chevy frame swap

T

the glassman

NAXJA Forum User
Location
cleburne
I seached and searched but know luck.
does anyone have pics or a how to write up or anything of a chevy frame swap.
my idea would be to cut the stock "frame" off and go from there.
Any ideas.....................
 
pointless.... don't even try. The body will fold like a taco.


























I'm not kidding.
 
If you need to ask how to do it, you probably don't have the skills...

I wouldn't even attempt a major overhaul like this, and i've been in fabrication my entire life... What's so bad about the unibody anyway?
 
There was a thread about swapping an S-10 frame with the 4.3 and drivetrain under an XJ, but IIRC, we were successful in talking the kid out of doing it.

You didn't mention specifically what sort of Chevy the frame you have in mind is from. That might help a bit.

But you'd be completely destroying your XJ if you cut the "frame" out from under it to mate it to the Chevy frame........ you do know that the XJ is a unibody vehicle with no traditional "frame" right?

If you're really dead set on trying to sit the XJ unibody down onto a truck frame and suspension, you'd be best to leave the unibody un-cut and mount the frame to the rails of the XJ unibody.

But the entire project seems like more work than it's worth IMHO.

Here's a pic of one sitting on a truck frame...... yuk.

xj0165.jpg
 
YELLAHEEP said:
There was a thread about swapping an S-10 frame with the 4.3 and drivetrain under an XJ, but IIRC, we were successful in talking the kid out of doing it.
Click to expand...


If you're referring to me, they were trying to talk me INTO it.
 
yes i understand that the xj is a unibody

I have a completly built k5 blazer chassis that was a trail roll victum and i also have an 88 xj body sittin behind the shop.

the xj was hit in the front so that is the main reson for thinking about the swap. and of course a cage would be included in the build.

i have plenty of fab skills (my trail rig is a tube buggy with 460/c6/203,205 doubler,rockwells and 53 in michellins) so im not afraid of the fabing

and also im aware that i will have to alter the wheelbase of the k5 alittle.

this was just a though poking around in my head......lol
 
YELLAHEEP said:
There was a thread about swapping an S-10 frame with the 4.3 and drivetrain under an XJ, but IIRC, we were successful in talking the kid out of doing it.

You didn't mention specifically what sort of Chevy the frame you have in mind is from. That might help a bit.

But you'd be completely destroying your XJ if you cut the "frame" out from under it to mate it to the Chevy frame........ you do know that the XJ is a unibody vehicle with no traditional "frame" right?

If you're really dead set on trying to sit the XJ unibody down onto a truck frame and suspension, you'd be best to leave the unibody un-cut and mount the frame to the rails of the XJ unibody.

But the entire project seems like more work than it's worth IMHO.

Here's a pic of one sitting on a truck frame...... yuk.

xj0165.jpg
Click to expand...

wow thats why i was thinking about cutting the stock "frame" rails out and not stacking the body onto the chevy frame.
 
Just put a little more thought into why cutting the "frame" out of an XJ is a bad thing.

If you did, and mounted the Chevy frame to it, you realize that the Chevy frame will want to twist even minimally when the suspension flexes. If you remove the backbone of the XJ's unibody - those frame rails, the rest of the unibody will be able to flex along with the chevy frame much too easy. You'd probably end up with doors that won't open/close, and cracks/tearing to the corners of the XJ body at the top of each pilar and in the cowl.

For that reason, body bushings are found between frames/bodies of full frame vehicles. But you'll note that where trucks are concerned, they're designed to flex a bit and the beds aren't connected to the cab - for that reason.

If you must go the Chevy frame route, the better option to stiffen up the project would be to box the Chevy frame rails and make that stiffer.

Cutting into the "frame" and floor of the XJ is gonna require a lot of sheet metal work too.

Bad way to go. Leave the unibody in tact.
 
DirtyMJ said:
If you're referring to me, they were trying to talk me INTO it.
Click to expand...


LOL - well you yourself titled that thread "uh oh, bunch of bad ideas"......

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=103480

Yeah, you had a few supporters, but I'm not trying to say it wouldn't work, just offering up my opinion that it's a whole lot more work than it's worth.... and the end result usually looks like ass unless you custom build the frame to fit around the unibody rails (like C ROk did).

Ya gotta admit, that pic I posted of the blue one looks like an ugly parade float.....
 
YELLAHEEP said:
Just put a little more thought into why cutting the "frame" out of an XJ is a bad thing.

If you did, and mounted the Chevy frame to it, you realize that the Chevy frame will want to twist even minimally when the suspension flexes. If you remove the backbone of the XJ's unibody - those frame rails, the rest of the unibody will be able to flex along with the chevy frame much too easy. You'd probably end up with doors that won't open/close, and cracks/tearing to the corners of the XJ body at the top of each pilar and in the cowl.

For that reason, body bushings are found between frames/bodies of full frame vehicles. But you'll note that where trucks are concerned, they're designed to flex a bit and the beds aren't connected to the cab - for that reason.

If you must go the Chevy frame route, the better option to stiffen up the project would be to box the Chevy frame rails and make that stiffer.

Cutting into the "frame" and floor of the XJ is gonna require a lot of sheet metal work too.

Bad way to go. Leave the unibody in tact.
Click to expand...

thought about that. The k5 is already boxed and figured once you add a interior cage with some exo caging it might be fairly stiff with lose flexxy suspension
 
lol yah the blue one is kinda rediculous looking. looks like they just stacked the body ontop of the truck frame and welded away.
thats not what i was talking about.
 
the glassman said:
how did that work out for you if you did the swap
Click to expand...


I didn't. Becuase it's a bad idea - at least with a S-10 frame. I was talking about popping a MJ cab off the uniframe (I have a good cab with a TRASHED uniframe) and setting it on my own frame. A frame that was actually built to run my intended drivetran (which involved a 4.3 - so everybody starts telling me to buy a S-10!).

I did some measuring and figuring, drew diagrams, etc... And came to the conclusion that it wouldn't be too easy but is quite possible. The XJ would actually work better as the 'body' section of them is more level on the bottom. Unlike the MJ cab that has a sloping floor. However, you still have to contend with a half million clearance issues. The reality is you'll probably be doing major sheetmetal work on the floors. Which is fine. If you've ever looked at a hot-rod that has been 'channelled' you'll know it's no big deal to do that sort of thing if you have the skill/knowledge.


And as stated, chevy frames flex a lot. Unless you run body mounts/bushings, you'll hurt the body pretty bad. To run them wouldn't be hard, it would just take some plate to tie them in. But you want a cage anyways, which if it extends from the front of you frame to the rear, and is built well, will prevent any real flexing of the frame and thus causing the body to crack. So this is pretty much moot.


Since you're going to cage it anyways, you can be very liberal with the sawzall when getting the body back onto the frame. You might even be able to keep your own wheelbase.


Is it a good idea? Maybe. Can it work? Sure, if you have the time, skill and money. Will it work well? That's up to you...
 
the glassman said:
yes i understand that the xj is a unibody

I have a completly built k5 blazer chassis that was a trail roll victum and i also have an 88 xj body sittin behind the shop.

the xj was hit in the front so that is the main reson for thinking about the swap. and of course a cage would be included in the build.

i have plenty of fab skills (my trail rig is a tube buggy with 460/c6/203,205 doubler,rockwells and 53 in michellins) so im not afraid of the fabing

and also im aware that i will have to alter the wheelbase of the k5 alittle.

this was just a though poking around in my head......lol
Click to expand...


LOL - see, if you'd have just made this the info in your first post in this thread, there'd be a bit less concern..... :D I mean, you sounded like a newbie and with only 12 posts........ :dunno:



BTW, here's a pic of the underside of Greg's C-Rok rig..... LOTS of fab to keep the new frame tucked up there.

new312.jpg
 
Not 100% certain, but I've wheeled with Greg and looked under his rig and I believe he basically sleeved the outside of his unibody rails - in essence creating a frame that runs bumper to bumper. If not, well, the components that comprise the engine cradle (5.7 Chevy) the suspension bracketry, air bag system brackets/braces, roller eliptical rear suspension design and everything else he engineered under there are likely all tied into eachother thus creating a network frame - if you will.
 
FLEX FLEX FLEX FLEX FLEX

that the Chevy frame will want to twist even minimally
========================================
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't mount the XJ solid to the frame and LET frame flex under it some. That will also fix that door and stress problems you talk about in your post.
Don't cut ALL of the XJ rails off. Be picky on what goes.
Flex in the right places is your friend Don't kill it all off. LUCK
 
what about suburbans? they are on a chevy frame, and dont have a built in flex point (between cab and bed as stated earlier) neither do k5 blazers. so why dont they tear themselves apart due to the frame flex?

i think that since the XJ is a uni-body that the body itself would be a little more rigid than a suburban body that isnt intended to be a part of the vehicles structure.

if you were to cut the "frame rails" off and re-enforece the body a little on the bottom, and add rubber isolators between it and the frame it should be fine. at least htat is my thinking on that....

a lot of work, but it would be fun if you like that kind of stuff.
 
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