10K possible with a 4.3 and NV3500?

[L31MaxExpress]

I just don't see the point in trying to beef up the 1/2 ton. Go find an 03+ 8-lug Express cargo van with a 6.0L and a 4.10 rear gear. Those are rated to pull 9,500+ lbs and you can often find them for $2500 or less. An 08+ Nissan Titan was also very capable of pulling 9,000+ lbs when equiped with the 3.36 gear and you can find those cheap too. That 5.6L will pull the trailer hitch off that homemade trailer with its low-end grunt. I bet if you looked hard enough you could find an 01+ 2500 Truck or Suburban with an 8.1 for a fair price as well. I pased over a 2003 2500 Burb 8.1 4x4 for $4,500 a few years ago with only 160K on it. Interior was not great but would have made a fantastic tow rig/work truck.

 

[Gibson]

OK guys,, were their some "crossover" Suburbans?
Just today I found a 2000 K2500 Sub, with a 454, but it's a 400 body,, could the guy have made a mistake on the year?
Anyway, the 96>99 Subs with the Vortec 454s and 4:10s were rated at 10K towing, the 4:10s were optional, with the standard 3:73s they were at, (IIRC,) ~ 8.5K.
Interestingly, the highest rated Subs ever were the '01>'06 800 platform with the 8.1 and the optional 4:10s, they were rated at 12K,, but you would never be able to pass a gas station.

 

[L29Sub]

I'm working on this. It's coming together. Since we'll have 5 tons hanging on the rear bumper....this (the green parts) will work nicely on the front. As Mr Viking says...gotta share the load.
Safety first!
As a farmer. I know $heeit...
Whatcha think? Really?
I'm gonna quit this...maybe. Been fun!
C1500 with a DD 4/53T. What I said...

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[L31MaxExpress]

OK guys,, were their some "crossover" Suburbans?
Just today I found a 2000 K2500 Sub, with a 454, but it's a 400 body,, could the guy have made a mistake on the year?
Anyway, the 96>99 Subs with the Vortec 454s and 4:10s were rated at 10K towing, the 4:10s were optional, with the standard 3:73s they were at, (IIRC,) ~ 8.5K.
Interestingly, the highest rated Subs ever were the '01>'06 800 platform with the 8.1 and the optional 4:10s, they were rated at 12K,, but you would never be able to pass a gas station.

8.1 is no worse than a 5.7 or 6.0L with a trailer behind it. Difference is it lugs along at 2,000-3,000 rpm where the small engine is twisting 4,500+.

01-02 8.1/4.10 van was 10K tow rating. The 1-ton van has the same 1/4" thick frame as the 1/2 tons, however unlike the trucks it is fully boxed making it MUCH stronger.

 

[VIKING_MECHANIC]

I'm working on this. It's coming together. Since we'll have 5 tons hanging on the rear bumper....this (the green parts) will work nicely on the front. As Mr Viking says...gotta share the load.
Safety first!
As a farmer. I know $heeit...
Whatcha think? Really?
I'm gonna quit this...maybe. Been fun!
C1500 with a DD 4/53T. What I said...

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You've got enough torque to jump-start a dead planet with that. lol

 

[VIKING_MECHANIC]

I just don't see the point in trying to beef up the 1/2 ton.

The whole idea is to create something unique. Will it be easy? Hell no. Will it be useful? Well for me it will be. And of course a engine and trans swap is in the future since I have to beef-up the fame anyways.

Go find an 03+ 8-lug Express cargo van with a 6.0L and a 4.10 rear gear. Those are rated to pull 9,500+ lbs and you can often find them for $2500 or less.

Personally, I don't care for anything after 2000. I don't like the design and don't like how GM discontinued probably of of the most popular engines that ever existed. An LS can make some serious power, but I'm old school and prefer a distributor.

 

[VIKING_MECHANIC]

Hint. Make it look like this.
Live happily ever after.

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Sure, let me pick up a dually so I have four trucks sitting in my driveway lol

 

[VIKING_MECHANIC]

While you're building, a DD 4-53NA MUI can be stuffed in that space....with modest modifications to the front suspension...and a few other systems... 4-53 has a huge 'personality' quotient..big fun. There are some aluminum block 4-53T generator engines for military use that are floating around. Easy-peasy. Killer little engines. Huge power at 2800 Rs.
Your NV 3500 will require minor adapting. And locate a good used Dana 60 front axle (Ford 1 ton). Since you're building from ground up...WTH...go for it.
BTW, in order to make your project a bit easier, Cummins 4BT would also "fit" and make a nice project. 5.9 or 6.7 better? Avoid old GM V8 diesels like the plague. 2016 and up big 3 diesels are all great. Most any 5.9 and up Cummins are excellent...YMMV. Post pics!
[emoji6]


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I probably wouldn't go with diesel because I don't know much about them. But if I would, I'd still choose the 6.5. A cummins or anything else in a Chevy just doesn't sit right with me. And if you're willing to spend some time and some decent money and fix the SCREW-UPS gm made to the Detroits, you'll get something pretty good. And yes a SAS is in the very near future. IFS can really suck ass at times.

 

[stutaeng]

OK guys,, were their some "crossover" Suburbans?
Just today I found a 2000 K2500 Sub, with a 454, but it's a 400 body,, could the guy have made a mistake on the year?
Anyway, the 96>99 Subs with the Vortec 454s and 4:10s were rated at 10K towing, the 4:10s were optional, with the standard 3:73s they were at, (IIRC,) ~ 8.5K.
Interestingly, the highest rated Subs ever were the '01>'06 800 platform with the 8.1 and the optional 4:10s, they were rated at 12K,, but you would never be able to pass a gas station.

So you mean a GMT 800 suburban 2500 4x4 with 454? Yeah, the guy must have made a mistake. It has a 6.0 LQ4. That was the only option in 2000 for that truck. There were no "cross over" suburban 2500. If his its a
GMT 400, then it's a '99.

I just bought my second 2500 gmt800 suburban. The guy was selling it for his Dad. He was told it was the "big V8" so guy listed it as a 8.1. Later he discovered through the VIN it was a LQ4. That's what I was really looking for anyways. My other one is '06 also with LQ4, 2wd and 4.10s. It has been taken good care of.

This one on the other hand is in rough shape. Same drivetrain, just 4x4.

The 8.1 in the suburban is a good setup, but I would not tow over 10,000 lbs due to the short wheelbase. Engine would handle it no problem tough. Long bed truck would probably be a better option for stability. That's just me.

BTW, OP never mentioned the actual truck configuration he's got. Maybe it's a RCSB, LOL.

 

[VIKING_MECHANIC]

BTW, OP never mentioned the actual truck configuration he's got. Maybe it's a RCSB, LOL.

Whoops, my bad. Never even thought about it. It's actually a ECSB.