2500 burb, to do a 4x4 swap or not?

[bigdog9191999]

i know it is not commonly thought of as the thing to do unless doing a solid axle and building it up, but i just dont want one that is huge, as it is/will be a tow pig and possibly a plow horse.

but i have an opportunity to buy a very rusty under 100k mile work truck ( like one pictured, but MUCH MUCH more rust). i would have the whole truck for donor parts and would have the 6.0 and my 4l85 to sell after as well as scrap the body/chassis when done, and have a few parts left over to boot. and for the price of the truck and the going price of just the engine and harness ect , then my trans ect ect. i bet i could get out of this swap for not much over labor. and considering i bought my burb for $1,200 i dont think that would be all bad, i mean how else would i make an 8.1 2500 burb better?

the donor has a manual case and my burb does not have a full counsel. so shifter would not be an issue. the only real issue i can think of would be a rear drive shaft, and that should be a standard length for a 4x4 2500 at that point, so shouldn't be to hard to find. front axle actuator may be a small issue (toggle switch, or cable actuation should solve this if the stock wiring dont do the trick , and i probably wont have a working 4x4 light on the dash, but i am ok with that.


i mean my math says even if i dont sell anything, i will be so cheap into if that i dont think i can find another even close.

$1,200 to buy my truck
$600 in parts to make it right (new brakes when i got it, rotors, calipers, pads, a few lines, tune up ect)

so i am in my truck for $1,800 or damn close

$2,000 to buy complete parts truck ( possibly less from a buddy.)

so i would be looking at $4,000 ish total investment to have a 4x4 8.1 burb. with 170k truck, and under 100k trans





i know a 6.0 with under 100k can go for a decent amount. ( know a dude that just paid $1,400 for one with 150+K)
and a 2wd 4l80 in good shape is worth something.

call it $1,000 for the pair!
scrap is $200 a ton by me currently so $400 for the shell of the truck ( not to mention whatever for the cats and whatever else i can sell off it)


$4,000
-$1,400
------------
=$2,600

and that dont count cats, and other parts. so nearly free (as i am sure my recuperative numbers are low) i just am not seeing the downside here. other than the obvious work which i think would be worth it to have 4x4



thoughs? or am i completely off my rocker, and just just leave well enough alone because i have other trucks already ( see sig)









not positive this is the donor truck , but imagine this with about 1/3 of each box side missing and no rockers/corners, and part of the fenders all rotted away.

 

[Bill 1960]

Isn’t the front frame section different? I know someone with a 2500 pickup who wanted to do this conversion and local shops wouldn’t touch it. They told him they’d do a SFA but not the IFS 4wd conversion.

 

[bigdog9191999]

if i am seeing everything correctly there is a mount that will need cut off the donor truck and a hole that needs to be cut ( and preferably sleeved) but not stuff so drastic as to need a different frame frame what i am seeing.

 

[Scottydoggs]

what your looking to do is a very labor extensive job. ive seen this go down before. in the end it may not be worth it. the cab floors are not the same for the 4x4 floor shifter to work right, and you need every last body module and harness, so your gutting 2 trucks and putting everything from the donor into the good truck. im talking dash and everything. i mean everything really bumper to bumper. and im not even touching the mechanical side of this job. thats a sh it load more work lol

 

[bigdog9191999]

what your looking to do is a very labor extensive job. ive seen this go down before. in the end it may not be worth it. the cab floors are not the same for the 4x4 floor shifter to work right, and you need every last body module and harness, so your gutting 2 trucks and putting everything from the donor into the good truck. im talking dash and everything. i mean everything really bumper to bumper. and im not even touching the mechanical side of this job. thats a sh it load more work lol

not sure how i missed this, but also not seeing why i need all the body module and dash harness and such. esp if i used a mechanical for the front diff, the biggest thing i would be missing would be indicators. basically doing it the same as one would do for a solid axle swap just use ifs instead of a live axle.

 

[Scottydoggs]

not sure how i missed this, but also not seeing why i need all the body module and dash harness and such. esp if i used a mechanical for the front diff, the biggest thing i would be missing would be indicators. basically doing it the same as one would do for a solid axle swap just use ifs instead of a live axle.

it was either a thread i seen here, or yt, guy was like its hardly worth it. the 2wd cab is missing a lot of modules.

 

[avalonandl]

NOOOOOOO

 

[TollKeeper]

No modules are needed really. For a mechanical front diff, and transfer case, none are needed. Beyond that, I am not to sure about the 2500 frame, and suspension.

For 2g, I would buy the truck, and drive it into the ground! But it is a Michigan truck, so I can hear the rust eating it alive!

 

[RTLINGR2]

I would really look at the frames between a 2wd and 4wd. I just picked up an 04 4wd tahoe. Runs great and interior is mint. But came from Ohio and frame is totally shot. I have a wrecked 03 2wd Yukon I'm looking at doing a frame swap with. I had the same dilemma with add the IRS. It is labor intensive. From what i found is the engine cross memember is different. Has to do with the rear lower diff mount on the drivers frame rail. There is part of the frame that would have to be cut out and added to 2wd frame. There are also 2 sleeves not 1 in the passenger frame that would have to be added for the upper mounts of the diff. You would have to swap over front hubs and figure out how to lock/ unlock the diff. Because I'm looking at a frame swap i already have all the electronics. This is what i found on the 1500. Not sure what else may be different or need on a 2500.

Hope this helps.