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LS Swap: 1996 K1500

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    LS Swap: 1996 K1500

    So, back in 2011 I did this to a truck of mine.

    The truck used to be an old job truck my dad bought from our company and we left it all stock, but it became our "adventure truck" and we used it on all our hunting adventures. Dad passed away unexpectedly in 2008, so I took the truck home with me and have used it sparingly since then.

    Well, it's time for this old dog to get a new lease on life. I'm going to trick this thing out because 1. I want to keep the truck. Chief and I had a lot of fun in it, and, 2. Because I want to.

    Now, I'm not a gear head by any stretch of the imagination, so I'll be finding a shop that can do the swap as well as other items I want done to get this thing back to not only a daily driver that my boy and I can start some adventures of our own in, but also a "sleeper" under the hood.

    That being said, I've decided on an LS swap due to me talking to a friend of mine from New Jersey who is all about hot rods and such since he said you can get a lot out of those motors without breaking the bank. I'm going to look at a crate motor and drivetrain, possibly from someone like Chevy Performance Products, but since we've got so many shade tree mechanics on the GS, I'd like y'alls input as well.

    In addition to the motor/drivetrain, I'm looking at a 2"-3" lift, new shoes, exterior lighting, and some interior work since the old bench seat is buttsprung, etc.

    Just how big do I wanna go? Any and all suggestions are welcome.

    #2
    i think you'll want to get more lift (4"+) to get into an actual leaf lift, not just a body lift. I think.

    sweet rig
    Last edited by mjbtexas; 03-31-2017, 09:55 AM. Reason: leaf springs

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      #3
      Wait till Eric knows you're cheating on him...

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        #4
        Originally posted by mjbtexas View Post
        i think you'll want to get more lift (4"+) to get into an actual spring lift, not just a body lift. I think.

        sweet rig
        That's why I come here. So, to get into a suspension lift I'm probably looking at 4"+?

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          #5
          Originally posted by 308 Dave View Post
          Wait till Eric knows you're cheating on him...
          Parked on the side of the road in Amarillo when I'm supposed to be on spring Break is not my idea of a vacation.

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            #6
            Originally posted by 1369 View Post
            Parked on the side of the road in Amarillo when I'm supposed to be on spring Break is not my idea of a vacation.
            Well played.

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              #7
              Oh heck yeah, Im tuned in! Slap a turbo in that sucker!

              Hold my beer and watch this...A country boy can survive!

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                #8
                Body lifts are trash, don't even....

                As mentioned, it will probably take 4 inches of suspension to clear 33s or 35s. A leveling kit will normally get you 285s.

                As far as motor mounts and wiring harnesses for the swap, there's a company called advanced adapters that specialize in that very thing. Also Internet hot rod forums are going to be your best friend, you can solve more problems on Google now days than you can at the auto supply.

                If you're going to all that trouble to repower, 6 L should be the minimum. Also a heavy-duty transmission and have a good shop upgrade it, they know where the weak links are.


                Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                  #9
                  Originally posted by 1369 View Post
                  That's why I come here. So, to get into a suspension lift I'm probably looking at 4"+?
                  pretty sure on that year model. but 3 to four is not a big jump IMO, but 4 to 6 is in look and function

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                    #10
                    my advise would be get a 383 crate motor it'll have plenty of power and you can just bolt it in
                    switched out all the wiring to put the ls fuel system in it might be a nightmare

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                      #11
                      I wouldn't do a crate motor personally just because of how much they cost for what you get...

                      I'd find a decent low mile 6.0 and go that route. Lots of parts and pieces produced to make that swap easier at this point. If you drive it hard the 4L60E trans will not last.

                      Most of the items regarding lift are correct but a few opinions/subjective items from me:

                      -You can fit big tires on this year if you aren't affraid to trim some metal. My current 98 has 33s on it with zero lift. I had a 97 with 37s on a 6", same truck with 2" body lift and 35" swampers, and buddy with 38"s on a 6" pro comp lift.. you get the idea.

                      Body lifts aren't horrible but they a something of a band-aid. On this exact vintage of truck nothing more than 2". Keep in mind to keep body lines right with the bumpers pictured they would need to be re-located.

                      Suspension Lift: Anything 2-3" is going to rely on cranking up torison bars. Even with a diff drop involved you are going to have bad suspension or steering geometry somewhere. If you go 4-6" most of those can be had as full drop kits and/or knuckle kits. Both have their pros and cons. If you are planning long term you pay for what you get in regards to lift brands as well.

                      If you are going bigger than 6" on ifs then I don't know what to tell you. Hope you like buying wheel bearings and ball joints

                      And finally... If you plan on beating on it with a 4-6" ifs lift of any sort... Get good at replacing CV axles.

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                        #12
                        Originally posted by Dale Moser View Post
                        Body lifts are trash, don't even....

                        As mentioned, it will probably take 4 inches of suspension to clear 33s or 35s. A leveling kit will normally get you 285s.

                        As far as motor mounts and wiring harnesses for the swap, there's a company called advanced adapters that specialize in that very thing. Also Internet hot rod forums are going to be your best friend, you can solve more problems on Google now days than you can at the auto supply.

                        If you're going to all that trouble to repower, 6 L should be the minimum. Also a heavy-duty transmission and have a good shop upgrade it, they know where the weak links are.



                        Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                        As usual Moser nailed it!

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                          #13
                          LS Swap: 1996 K1500

                          Also don't forget headers, and build a complete 3" exhaust system.

                          Electric fans can make swaps easier, and free up a little horsepower. Probably want a little larger radiator to cool a bigger motor.

                          4L80 on the transmission at the minimum, still have it "built".

                          Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                          Last edited by Dale Moser; 03-31-2017, 12:09 PM.

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                            #14
                            Great info all around folks, this is really helping me flesh out my list.

                            Anyone have any shop recommendations in the San Antonio area that could tackle this project?

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                              #15
                              How's the line-X holding up?

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