01 tahoe chassis under AD gmc short box

[lazerstrouts]

I did some searches and came up with nothing on this. I resently bought a rolled 4x4 tahoe planning to use the drivetrain in an s-10 chassis and install it under one of the 3 and a half AD trucks I have. Looking at the hoe I realized its about the same as the. Old short box. Wheel base is the same, frame rail width of hoe is the body mount width of the cab, firewall to front axle distance is within a couple inches and the stock wheels and tires on the tahoe appear to be no wider then the fenders on the truck. Has anyone looked at using this chassis? I will probably start pulling the tahoe apart in a couple weeks to try it, unless someone has had a massive fail with doing it.
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[BBEEP]

This is my build. It may give you some ideas. Don't know about the Tahoe, but measure thrice, cut once!!

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=348244

[_Ogre]

Originally Posted by BBEEP

... measure thrice, cut once!!

i've had it backward all these years

[lazerstrouts]

Picked up some of the missing stuff at the swap meet Sunday. Still need a pair of half ton running boards tho. Got all the security and emissions stuff wiped out on the ecu for the tahoe and picked up the cab and front clip from storage. Should have the pickup cab and box on the tahoe chassis next weekend. Judging by the envoy/burban build I'm sure I will end up spiltting the fenders and adding 2 or 3 inches in width. I plan on running the stock tahoe cluster( I may invert the clear shield as I saw someone do with a 97 cluster.) And I may run the tahoe column also. The seat I will try is a rear seat fromm a 2008 impala rear seat with the added storage under it(hard plasic base is a perfect fit over the cabs orignal seat riser and the back has a flip down armrest with cup holders.) Chassis is a 2001 chevy tahoe 4x4 with a 5.3, 3.73 gears and pushbutton 4x4. Stock mine has 8 inches of ground clearance, I think with the right body mounts I can get it down to about 5 and many company's offer a 3 3 drop with the 4wd.
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[lazerstrouts]

As soon as my wife gets back from her trip Sunday I will get the laptop and load all the pictures I have. Saturday morning I cut the body off the tahoe(complete body is too heavy for 4 guys to lift off.) I have a buddy with a twin post lift so there I built the cab mounts and rear floor cross member for mounts. Front mounts I build on top of the frame and rears are the stock tahoe location but moved inwards about an inch cause the door drops. I had to extend the tranny cover hole to the rear edge of the dip that is under the seat to clear the tranny and transfer case. The driver side firewall and toe board I made flatter and reduced the amount of the angled part to allow for the use of the tahoe pedals and lower column mounts. I had to remove the heat shield bolts and shield from the drivers side exhaust manifold to clear the steering shaft. Original rad support I cutt the lower curve off and widened them 2 inches so they could be welded to the frame. Still lots of work but drove it down the street today!
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[nuke1]

someone had to! hehe, sry

[lazerstrouts]

I know this thread sucks without pics, I can't post pics from my phone so the laptop gets back Sunday. Or I could email what's on my phone to someone to post for me. Can someone do that for me?
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[_Ogre]

use photobucket, you can send from your phone and then copy/paste the [img] link

[lazerstrouts]

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Last pic is how the tah oe looked when I drove it to the shop. First pic is what it looked like Monday, I have installed the radiator and impala seat since then. Bed should go on Thursday then it will go home for a bit. It runs and drives now but I nedd to do a lot of little stuff and adjustments. The battery strapped to the frame in the grille opening is just a temp till I find a good location for it and extend the wires to accomidate.
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I will get the pics off the camera sunday
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[lazerstrouts]

Bigger pic
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[lazerstrouts]

ok, wife is back so here are the pics from the camera.

what i started with-2000 tahoe, rolled, then used as a mud truck/field truck for a summer. i purchased it running and driving for $500 off craigslist.



half hr with the sawzall and a set of wheels that match. this is how i drive it down the street to my buddies shop.





body-1948 gmc deluxe cab and front clip, premodded at some point poorly but solid non the less. i did some repair work for a charity i would normally charge $600 for and got cab, front clip, chrome grille, new fuel tank for i think a 47/48 under bed, seats with console from a 99-07 chevy full size truck.





box-between 1968 and 1973 my grandpa purchased a 1953 gmc deluxe half ton for $25 with a bad motor and no tranny. he rolled it up on the passenger side, cut the frame, poked the hoist through the back window and put the cab/front clip behind the barn. the other half had a better life as a box trailer, left in the barn and rarely used. i was given the whole truck last fall as it was headed for scrap.



build pics

[lazerstrouts]

2008 chevy impala back seat, it is the bottom fold forward style that was an option. the base for the lower fits very well over the original seat frame. back and bottom are a 60/40 split that fold along with an armrest.





bed was raised 5 inches so the rear shock mounts didnt stick through the bed.












it runs and drives, im chasing some bad/unhooked grounds to fix my abs and 4wd modules. i still need to design and install the inner fender wells and cab floor. i also need to find some aged barn wood for the bed as whats in it is rotten at the front and design the mount location for the fuel fill neck.

before its "done" it will get the fenders widened, rears lowered and someplace i need to find a set of running boards. my other 2 trucks are too complete to scavange parts from.

[lazerstrouts]

if anyone wants pictures of anything particular let me know.

[sgtusmc]

Nice, it's cool to know theres another platform for swapping. Looks like an awesome start. Good luck.

[lazerstrouts]

test fit a 285/45 22 today mounted on a 22x9 steelie. will require at least 3 inches of widening and a larger wheel opening to drive and be low enough to my liking. currently reminds me of a crop sprayer and not sure i want to add 6 inches of width to the frontend.

[mknittle]

Where can you widen it? You are going to have to be creative on the front. But Thats the fun part!

[lazerstrouts]

Originally Posted by mknittle

Where can you widen it? You are going to have to be creative on the front. But Thats the fun part!

I think the only spot that would work is to cut the fender length wise and add 3+ inches about 2-3 inches from the mount flange and between the headlight and grille shell. But if I need that much added and the wheel opening needs enlarged would it just be better to get a big truck front clip since they have taller, longer fenders with a larger opening and tend to be cheaper then a half ton. But that means I need a whole different front clip due to the hood and maybe grille shell being different.
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[GCncsuHD]

Interesting build. Have you considered having the wheels rehooped to the correct offset, narrowing the rear axle some, and building shorter tubular control arms up front? I've seen quite a few late model guys build shorter front control arms in order to reduce the track width and tuck the big wheels in the fenders. Would be a good bit of work, but not considerably more than stretching the fenders.

[lazerstrouts]

The issue with shorter control arms gets to be that this tahoe chassis is 4wd. I would need to get both half shafts shortened and they would bind up sooner when I lower it. The rear I'm not worried about, the wheels only move up and down and if its a foot wider in the rear it still looks fine. I want a truck that is cheap, reliable, easy to fix and looks like I just pulled it out of grandpas trees in the back 40 last week. Currently have less then $2k in everything for it and less then 100 man hrs. I will just find other wheels or weld up the holes in the 17s before I. Decide to try my hand at major suspension mods.
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[GCncsuHD]

To be honest, I completely overlooked the fact that it was a 4wd. So yes shortening the shafts and control arms could cause it to bind easier, looks like it's time to rehoop some wheels.

[OrrieG]

Has using big truck fenders been discussed? Bbeep had to go that route on his envoy build.
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[Dan in Pasadena]

Originally Posted by lazerstrouts

The issue ... this tahoe chassis is 4wd. I would need to get both half shafts shortened and they would bind up sooner when I lower it.

Why lower a 4 wheel drive vehicle; or conversely, why have a 4 wheel drive lowered vehicle? I don't get it.

[mknittle]

Originally Posted by lazerstrouts

I think the only spot that would work is to cut the fender length wise and add 3+ inches about 2-3 inches from the mount flange and between the headlight and grille shell. But if I need that much added and the wheel opening needs enlarged would it just be better to get a big truck front clip since they have taller, longer fenders with a larger opening and tend to be cheaper then a half ton. But that means I need a whole different front clip due to the hood and maybe grille shell being different.
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yeah i would think the big truck fenders would be the way to go

[OrrieG]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Has using big truck fenders been discussed? Bbeep had to go that route on his envoy build.
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Does not look like it was (searching threads on my phone is a pain). He has a similar challenge putting his AD ambulance on the Envoy 4wd frame. He tried widening the fenders but ended up using big truck fenders. His thread has the whys and hows. Thye are a little wider and have bigger wheel openings. It starts here at post 152.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...=348244&page=9

[GCncsuHD]

Originally Posted by Dan in Pasadena

Why lower a 4 wheel drive vehicle; or conversely, why have a 4 wheel drive lowered vehicle? I don't get it.

The bigger question is why not?! The original poster resides in Nebraska, where snow is likely a big issue in the winter, you don't need some huge lifted truck to get through it but awd or 4wd can be very beneficial. Sure it won't be an offroad machine, but it won't get stuck in damp grass, it will handle wet and icy weather better, and is just ready for the unexpected. Just think of the multitude of AWD cars out there, and small AWD SUVs, heck the Silverado SS AWD and Sierra Denali AWD for that matter. Not to mention I know of a couple pretty crazy performance builds that started with 99-06 regular cab shortbed 4x4 Silverados that are sitting really low and built for handling.

Besides, if the original poster had cheap access to this 4wd frame, and wants to be different, go ahead!