converting late 70s g20 to 4x4 via blazer front end?

[nomad_games]

Hey folks,

I picked up a great 78 Chevy G20. I'm considering doing a 4x4 conversion, as I live in Colorado and have a severe case of back country wanderlust. I have heard rumors that you can just swap in the front end from a same-generation Blazer. Anyone have any info on this? Someone on vanning.com pointed me to this forum by my search skills are leaving me high and dry.

Thanks!

 

[wjeeper]

I am sure its not just a simple bolt on deal. I have done a few solid axle swaps on chevys (1 Blazer and one c-1500) and I would think that it woulndt be much harder than an SAS on one of these rigs.
If I remember these vans are uni-body with a sub-frame up front?

Boulder Offroad Vans makes a kit but at almost $3000:Wow1: I would think there are other options available that outta get there for cheaper

SORD makes a SAS kit for trucks. the front cross member would probably work with minimal modifications. the rear shackle mounts would likely have to be custom though. But their kit is sub $500 if memory serves me right

There was a member on here with a really bad *** van of a similar vintage that converted his.......lemme see if I can find the link. I hope his pictures dint get lost in the photobucket debacle

 

[wjeeper]

http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/148675-The-Lunchbox-Build-4x4-chevy-shorty-van

Looks like The Lunchbox van used some DIY4X parts as well as some custom parts

And it looks like there is less of a sub frame on these vans than I remembered

 

[deserteagle56]

I bought a GMC G20 "Terravan" conversion new in 1976 and drove it for 32 years:








I sold that van some years ago so I can't help you with photos of the undercarriage. But yes, these are a unibody construction and there was a whole new frame section grafted onto the front for the leaf springs to attach to. You can see the front leaf spring mount in front of the tire in the last photo. And yes, the axle was a Dana 44, standard GM 1/2 ton with the 6 bolt wheels. Terravan even used the standard down-sloping GM front springs. Transfer case was a New Process 203 converted to a part-time unit. The transfer case was supported by a custom fabricated mount. Small-block 400 engine, Turbo 350 tranny and 3.73 gears.

I explored a lot of this great country with this van!

 

[nomad_games]

man those photos are awesome. here's mine from last weekend:

i'm definitely not assuming it will be a simple bolt on. I work in Lafayette really close to Boulder Offroad, so I'm aware of the kit. It is pricey, though, more than I paid for a good condition running van with an extra set of wheels and tires in the first place. I'm good with mechanical stuff, do all my own work and have rebuilt several motorcycle engines, etc. Also work at a metal fabrication place. just dont really know anything about what's required to do this swap. Obviously a different front axle, but I don't have much idea beyond that.

 

[jkam]

I had an 86 Kvan from Pathfinder.
The front axle was from a Ford, it was needed to have the pumpkin on the correct side for the conversion.
Mine had a Borg Warner transfer case mated to the Turbo 400 transmission.
I don't think a Blazer swap will be easy or even the right way to go.

 

[1leglance]

I have a friend in Pueblo selling a 4x4 G van for a killer price if you want the info. He is a solid guy and a few members here know and would be willing to answer questions or send pics if you don't buy his van.

 

[nomad_games]

I'm interested, send me infos. thanks!

 

[Lunchbox2]

http://forum.expeditionportal.com/threads/148675-The-Lunchbox-Build-4x4-chevy-shorty-van

Looks like The Lunchbox van used some DIY4X parts as well as some custom parts

And it looks like there is less of a sub frame on these vans than I remembered

There's no subframe under these, they have what looks like a full frame but it's just a couple layers of folded sheetmetal, and the body is completely welded to it (making it a unibody). They are harder to do than the fords but it really wasn't all that bad. I wheel the snot out of mine and she's held up great!

 

[Lunchbox2]

I had an 86 Kvan from Pathfinder.
The front axle was from a Ford, it was needed to have the pumpkin on the correct side for the conversion.
Mine had a Borg Warner transfer case mated to the Turbo 400 transmission.
I don't think a Blazer swap will be easy or even the right way to go.

That front pathfinder axle isn't a ford axle, it's custom made by Dana corp. for Pathfinder. They are 3" wider than any of the truck axles (to match the wider REAR van axles). They used a driver side drop because the engine/trans is offset to the passenger side by a few inches, and it freed up a little bit more room. That being said, I used a kingpin 60 up front and it is passenger drop, and I don't have any clearance issues. You can use the blazer front axle in the boulder offroad kit, but a van rear axle is needed in order for it to bolt to the factory leaf spring positions

 

[Lunchbox2]

man those photos are awesome. here's mine from last weekend:

i'm definitely not assuming it will be a simple bolt on. I work in Lafayette really close to Boulder Offroad, so I'm aware of the kit. It is pricey, though, more than I paid for a good condition running van with an extra set of wheels and tires in the first place. I'm good with mechanical stuff, do all my own work and have rebuilt several motorcycle engines, etc. Also work at a metal fabrication place. just dont really know anything about what's required to do this swap. Obviously a different front axle, but I don't have much idea beyond that.

Go read my build thread for my van (The Lunchbox Build), it's very documented with tons of pictures, and it will give you an idea of what you're up against. Just to let you know though, 4x4 vans aren't cheap in any way. I paid $200 for my van body, then another $13k on parts, and hundreds of man hours building it myself. It's hard to do one of these cheap.....