85 chevy half ton long bed

[zukijames]

i recently bought an old chevy.. its got a 383 ,sm465 ( i think 4 speed manual) not sure what case , 2 inch lift and i just got some 33 inch baja claws

trying to decided what to do.

i bought if for daily driver, tow rig, weekend wheeler


the axles are tiny! but upgrading is expensive..

thought about a 60 or 14bolt ff rear..


also i would like more travel

thinking 63's in the back with a anti wrap bar.

the front will probably leaf how it is because of the push pull steering


i know nothing about these

what would you guys suggest to make it a little more offroad friendly but still road friendly?

 

[Deweyxj]

Most likely, the t-case is a NP208, the easy way to tell is to look under it. If the rear drive is a slip yolk, It's a 208. If it is an output yoke its a 205. I don't think they were still using the 203 at that time & it is too early for the NV231.

I have owned 3 Suburbans, same WB heavier body, 1 - 4 spd man (SM465), like yours, 1 - 3 spd auto, 1 -4 spd auto, so IMHO this is what you should do!



1. Towing/ daily driver : With an SM465 - you don't have overdrive, 3.73 gears & 33" tires is about like 31's and overdrive, you should be fine for most conditions, with 1st gear starts when towing.:busted:

2. Wheeling : Run it around awhile & decide what kind of wheeling you want to do in it. My Subs were perfect for the towing duties I needed them for 2500# -3500#:thumbs:
I used them for hunting & camping duties, drove them into some really tight spots & scratched & dented them a little! That long WB helps & hurts so before you make a bunch of mods take it out!! you'll be surprised!!


Just my .02 worth.....

 

[DaveB]

As far as I know in 85 the only trucks from the factory that had a 205 were the one tons (like mine). My 85 205 has a slip yoke not a fixed yoke. However someone could have changed the factory setup to an older sm465/205 combo. If it were me I would find someone selling an old 1 ton, buy it swap the axles and re-sell it for a bit less.

 

[zukijames]

are the spring mounts the same on the 1 ton axles if its the same year as mine?

 

[cjncustoms]

What did you do call it quits on your buggy? Why don't you focus on finishing that?

 

[DaveB]

are the spring mounts the same on the 1 ton axles if its the same year as mine?

I am pretty sure they are, you can come meassure my axles to make sure.

 

[LT.]

After you have made some decisions then your next stop should be Off Road Design. They are solid axle Chevy experts. Lots of parts and ideas and the owner, Steven Watson, is very friendly and knowledgeable.

LT.

 

[tony moniz]

i just started a chevy project of my own, an '86 k5. i swaped in a 454, sm465, np205 from an '83 1 ton. with out the donor truck i made alot of trips to the junk yard. and i got a 14bff for the rear and just the 3/4 ton front for now(easy and chep to find this set up). i'm gonna use the rear 52" springs up front and 63" in the rear. should ride and wheel good for what i want to do. medium to heavy wheeling(not hard core, i got something else for that). the bolt on parts can add up quik. with your fab skills you can build the same brackets no problem, and be more proud of your truck. also check out ck5.com. you'll have to search alot but it's all there. more than the chevy section on pirate. good luck. mabey you should hitch a ride with sean down to pocatello one day and i'll let you drive my k5 to see what you think.