Chevy & GMC Vans

At long last, I finally got into town and remembered to develop the film.
Sorry for the wait.
As you view these, remember that that front end is already disassembled and being reworked in fiberglass with a couple of new twists.
I removed the "flat" fenders, and I'm adding H3 styled fender extentions on the front, as well as the back wheel openings.
I bumped the front of the hood up in front on the leading edge about an inch and a half (ala the new GM trucks)
The hood in these was conventional. It opened from the van hinges. The new hood and fenders are a one piece tilt forward, like the real thing.

Last winter, obviously



Another shot



And a summer shot before the disassemby

Here, the front clip is sit on my old stripped AWD, which I use as a buck to fit the new design. When it's finished, I just unbolt it from this van and install it on the 4X4 van.

Sitting it on the van


Adding the hood



Adding the new contours

Looking good! You have the right idea using a donor van for fitting your new clip! Will your new clip be lighter than your metal mock up?

How does your creation handle? Did you have to install any sway bars?

The van as it appears right now, without the Hummer front.

It handles great.
I have set up a number of vehicles with the Ford/Range Rover type radius arm/coil sprung/panhard bar. I've never had to use sway bars on any of them.
The Ford coils are from a 1979 F-150, and as near as I can tell, both vehicles were in the 500 lb./inch spring rate. Mine are cutdown aftermarket lift units, and were manufactured stiffer than stock units, and it is felt.
First chance I get, I'm going to pull them and install stock pieces.
It should soften the front.

The rear spring pack is a set of Ford Powerstroke FRONT springs, and I think they're perfect for the ride.

All in all, I think that the fiberglass (with the metal under it, and aluminum skins used on top of the wood forming blocks you see in the pic) will probably weigh the same as the old assembly.
But I used a metal brake to do the bends and contour on the old design, and when you got close to the van, it showed.
The fiberglass allows me to do some really interesting stuff with the lines and round sides of the fenders on the clip.


Currently sitting in my shop is a Sterling 10.5 SuperDuty dually rear with factory discs and emergency brake actuator and a one ton Powerstroke Ford front axle. I'll be installing the rear one in a matter of days. I shopped and shopped and found a "real" dually (72.5" WMS to WMS--compared to most cab and chassis duallies at 67" WMS to WMS) and then added 2" spacers to bring the inside dually tires out to where my single rears are now.

I've got Bud wheels for all four positions here. That's "bragging rights" once the Superduty rears are installed.

Those are real H3 mirrors on the van these days.
I'm anxious to see the front end on there with them.

Great to see the pics. Looking real good!

Incredible. This is definitely one the "the swaps/mods" that needs to be stickied somewhere!

AWESOME! I definitely think this ought to be stickied. I am interested in a price for a set of the radius arms. I would like to re-do the leaf springs up front.

For the rear springs, did you have to use any lift blocks to get the desired height? Did you have to modify the rear spring hanger or shackle?

Dean, stock radius arms are a little short to take you all the way to the crossmember. We added one inch steel plate and some creative geometry to get mine back there. I had to drop the crossmember two inches as well. What I'd recommend is looking at some of the kits made to retrofit a Dana 60 front to radius arm (as all of the Ford 60's are leaf-sprung, they actually make kits to fit it into the Ford 150 platform as an upgtrade) and make one yourself using the formula you see there.
Biggest concerns are a 7* turn off of the axle housing tubes that brings your radius arm in on each side to hit the reworked crossmember torsion bar holes. The other consideration is measuring your caster and preserving it in the part that's welded to the axle tube. I'm playing around with a dogleg design right now for my one ton axle up front, so I can retain the coils.

As for the rear springs, they are longer than the Asto springs. I built boomerang shackles out of steel plate that moved the rear of the springs down 2.5" and made up for the 2" longer length that kept bottoming out in the rear against the pocket. I've seen your set-up and guess-timate that you'd use 4" blocks if you didn't add more length to the boomerang shackles. The springs are pretty flat, with not much lift, but they are also pretty stiff and pretty close to perfect for the weight of these vans.

My set-up is a little bit lower than yours (for reference, my front axle clears the oil pan by about 6inches.) and I use 3" blocks and the shackles for the 8 inches out back.

Hmmmm :-k me thinks it looks better with the Astro front... awesome work on the SAS =D>

9dawgs wrote:Hmmmm :-k me thinks it looks better with the Astro front... awesome work on the SAS =D>

I agree, I realize you did alot of work to it so don't take it the wrong way,these days I see way too many hummers on the road, there almost as common as any other SUV,however a lifted astro is always unique and definitely cooler.

9dawgs wrote:Hmmmm :-k me thinks it looks better with the Astro front... awesome work on the SAS =D>

I agree too. The Hummer front end sure is a great conversation piece, that's for sure. Maybe once the squarish fender extentions are on the front end will look more in place. Of course it's only my opinion and that doesn't mean anything.. lmao.. not my van and it is the internet afterall.

You have done a TON of work there, something that I couldn't even imagine considering.

I do think the hummer mirrors really suit the van no matter which front end is on it

I think what we're missing here is the reaction of those Hummer drivers to this one.
One local guy is way cool about it, but the majority of the yuppies who bought theirs to be "snippy" and hip end up flipping me off.
It hauls 170 cubic feet. Hummer has 86
It gets 22 mpg on the highway. Hummer gets 10?
It keeps all the wheels on the terrain. Hummer is gonna lift it's leg
And my steering is strong and out of the way. Hummers ROUTINELY break the steering linkages when they go offroad.

I think that's hilarious, and this is one big joke that backfired and took on a life of it's own. As of now, it just keeps getting bigger... and bigger.
Finished the bud wheels for the ton and quarter axles yesterday.

H1 Split rim dual bead locks may be in order here


Awesome van tho It makes me smile alot.