Overland K1500 Silverado Project "Old Red"

[Matt Dylan]

--Vehicle Summary--
Current Project Truck, planning on a 2" lift, 33" All-terrain tires, removing the body lift, popping some dents, new exhaust and cats, limited slip, clean up the paint and adding lots of Raptor Liner.

I've rebuilt most of the front suspension, but it needs new lca bushings and the torsion bars are rusted to the keys and the control arms

The truck's engine seems tired and 4WD needs work new u-joints in the rear, and the water pump is on its way out and the ac is kaput.

--Current Issue--
I've looked at any or all sources I could find and the most viable solution on YouTube was taking a literal jackhammer to the torsion bar to break it free without needing a welder or cutting wheel.
I have seen a considerable lack of stamped/welded lower control arms anywhere (rockauto, LMC, Summit, Partsgeek, CarID, etc.)

The local salvage yard nearby doesn't seem to have any and is notorious for ripping people off.

I have (however) seen forged 2500/2500hd gm lower control arms and am curious to know if those are viable options to replace my originals with these if I get the appropriate torsion bars and keys.

Any advice?

 

[Zseventy-one]

In the same boat with all of the above. (Except I just did full exhaust which really woke the engine up)
My rust bucket really needs the entire suspension replaced but just going to start with new shocks on all 4 corners. Spray every bolt with liquid wrench for a few days while I research what shocks I want. Would like to raise her a 1-2 inches at the most.
Right now it feels like a brick hitting small bumps, and on larger bumps the front acts like a pogo stick.
Watching your thread for other suspension advice as my torsion bars/keys & body mounts are all mega rusted.

 

[Matt Dylan]

I've asked around and some of my coworkers since posting this and they are fairly sure that Chevy/GMC GMT800 2500HD LCAs, bars, and keys should work on the K1500s, but I'm gonna need a Sawzall and big cutting wheel for that. I'm set on the 3" Flowmaster Catback single side exit Exhaust, new cats & O2 sensors, and OEM replacement headers to access my spark plugs.

 

[Matt Dylan]

I intend on keeping the original 350 engine for now, but I plan on Swapping it with an L96 engine (6.0L Vortec) and throwing a on "Vortech" supercharger with a 4L80e transmission behind it making it a Sleeper-Daily-Overlander-ish truck. For now I'm going to use Mesa Ap3 tires until I throw some BFGoodrich All terrain KO2 or KM3's on there when my funds are in better shape since the Nitto Terra Grapplers I have now are really proving to be a disappointment.

(Note)
I've added some images of the progress I've made so far from 2017 to now in 2021

 

[offroadtahoe]

you can find the forged lower control arms arms with these part numbers# 512-01592L 512-01591R i just got a set for 139$,the stamped steel lca's part numbers are 512-01594L 512-01593R i got mine from ebay,there also on justparts

 

[Matt Dylan]

Looking at methods to remove the torsion bar I have found a few possible methods, however the only issue I need to adapt the methods involving both seized control arms and keys. Looking at taking a torch, chisel, and a cutting wheel to applicable areas.

Also I've got some seals to tend to with the transmission and transfer case in addition to removing the jerry-rigged, rusted out exhaust that sounds like utter garbage

 

[HeavyAsAChevy]

Did those come stock with an aluminum driveshaft?

 

[Matt Dylan]

Did those come stock with an aluminum driveshaft?

I believe so

 

[Matt Dylan]

I have removed the Headers for new OEM Cast manifold and EGR tube.

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Additionally I found the red vinyl backing for the intake box

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I also found the bad spark plug wire that tried to kill me

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Currently installing new OEM spark plugs and spark plug wires and ignition coil wire,
but as luck would have it, I'm going to have to replace the cats as well as the muffler and tail pipes since the cat's inlet flanges had been modified to fit the aftermarket heads.

 

[Matt Dylan]

New ACDelco spark plugs and wires are in, sounds significantly better, finally removed the old exhaust and I will be getting ready to install a new OEM style exhaust for the time being. Old downstream o2 sensors are seized to the pipes so the truck's gonna get a new set of upstream and downstream.

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found a little surprise after removing the catalytic converters, the flanges are certainly not the original and probably are part of the reason why they never stayed attached to the headers

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So I'm gonna have to now fork out an additional 3 to 400 dollars for cats in addition to the pipes as well and that will hopefully happen late July or mid August.

Then I can finally get some new tires, for the time being it's just gonna be a set of Mesa AP3's since the NITTO Terra Grapplers did not last.