Someone mentioned a square body thread somewhere

[cgraham1]

High Pinion Dana 60 Super Duty axles are cheap and honestly probably better than an old school KP Dana 60 anyways... too bad the spring pads are 4” wider, but that could be dealt with. I’ve seen sets for as low as $200... and guys are wanting $2000 for ‘77-79 Ford 60s now!

 

[Bigmac]

High Pinion Dana 60 Super Duty axles are cheap and honestly probably better than an old school KP Dana 60 anyways... too bad the spring pads are 4” wider, but that could be dealt with. I’ve seen sets for as low as $200... and guys are wanting $2000 for ‘77-79 Ford 60s now!

Ya the 77-79 are hard to come by, I got my Chevy one for the 72 blazer for $700 In value, I traded a big hub 44 for a pipe and and air filter for a yfz450 and installed it for the d60. It’s gone up over the years, but on a Chevy it’s money ahead going d60 over a 44, if you’re planning on crossover steering, finding a flattop d44 and machining the knuckle plus doing new ball joints, and if you want to upgrade axle you have exceeded the cost of a 60.

There are a few different superduty axles, the early ones have unit bearing issues and are expensive to replace and the later ones are much wider and both use different wheels, and beware of the Dana 50 it looks identical to a superduty 60 but has a small ring and pinion, many one tons got the 50

 

[Only the Tony]

Doug Nash underdrive for TH400

 

[Daserlon]

My poor ol Chev lol

 

[stihl livin]

My poor ol Chev lol
View attachment 204787

doesnt even look to be squatting

 

[Daserlon]

doesnt even look to be squatting

Its a Chevy! Lol it has air bags on the rear axle.

 

[Bigmac]

My poor ol Chev lol
View attachment 204787

Nice haul!!

 

[Daserlon]

Nice haul!!

Thanks Bigmac. I loaded it heavy cuz its going to my place. I usually dont load that big.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

I said goodbye to the old girl last night after work. She was always a good truck, but I couldn't justify keeping 2 trucks registered and insured for as much as I use them:

 

[Locust Cutter]

That truck with a granny 4-spd and 4wd would be just fine! The 3/4 or 1-ton version with the same tranny and front axle, but a 454 (or Injected 8.1l) would be even better!

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

That truck with a granny 4-spd and 4wd would be just fine! The 3/4 or 1-ton version with the same tranny and front axle, but a 454 (or Injected 8.1l) would be even better!

I looked into converting to 4WD. The parts list was too long for me to mess with it. Bought a 2011 silverado 2500 and joined the modern world.

Loved that C-30 though. Just a joy to drive.

 

[Locust Cutter]

Actually, thinking about it now, a turbo'd 8.1, with a ZF-6 behind it, with a divorced NP205 and Rockwell axles would make a dynamite driveline. Then run it on Super SIngles with Air Bags and you'd have a nearly perfect gas heavy truck, that would tow, idle well and get about the same mileage as before, but with a lot more power.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

Actually, thinking about it now, a turbo'd 8.1, with a ZF-6 behind it, with a divorced NP205 and Rockwell axles would make a dynamite driveline. Then run it on Super SIngles with Air Bags and you'd have a nearly perfect gas heavy truck, that would tow, idle well and get about the same mileage as before, but with a lot more power.

6.0 LS with a 6L90. Dead reliable, dead simple, and more than strong enough. D60 front and keep the FF 14 bolt on the rear, with 4.10's. Keep the ride height stock, and 33's will just tuck without rubbing. Put a quiet exhaust on it, and have a real sleeper.

 

[cgraham1]

Hell, a 4.8 LS has more power than a truck 454 (7.4) did in the 80’s. 6.0 would make a nice square body truck engine.

 

[Dub11]

I think an LS with a flat plan crank in a square body toy would turn some heads lol.

 

[Locust Cutter]

Hell, a 4.8 LS has more power than a truck 454 (7.4) did in the 80’s. 6.0 would make a nice square body truck engine.

The 4.8 is a warm little engine! It has more horsepower, and possibly more torque, but it's gotta wind out a hell of a lot more to get there, where the 454 had it right off of idle. The 8.1 has torque, horsepower AND RPM, to clean out meaty tires. But Clint and Chris, your points are quite valid. Just about any LS architecture power plant (or an 8.1 Gen?BB) would be terrific in a lighter squarebody.

I test drove an '05 1500, 4.8/auto, 4x4, reg cab/lb awhile back. I was quite impressed with that engine! That little truck would scoot.

 

[cus_deluxe]

I’ve gone through several square bodies, just got rid of my 84 k30 last summer, which was a bummer but I needed something better goin down the road. Cobbled up a 79 pickup cab onto a 80s blazer frame (that’s the fender of that in my avatar pic). That one ended up with 14 bolt/d60, 5.13s, 44s and a t-case doubler. Was a hell of a lot of fun, even with the 305 in it ....

 

[5155]

My latest (and newest ever) is a 91 GMC K-15 350 auto.
Motor and trans a little tired but I went ahead and did the body last winter. It's just okay. We got road salt here.
It and the 90 before were only ones I didn't engine build.
400, 350, 327, 283s. Dating myself there lol.

You guys talking of the 305. I thought I scored a hum dinger. Fancy Camaro (I-rock?) was in bad wreck and I was in on the tow.
Car pronounced totaled, I scored the engine.
Thought it'd be a 350 but after I open it was 305 with casting snapped at oil filter area. I kept the heads.
I need to dig them out, track the numbers and see what they'll fit.
Have a few old steel crank 350s hoarded and have not kept up with interchange since mid 80s.

 

[Dub11]

The 4.8 is a warm little engine! It has more horsepower, and possibly more torque, but it's gotta wind out a hell of a lot more to get there, where the 454 had it right off of idle. The 8.1 has torque, horsepower AND RPM, to clean out meaty tires. But Clint and Chris, your points are quite valid. Just about any LS architecture power plant (or an 8.1 Gen?BB) would be terrific in a lighter squarebody.

I test drove an '05 1500, 4.8/auto, 4x4, reg cab/lb awhile back. I was quite impressed with that engine! That little truck would scoot.

And after a little research I've done a 4.8 can pick up close to 100hp with a simple cam and spring swap. Will it doesn't pick up hardly any more torque it was pulling hard to the 6500 redline on the dyno. I know its not a work friendly set up but would be killer in a toy.

 

[kingOFgEEEks]

And after a little research I've done a 4.8 can pick up close to 100hp with a simple cam and spring swap. Will it doesn't pick up hardly any more torque it was pulling hard to the 6500 redline on the dyno. I know its not a work friendly set up but would be killer in a toy.

Yep. 4.8 for a toy. 6.0 for doing work.
Or this would always be fun: