 Chevy 2wd 1/2ton to 3/4 ton how hard is it to put 3/4ton suspesion in a '85 Chevy Short Wide 1/2ton

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10-18-2007, 08:54 PM	#2
75K30 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 2,992	Welcome to the site; Question about what your intentions are? You can pretty easily install the heavier duty a-arms and springs with larger spindles and bearings up front with little modification, and the rear axle will bolt right up provided the donor axle has the same spring pad width, but the frame will still be a 1/2 ton frame and you will realy only gain strength in the axles and not much GVWR, or towing capacities. You will be limited by the wheelbase, and the engine and trans will still be that of a 1/2 ton truck. Added strength brings its own set of small problems such as wheel bolt pattern differences, and rear driveshaft lengths. The master cylinder will be a little small for the larger brakes, but will also work. Best bet would be to run the hydro assist. Yeah there are a few issues you will run into, and I have to question intent to actually see if this type of swap is actually worth the effort.