suburban to crew cab conversion

[eric.s.t]

agreed... i could have just bought a sports car, but i decided to build my OBS like one

Cant wait to see pics to this build once it starts

 

[Sumbitch]

But half the fun is building it sometimes and having the pride that you did it yourself

So true!

I have two project trucks I wanna do before I die. One involving a white tahoe lifted for snowing and this. Cept I'd cut off the top half behind the rear doors and pull everything out from the back. Fabricate a small bed and with a lil bit of time, turn it into the one and only 199(5,6,7,8,9) Chevrolet Avalanche! I'd have the best of both worlds: an Avalanche and a GMT-400. (i like Avalanches...) Post plenty of pics! This really oughta be neat!

 

[Tinason]

I have a crew cab off a 96 all ready, but it was hit on the passenger rear rocker and caved in the jamb and it also has severe rust problems above windshield. That was my second option. I think the crew cab has more hidden rust and might be a big job getting it mint. The suburban was a west coast truck and not a spot of rust or damage on it. Another thing I dont like about the actual crew cab is that it is missing the body lines right behind the rear doors...looks weird....this way if use the sub...my body lines will be perfect! Pics should be coming soon, I have 1 of the donor trucks in the shop....just need to know what to cut and where?

 

[Sierra]

This is going to be one heck of a project. The frames on a suburban are different than the trucks. Also the crew cab is longer than the suburban by 13". As far as the bodyline goes, you cut it from a regular cab and graft onto the crew cab.

I have thought about taking a suburban and making a crew. It looks like you would cut the back portion of the crew cab and graft it onto the suburban right behind the doors. I don't have the tools or the skills for something like this so I opted to save up for a running crew cab to work with.

 

[eric.s.t]

You can probably drill out the spot welds in the door jamb, and then cut the roof a abit longer. The floor will have to be mesured obviously to find how much metal you'll need to reach the new "back half". Then do the same to the regularcab, drill out the spot welds in the door jamb, then find the ones in the floor. You could find the spot welds or whatever that holds the roof on and cut that out. Then atleast the side of your cab should, in theory, weld up atthe jambs. Then its a matter of finding were your roof will fit. Would have to roll your edge to match a factory edge of the back half of your roof. Then your floor, who knows if their even printed the same... Hmm... sounds like lots of work.

 

[supertrucker1978]

This is going to be quite a bit of work. I know you said you have a donor truck but its not all about just cuttiing the back off of the cab and hacking up the burb and weld them together. You also have to take into account for the inner structure of the trucks as well. But this website has pictures of parts in a microfiche layout.

http://www.gmpartsoutlet.net/

 

[JJZ71]

But half the fun is building it sometimes and having the pride that you did it yourself

100% agree Taylor

 

[Tinason]

I have located the drawings of 95 chevy trucks. It looks like I can use the back wall of a regular cab. I will have to cut the spotwelds on the inside of the jamb. The regular cab will also supply the internal structural panels from the door back. A suburban has a low floor at the back of cab, so that has to be replaced because the gas tank on my crew is under the cab. That section is removeable on a factory seam under the rear seat. I have 2 choices there...use the regular cab back hump, or an extended cab has the same shape, just not sure about the seat attachment...will have to look into that more. The cab mounts will also come from the regular cab, or I use the cab mounts on the extended cab...just more work. I'm not too leary of all that, its the outer roof skin that is going to be fun...and not in a good way. A suburbans roof is corrugated because of its length for support. I will have to make a transition from the corrugated roof to the smooth roof where it joins into the back. One good thing is that my 96 crew cab has that transition due to crews having corrugated roofs also, but I didnt want to cut into that cab if I didnt have to. So it looks like this should work...all be it alot of work....but im doing it for fun anyways...so im not to worried.
If anyone has some insight on or has cut off the back of a suburban, was there anything I should do...bracing and such ...or do you think it will be structural enough?
Thanks again...and if anyone sees a hitch in my plan...please speak up...i like going in prepared!

 

[supertrucker1978]

Defiantly brace the sub before you start cutting. Up and down, side to side and criss crossed. It will save you a bunch of headaches.

 

[DroppedAsAChild]

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/showthread.php?p=5243775#post5243775