Frame help

Gabgb · July 17, 2020

Hi, i have a 2000 chevrolet silverado extended cab 6.5 box 4x4, the frame is crack badly. But it only have around 150000km (engine, trans, body... in good shape)

I would like to know wich frame i could take to do a complete frame swap.

I guess it will have to be from a silverado or sierra from 1999 to 2007 ext cab 6.5 box, but can i take a 2x4 frame or its not the same as the 4x4?

Thanks

davester · July 17, 2020

You can modify the frame to work, but they aren't the same. At the minimum, the 2x4 frame is missing the mounting points for the front differential. With the frame off, it shouldn't be a huge deal to frame the mounting points (I did it for my 3500 with everything on the frame, and doing it sucked that way), and you'll have to source the bushings that go into the frame from your current frame (they aren't sold separately, according to the dealer, if you have a problem with those bushings, the "right" thing to do is buy a whole new frame). The rear transmission mounting bracket also is in a slightly different spot between 2x4 and 4x4, you might have to drill holes for it (I didn't).

And from my experience with swapping some body panels (front fender and doors), you probably want a frame from 2000 or newer, as GM seems to upgrade various parts to make them stronger, but keeps them backwards compatible.

You might need to consider frames up to '02 or '03 (not sure of the exact split point), but GM did a significant rejigging of the computer systems somewhere around there, and might have also have done some changes to the body/frame at that time that doesn't make it compatible with your truck (but I'm not sure about this at all).

davester · July 17, 2020

...for my truck/frame, on the passenger side, there are two bushings in the frame that the front diff bracket bolts to, one of the tubes for the bushings was in the frame and I only had to insert a bushing into it, the other I had to drill the hold in the right spot and weld in a tube, then insert the bushing. On the drivers side, I had to fabricate both the upper and lower mounts (I made the mounts removable), and the way I did it happens to make it easier/faster to remove the diff (I can drop it straight down, and don't have to disconnect the steering to rotate the front diff forward to get it out).