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2003-05 Astro/Safari van knuckle/hub swap. If 4x4 have to use AWD knuckles. 2wd use the 2wd knuckle. You could even run the GMT900 Police Tahoe rotors and calipers on them. I will say I have a buddy that had a heck of a time with the CV axles though and had to get spacers and make a drop setup for his front differential to make it all work with his lift. The CV axles kept popping the stub shafts out of the differential until he did those changes. The axle spacers hit the frame without dropping the front diff although dropping the front diff makes the CV angles much better on a lifted truck.
Thanks for the info. I will check it out. I wish it was possible to swap the 3/4 ton running gear on to a 1500 truck. Bigger brakes, lighter weight truck.
It is possible to do. My 97 Express has full 3500 running gear under it. 4L85E, 10.5FF 14 bolt with 13x3.5 drums, 01-02 3500 van forged upper control arms, 1 ton knuckles, 01-02 van specific 12.5" x 39.1mm thick front rotors, dual rear wheel front calipers that match those thicker rotors, 1 ton steering box, hydroboost, added fluid coolers, etc. Has the 3500 springs, 3500 shocks and a Hellwig rear sway bar for a 3500 Express. Most of the weight difference is in the sprung components. A 10.5FF will add 200+ lbs to your truck for example.
Just curious why if it “works great” currently?
if the lower and upper mounting points are the same distance apart I do not see what is stopping swapping everything. Then again might be easier to find an 8-lug truck with a bad engine, beat up body and/or trashed interior and just body swap the thing as my buddy did on his 1995 C1500. He put the body on a K2500 frame he bought dirt cheap with a blown up Vortec 350 and a beat up body.
It might give my truck better braking when hauling heavy loads, or maybe I won't notice a difference... I'm more curious if there was a rotor option that was bigger in diameter I could easily bolt on. I'm running the GMT 800 NBS rear disc brakes, and currently I have the single caliper version. I can increase the size of the rear brakes by upgrading to the dual piston caliper which is larger, and uses a larger rotor.
