Trying to build this...

[ADVbound]

Hi everyone,
new to the forum and I was wondering if anyone might have info on trying to convert my 1990 Chevy G-30 1/2ton 2wd to 4wd?

I wanted to convert for the obvious reasons, camping and such, but I bought my van thinking that it would be easy to convert or even lift, but it appears I was mistaken.

I originally thought I could just pull the underside off a 90 1/2ton 4x4 truck and it might go on with "little" trouble but then I was told it would ride like junk and cost alot, so then I thought well I could just put a lift in it and a winch and that would be enough to get me where I want to go but now I can't even find a lift for it, again, it would cost a fortune to modify, but is this my only option? .

I don't want to go rock crawling or anything serious but I would like to go where the guy with the lowered civic can't.

Can't figure out the picture thing...http://s1011.photobucket.com/albums/af231/ADVbound/Van/

Thanks in advance,

ADVbound

 

[chrslefty]

I would think that you could get a 2wd lift for a chevy truck of the same year .I wanna say that they make a spring ,control arm/spindel lift for them . Try ranchos site .I think if you look in the truckin mag/websight you could find some .if its a car suspension I know there macking lifts for thoes to beacouse I see the goffy car lifted all the time .get some good shocks and a locker in the back and you'll be amazed were you can go .

 

[ntsqd]

GM trucks starting somewhere about '87 are torsion bar based IFS, so adapting those to your van is going to be a lot of work. Prior to the IFS vintages they are a live axle ("solid axle") on leaf springs. Putting one of these under a van would be work, but a reasonably talented fabricator shouldn't run into more than the normal issues in doing such a conversion. Whom ever said that such a conversion would be expensive was right, but was passing on personal bias on as fact in claiming that the IFS would ride poorly. GM sacrificed strength in favor of ride quality when they went to the IFS system.

There is, however, a big thing that needs to be addressed and that is that classically van engines are offset towards the right side. GM live front axles have the differential on the right side. So that puts a lot of stuff in a small space and is the reason that most 4WD converted vans use a Ford or Dodge left side differential style of front axle. Doing this takes advantage of the greater room under that side of the van created by widening the driver's foot-box area.

There are 5 companies that come to mind that have done 4WD van conversions either currently or in the past. Quigley, Pathfinder, Clydsdale (forum member), Salem-Kroeger, and a company in Utah whose name currently escapes me. Most work on Ford's nearly exclusively though GM van's of your vintage have been done and there was a recent thread about someone just getting one.

If you decide to stay with a 2WD you might try looking into the Hollender number for your front spindles and what else those came on. More than likely those spindles were used on some range of the GM trucks, which means that any lift spindles for these trucks should work on your van. Like-wise for any other front suspension lift components. Rear springs might take some doing, but there are a range of solutions there too. May be able to use some particular truck's rear lift spring, or maybe a short block is enough; and then there are always companies like Deaver, Alcan, and Nation Spring who can make a set of springs at any ride height that you want.
As far as "Traction Adding Differentials" (TAD'S) go, once you ID which rear axle you have you can then look into what diffs are made for it. I have seen web pages with drawings of the various inspection covers and what diff each fits.

 

[ujoint]

Is that van a unibody?

 

[dsw4x4]

Yes that van is unibody but van are inherently strong by design, so building that into 4wd is not any bigger deal than any other van. I will be starting a conversion on one with my neighbor in the near future when we start it I will post it up here so you can check it out. He bought a rolling 3/4 ton suburban frame for two bills it appears to have most of what is needed to do the conversion. If you get a minute look through thundersgarage.com galleries and you will see a few chevy vans on that page.

 

[ntsqd]

Shoot, I was thinking of you Chris, but didn't mention you because I thought you confined your efforts to Fords?

 

[ADVbound]

Hey everyone,
thanks for the replies and all the info.
By the looks of things I am starting to consider just buying a van already done, I have a feeling that having a 4wd conversion done is not the route to take for me and I might be better off with a completed van.
As it sits I don't have a shop and I would have to pay to have someone do the work, well in the end it would be the same if not more to convert than to buy converted.
If I decide otherwise I might go with the suspension lift and lockers as suggested above but for me to go with the 4wd I may as well buy one finished.
I will, however, keep my eyes open for the conversion "dsw4x4" and his buddy is doing, sounds interesting.

Once again, thanks for all the info.

ADVbound:smiley_drive:

 

[BaseCamp]

I haven't been looking in the past few weeks, but national craigslist searches may help you find a donor 4x4 van, I feel like there were quite a few in that generation, here is one that I found:

http://reno.craigslist.org/ctd/1622218357.html

Via this:

http://raclaw.com/Jonathon/GIGO/CLsearchBYstate.php

I normally just search quigley or 4x4 van and come up with stuff, if you're in love with your van, converting via a donor van and parting out the rest of the van would be a pretty inexpensive way. And speaking of which that one I posted thats in reno is pretty sweet.

 

[ujoint]

Shoot, I was thinking of you Chris, but didn't mention you because I thought you confined your efforts to Fords?

No worries! And you're correct, I only do Fords. But I like to try & help anyone I can, at least try & point them in the right direction.

 

[ADVbound]

I'm not in love with this van, I've only had for a few months and I put it up for sale, I'll start with something 4wd/Awd and go from there.
You're right, that one is pretty nice and that's all I'm looking for, plain cargo with some carpet and the rest I'll do myself, might have to do a fly-and-drive.
I'm also looking at maybe an AWD astro/safari. Any ideas on those?

Thanks for the reply.

I haven't been looking in the past few weeks, but national craigslist searches may help you find a donor 4x4 van, I feel like there were quite a few in that generation, here is one that I found:

http://reno.craigslist.org/ctd/1622218357.html

Via this:

http://raclaw.com/Jonathon/GIGO/CLsearchBYstate.php

I normally just search quigley or 4x4 van and come up with stuff, if you're in love with your van, converting via a donor van and parting out the rest of the van would be a pretty inexpensive way. And speaking of which that one I posted thats in reno is pretty sweet.

 

[ihatemybike]

I'm also looking at maybe an AWD astro/safari. Any ideas on those?

Love them! Durable, easy to lift, fairly easy to wrench on, decent on gas. Check out T.Low's van the Astrolander for a prime example.

 

[BaseCamp]

I like those astros, and I really like what you can do with them(overlandvans.com) I saw one that was up for sale in wisconsin, it had the 4x4 conversion so it wasn't a all time awd, it was also lifted 6 or 8 inches, looked very cool. I would say go for it! Good luck selling you're van, I had my truck for sale for 3 weeks then one buyer, it only took one, came down and purchased for my asking price, I'm sure someone will do the same.

 

[ADVbound]

Yeah, I'm thinking about it. Unfortunately I always liked the full sized van but I guess when you're limited to budget, you can't have everything.

Am I right to assume that the AWD has 6 lugs and the 2wd has 5 if there is no badging to state otherwise on the astro/safari van?

There is a dealer up here that wants $13000 for a fully camperized 1998 Safari w/ a pop-top, that has no damage or rust, but don't think it's an AWD.

ADVbound:smiley_drive:

 

[chet]

newer astros have 6 lug somewhere around mid 2000's they switched I think. what dealer has that camper at it? Wouldn't mind seeing pictures of it!

 

[Herbie]

Yeah, I'm thinking about it. Unfortunately I always liked the full sized van but I guess when you're limited to budget, you can't have everything.

Am I right to assume that the AWD has 6 lugs and the 2wd has 5 if there is no badging to state otherwise on the astro/safari van?

There is a dealer up here that wants $13000 for a fully camperized 1998 Safari w/ a pop-top, that has no damage or rust, but don't think it's an AWD.

ADVbound:smiley_drive:

No, the 6-lugs vs. 5-lugs thing is a function of year. 2003-2005 had six-lugs, everything older than that was 5-lugs.

AWD badging changed, so it may be hard to identify from a photo. Hard to miss if you crawl under it though!

If the van is AWD, $13k is a good deal, because the pop-tops are expensive. The last quote I got from GTRV was for about $7200 with a couple of options, which makes that less than 6-grand for the rest of the camperized van.