Chevy & GMC Vans

Has anyone every laid the two subframes side by side and taken pictures for comparison? I would like to be able to do this but I am shopless and workspaceless at the present time. I thought this could be helpful for v-8 conversions as well as 4x4 conversions.
HARV

The only part that is the same is the location of the 6 mounting bolt holes. The cross members as well as location of cross members is different. I don't recall ever seeing a pic of the two frames side by side.

I think it'd be cool for a 2wd to be running an awd frame, though. It'd make a front-end drop a breeze, I'd think...

I'm sure the body would be identical, might need the steering shaft from the awd as well as a few other little things. Sure would be simpler than converting from 2wd to 4wd.

I think it'd be cool for a 2wd to be running an awd frame,

UHHH Petey , your bestes buddy lockdoc allready did the swap on the white 92 (his very first van ) if you remember correctly . its the van my brother bought from him like 4 years ago . And he was saying that the swap was a major PIA & he'd never try that one again to soon .

i'll see if i can find some pics .

Thanks for the input. I am planning a conversion on a Safari. Lifted, Straight axle, 2 spd transfer (man or elec). Due to the extensive fabrication I will be doing I was trying to figure out if I should start with an AWD or just stick with the 2wd 95 Safari I now have.
Harv

liftedawdastro (Dean) can answer that question better than I can , he did the lifted solid axle swap on his machine . he did his on a awd frame so ........... i'll leave the rest to him .

take it away Deano .......

Go with an AWD frame. There is no cross member under the engine to interfere with the solid axle center section. Plus the AWD already has the correct tranny and mount. If you are VERY good at fabricating, you can use a 2WD frame. You just have to work around the cross member being in the way. You will also need to fabricate a new tranny cross member.

skippy wrote:

I think it'd be cool for a 2wd to be running an awd frame,

UHHH Petey , your bestes buddy lockdoc allready did the swap on the white 92 (his very first van ) if you remember correctly . its the van my brother bought from him like 4 years ago . And he was saying that the swap was a major PIA & he'd never try that one again to soon .

i'll see if i can find some pics .

I remember, Skipster. But Lockjaw was doing a 2wd to 4wd swap. He wasn't simply swapping frames and keeping the truck 2wd. That's gotta be simpler

Peter, if you use an AWD frame and want to run as a 2WD, you MUST destroy 2 CV half shafts and use the splined ends to keep the AWD hub bearings from blowing apart! Other than that, using an AWD frame on a 2WD van would not pose any issues. You would be able to upgrade to the easier rotors to replace as well as the 3/4 ton truck calipers. If you used an AWD tranny and installed a 231C transfer case, you could then have low range 2WD to play around with!

Go with fabricating on the AWD subframe.
It's just easier. When you want to install the completed AWD subframe into the 2WD van, you will need two parts. A passengerside exhaust manifold from the AWD, and an AWD steering box. These items do not interchange.