[wagonmayne]

I know i'm late to the party but i've been tossing the awd idea around for a few years now. the tahoe and escalade wheelbases within a 1" of the wagon wheelbase so my plan was to buy a truck with a beat up body and do the body swap. For me i like that option the best because i can then use all the truck electronics and systems. But from watching the awd cutlass guy explain his build on hoonigan doing the subframe setup would work well too. He sectioned in a trailblazer ss frame and used the trans, and front diff but factory rear end. But my end goal is to make my wagon reliable for cross country trips so im gonna do a frame swap.

 

[Marky Dissod]

B-cars (sedans & wagons) & SHORT-wheelbase GMT SUVs are both within hairs of 115.9"-116.0".
Nonetheless, using the SUV frame with (either the sedan or the) wagon body is not quite so straightforward.

 

[Caddylack]

He sectioned in a trailblazer ss frame

No. He sectioned in a Bravada front frame, which is basically identical to the Cutlass frame aside from having the crossmember moved out of the way of the axles.

What Brian did is much easier than what you are talking about.

You would not be the first to put a truck frame under a B-body, as there are pics on the net. There is a lot more to it than wheelbase.

I've pondered swapping in a GMT360 (Trailblazer) frame, but the biggest issue is that the frame rails are in the wrong location.

If you actually want to do AWD, the easiest and cheapest way is to just cut out the engine cradle entirely. Then you weld in a new crossmember up ahead of the engine to maintain rigidity. Then you can piece together the AWD parts from whatever GM vehicle you want that has a 4L60E with AWD/4WD.

There is no easier or cheaper way to do it.

 

[GoremanX]

B-cars (sedans & wagons) & SHORT-wheelbase GMT SUVs are both within hairs of 115.9"-116.0".
Nonetheless, using the SUV frame with (either the sedan or the) wagon body is not quite so straightforward.

Truth... the frame contours the body very closely, and the floor pan sits deep in the frame. I can't imagine a truck frame maintaining that at all. I solved the issue by buying a 1999 K1500 Suburban and dropping it a couple inches. Almost the same overall length, AWD/4X4, and much safer towing. It's a perfect working vehicle to complement my cruising/road trip Roadmaster

 

[Caddylack]

Truth... the frame contours the body very closely, and the floor pan sits deep in the frame. I can't imagine a truck frame maintaining that at all. I solved the issue by buying a 1999 K1500 Suburban and dropping it a couple inches. Almost the same overall length, AWD/4X4, and much safer towing. It's a perfect working vehicle to complement my cruising/road trip Roadmaster

Yeah, another issue with the truck frame is there are multiple crossmembers that would be in the way of the floorpan.

 

[GoremanX]

These just don't look like cars anymore...

who had the Caprice body on pickup frame?

I'm hoping this isn't OT, but i'd swear in my digging through posts here at some point I saw someone who had put, I think a Caprice station wagon, onto a pickup frame of some sort. Pretty sure it's someone on this forum. I cannot find who that is, or where I remember reading it at the time or...

www.impalassforum.com

you can't put a body intended for a perimeter frame onto a ladder frame and expect good results. At that point you've lost all the car benefits (ease of entry, better ride and handling) and the SUV benefits (more cargo space) and gathered the drawbacks of each into one eye-catching vehicle.

To each his own, but over the last few years of B-body wagon ownership, I've found that full time AWD is overrated and RWD is just fine 99% of the time. The only time I need AWD or 4x4 is in winter (like right now), and the Roadmasters are sleeping right now anyways to avoid the salted/brined roads

 

[wagonmayne]

Yea I see your points, my wagon is my shop vehicle so it's gonna be a full build regardless. I don't mind the fabrication to mate the frames but I just figured for what it would be doing the body swap would be easier. But my reasoning for awd or even 4x4 is bc I plan on road tripping in this and I live in Chicago so half the year it's cold and icy. But I definitely appreciate the knowledge I was unaware of the frame differences, I haven't done much research aside from the wheelbase and wheel track.

 

[GoremanX]

I live in Vermont, I'm very familiar with crappy road conditions. I use my 96 Roadmaster as my main daily driver. Once they start salting the roads, my Roadmasters and Custom Cruiser hibernate until the last of the salt gets washed away by rain the following Spring. That could be anytime in April or May. During that time, the Suburban with an AutoTrack transfer case becomes my daily driver. But when there's no salting going on, there's literally no need for AWD around here, ever.

 

[stonebreaker]

Why go to all the trouble of a frame swap? Couldn't you just get the transfer case off an awd astrovan? They used a 4L60e...

 

[GoremanX]

Why go to all the trouble of a frame swap? Couldn't you just get the transfer case off an awd astrovan? They used a 4L60e...

And where do you suggest running the front axles? Or attaching the front differential?

 

[shakenfake]

If you have to ask that question you aren't made out for this kinda job


Joking aside you will have to fab something. Cut the stock frame up and work it ground up.

 

[Caddylack]

If you actually want to do AWD, the easiest and cheapest way is to just cut out the engine cradle entirely. Then you weld in a new crossmember up ahead of the engine to maintain rigidity. Then you can piece together the AWD parts from whatever GM vehicle you want that has a 4L60E with AWD/4WD.

There is no easier or cheaper way to do it.

Why go to all the trouble of a frame swap? Couldn't you just get the transfer case off an awd astrovan? They used a 4L60e...

And where do you suggest running the front axles? Or attaching the front differential?

You have to fab all the mounts.

The parts are out there from 11 different vehicles, but nobody has been serious enough so far.

 

[91ss]

Like this?

 

[Caddylack]

Like this? View attachment 209600

If you want something like that, buy an Allroad.

 

[shakenfake]

Let's be real an Arctic Master is way cooler than an Allroad

 

[Caddylack]

Let's be real an Arctic Master is way cooler than an Allroad

Yeah but the fact that it doesn't exist puts it at a big performance disadvantage.

 

[91ss]

If you want something like that, buy an Allroad.

No

 

[GoremanX]

it's idiotic that it doesn't say anywhere in that text that it's just a render and not an actual thing.

I have an Ur-allroad. I prefer my Roadmaster

 

[shakenfake]

Pics of Urus

 

[GoremanX]

No Urus, Ur-allroad. "Ur" refers to "original" in German. As in, an original C5 allroad, as opposed to one of the later fake A4 allroads