What is all needed to run a simple sas with 40s on a k1500?

Schurkey said:

The FIRST thing you need to think about is what you're going to do for a rear axle, 'cause the 8.5" ring gear, junk axle your truck was probably built with has nowhere near the strength needed, nor the gearing needed, nor the brakes required.

I'd expect a half-ton with a '700 to have the base (weak) 8.5" rear axle, 3.42, maybe 3.73 gears. I'd expect 254mm (10") leading/trailing shoe brakes, which aren't adequate even with small OEM-sized tires.

Why do you need a solid front axle if you're not doing extreme off-road activities? Seems like a total waste of time, money, effort, and enthusiasm.

By the time you buy parts and add your labor to convert the rear axle, and fabricate the front axle, you could sell your truck, and just buy a 3/4-ton 8-lug squarebody with a solid front axle and save two weeks of headaches and parts chasing.

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Schurkey said:

The FIRST thing you need to think about is what you're going to do for a rear axle, 'cause the 8.5" ring gear, junk axle your truck was probably built with has nowhere near the strength needed, nor the gearing needed, nor the brakes required.

I'd expect a half-ton with a '700 to have the base (weak) 8.5" rear axle, 3.42, maybe 3.73 gears. I'd expect 254mm (10") leading/trailing shoe brakes, which aren't adequate even with small OEM-sized tires.

Why do you need a solid front axle if you're not doing extreme off-road activities? Seems like a total waste of time, money, effort, and enthusiasm.

By the time you buy parts and add your labor to convert the rear axle, and fabricate the front axle, you could sell your truck, and just buy a 3/4-ton 8-lug squarebody with a solid front axle and save two weeks of headaches and parts chasing.

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Supercharged111 said:

Geez you guys are so technical. There are only 3 things required here:

#1: Money

#2: Money

#3: Money

Seriously though, you've already gotten some good advice. Just don't expect it to be cheap unless you want it to suck balls.

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Supercharged111 said:

Geez you guys are so technical. There are only 3 things required here:

#1: Money

#2: Money

#3: Money

Seriously though, you've already gotten some good advice. Just don't expect it to be cheap unless you want it to suck balls.

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williscr3 said:

Will power and commitment, knowledge of how things work together, and the idea that it's custom so it needs fine tuning for couple years. Mechanical experience.

I used sky offroad kit. Leaf spring brackets $550 (bolt on)
Sky offroad steering kit $400
Procomp 2.5" leafs for blazer $300
(Brackets add 3" lift so total lift 5.5")
88 suburban front driveshaft $100 ebay
Transfercase front flange $50 ebay
Had to mill splines down to fit case
79 ford f250 hp d44 8 bolt local guy $200
88 blazer shocks rough country $120 front
Sky offroad leaf spring u bolt kit $90
Sky offroad weld on shock mounts $50

Also upgraded to 4.10 gear 14 bolt for rear 8 bolt $350
So had to regear ford axle to 4.10. Did this myself. $250ish
$200 new take off 8 bolt rims

Upgraded brake master cylinder to NBS to handle much larger brakes. $100
Also have to configure exhaust differently.
About sums it up.

My opinion... buy 3" body lift crank torsion to level and buy 35" tires. Looks like monster truck, still handles well for street use and more then capable. Way cheaper way less engineering, way less headache.

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stutaeng said:

I think $4k-$5k is probably a good estimate the times I kinda price checked.

Then there's all the time to hunt down a whatever year Dana 60, ordering parts, sending parts that were ordered or received wrong.

Then there's the actual work. About 2-3 weeks working nights and weekends, depending on how you look at it.

I'm sorry to say, but in my case I'd be looking for an F-350 4x4 from the late 90s/early 00 if I wanted to SAS my Chebby K3500.

But would still be a good project for the wow factor.

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Dalton Miller 2003 said:

Yep. I think I'm going for the wow factor in the end. Ohio sucks on lift laws but I still plan on daily driving it when it gets done. (Of if it gets done with how much I've got to worry about everyone keeps saying).

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Dalton Miller 2003 said:

I am not in a great hurry to do this yet. I'd just like to know exactly what I should be searching for and I guess a price. My truck is a white 1990 k1500 short bed single cab with a 5.7 and a 700r4 transmission. I'd like to have it sit on 40 by probably 15.5 inch tires and a 14 inch wide wheel and still be able to daily drive it (not worrying about gas yet). I'd also like to take it offraod some to (nothing extreme I wouldn't say). Just some mudding or some medium leval trails as I have some woods to play with it in (like cricks and hills). Also I'd like to keep fearly cheap as it gets if possible. Thanks for the help. And I've attached a picture of what I'd sort of like it to sit like.

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reservoir dog said:

I would say a 14 bolt is in order for 35's and up , I would go deep on the gearing, I'm running 3.42's with 33" tires and it's a dog. I would like 4.10 with my tires , overdrive trans will let you run some pretty steep gears .

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