GMT 400 chassis and suspension info

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fattyjr

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Hello out there,

Hopefully i can get some info on here for a project I have.

I have a 1948 chevy 6400 stake bed truck and looking to update the suspension and brakes. I have managed to find a complete 93 chevrolet truck here in the UK that I plan to purchase and slip under my 48.

The guy selling the truck doesn't seem to know what he has other than it's a crew cab and it has 6 lug wheels.

Having a dig round before pulling the trigger, I am trying to find out a rough idea on what the front and rear axle load raitings might be incase I plan to swap engines out etc. I can't seem to find anything out yet.

I know on my 06 chevy 2500HD CCSB D'max has the ratings on the door frame.
 

someotherguy

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1993 crew cab with 6 lug wheels? Maybe a mistake in terminology? Here in the US we refer to a crew cab as a pickup truck with 4 full size doors. For the GMT400 (1988-1998) trucks these are generally only seen in 3/4 ton and 1 ton versions, which are 8 lug wheels. There were a very few aftermarket conversions made by a company called Centurion, that would take half ton 2WD and 4WD models and convert them to crew cabs. The 4WD version of this would have 6 lug wheels.

What is your goal for the '48 6400? Just a fun cruiser? If so then the truck you've found may be an OK donor as long as you have the fabrication skills needed to make the body mounts, get the wheelbase correct, etc. But if you intend on working it at all, the half ton chassis will not be up to the job.

One big gotcha I see is the non-dually setup of that truck is going to look funny under that 6400's body. The track width will be narrower and of course the rear wheels will be a single wheel setup instead of dual.

For something that would be a really kickass swap to put under that 6400, you could score one of those old MOD 3500HD conversion trucks pretty cheap, I think? That HD chassis rides rough but it's tough as nails. What is it the MOD called those... TAVERN, that's it. Seems like people are getting them for around $1000 or less, they're a 16K GVWR chassis, and the ones the MOD ended up with were also converted to 4WD whereas all 3500HD's of that era only came 2WD from the factory.

What they looked like in action
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What you get after they decommission them and auction them off:
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Still totally usable for projects and a few members over on 3500HD forums have made some nice custom pickup trucks out of them.


Richard
 

65nightmare

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1993 crew cab with 6 lug wheels? Maybe a mistake in terminology? Here in the US we refer to a crew cab as a pickup truck with 4 full size doors. For the GMT400 (1988-1998) trucks these are generally only seen in 3/4 ton and 1 ton versions, which are 8 lug wheels. There were a very few aftermarket conversions made by a company called Centurion, that would take half ton 2WD and 4WD models and convert them to crew cabs. The 4WD version of this would have 6 lug wheels.

What is your goal for the '48 6400? Just a fun cruiser? If so then the truck you've found may be an OK donor as long as you have the fabrication skills needed to make the body mounts, get the wheelbase correct, etc. But if you intend on working it at all, the half ton chassis will not be up to the job.

One big gotcha I see is the non-dually setup of that truck is going to look funny under that 6400's body. The track width will be narrower and of course the rear wheels will be a single wheel setup instead of dual.

For something that would be a really kickass swap to put under that 6400, you could score one of those old MOD 3500HD conversion trucks pretty cheap, I think? That HD chassis rides rough but it's tough as nails. What is it the MOD called those... TAVERN, that's it. Seems like people are getting them for around $1000 or less, they're a 16K GVWR chassis, and the ones the MOD ended up with were also converted to 4WD whereas all 3500HD's of that era only came 2WD from the factory.

What they looked like in action
You must be registered for see images attach


What you get after they decommission them and auction them off:
You must be registered for see images attach


Still totally usable for projects and a few members over on 3500HD forums have made some nice custom pickup trucks out of them.


Richard

There is acouple light duty 3/4 tons (6 lug) around here that are crew cabs but every one I saw is 96+
 

someotherguy

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If it's GMT400, 6 lug, and crew cab - it'll be a 1500 Centurion conversion and 4WD, or custom-made by someone else. Does not exist factory. The only bodies a 2500 light duty came with factory are regular cab longbed and extended cab shortbed.

Richard
 
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