[2000GMCSONOMA4.3]

I know a lot of people are gonna hate the fact that I wasn’t to lift my 2wd Sonoma but keep in mind I do plan to 4wd convert it eventually, I’m just a college student so I can’t afford that quite yet, and I really wanted it to be lifted before the Daytona truck meet this year, so my question is whether or not the fabtech spindle lift will work with an extended cab Sonoma cause I have heard that the extended cab have slightly larger springs then the regular cab and I just wanted to verify that nothing else was different and that the fabtech spindles would work, I also wanted to make sure I got everything figured out, I have lift shackles and shock extensions for the rear and I was planning on getting an extended shock for the front, and obviously extended brake lines all around, I heard that the factory driveshaft should be good up to 5 inches (I don’t plan on going anymore then 3 max) and I planned on replacing the ball joints when I put the spindles in (from my understanding a spindle lift won’t alter their position much so they shouldn’t wear much quicker then stock let me know if I’m wrong) was their anything else I needed or should do while I’m in there and do you guys have any recommendations for front shocks that will work with a 3 inch lift?

 

[Rebel n Dirt]

As for the spindles, they should work just fine. Regular cab and extended cab spindles are the same from the factory.

Converting a 2wd to 4wd is not going to be easy or cheap. If you want a 4wd just buy one. The frames and front suspension are totally different, so is the transmission and you would need a transfer case as well... oh and then there is the wiring and computer too... You will be spending $5000 for a good condition truck, possibly a ZR2 at that price, or 3 to 4 x that much on a conversion.

If you like your body, you could always find 4wd with a junk body and swap the bodies over. That would be a much more economical swap than a conversion of a 2wd frame.

 

[oldeerslayer]

X2
When it's time for 4wd, just buy one unless you like huge projects.

 

[Snowrompin4.3]

Yep buy one I'm selling my sonoma for that reason I've got a new to me nissan hardbody

 

[2000GMCSONOMA4.3]

As for the spindles, they should work just fine. Regular cab and extended cab spindles are the same from the factory.

Converting a 2wd to 4wd is not going to be easy or cheap. If you want a 4wd just buy one. The frames and front suspension are totally different, so is the transmission and you would need a transfer case as well... oh and then there is the wiring and computer too... You will be spending $5000 for a good condition truck, possibly a ZR2 at that price, or 3 to 4 x that much on a conversion.

If you like your body, you could always find 4wd with a junk body and swap the bodies over. That would be a much more economical swap than a conversion of a 2wd frame.

Honestly I mainly mentioned the 4wd conversion just so people didn’t get upset with me for lifting a 2wd truck, I know the 4wd conversion would be ridiculously expensive and difficult and I’ll probably never actually do it, I did my research and I know the engine mount horns (I guess you could call it that) are completely different, however how I planned to do it anyways wasn’t going to be a factory 4wd conversion I wanted to do a parallel four link up front with a Dana 60 hi, and a triangulated four link in the rear with a Dana 60, with an LS swap with a built 4l60e on it, so I would be doing a ton of custom fab work anyways so might as well just use the 2wd chassis anyways if I’m changing all that, however don’t get me wrong that’s my absolute perfect dream Sonoma I completely understand how ridiculous and unrealistic that is and I highly doubt I’ll ever actually get there I’m just letting you guys know so you understand why I was just going to use the chassis I already have

 

[Rebel n Dirt]

IF someone can do this:

Then I'm pretty sure you could do what you want.

If you are going the route of a LFA over IFS then the chassis starts to matter less and less. You will run into similar fab needs with either chassis, and steering and all that. The main advantage of starting with a 4wd for a LFA conversion is you already have the drivetrain components installed.

 

[Mostizzle]

I dig 2wd pre-runner builds.

 

[2000GMCSONOMA4.3]

IF someone can do this:
View attachment 347688

Then I'm pretty sure you could do what you want.

If you are going the route of a LFA over IFS then the chassis starts to matter less and less. You will run into similar fab needs with either chassis, and steering and all that. The main advantage of starting with a 4wd for a LFA conversion is you already have the drivetrain components installed.

I appreciate the support, I know it’s possible but I know it would be extremely difficult and expensive so I was just trying not to come off as an ignorant kid who thinks insane builds like that are cheap and easy, and with either chassis 4wd or 2wd you have to reinforce the chassis anyways to support such load (atleast that’s what the guy on YouTube said when he swapped his steering box) so I would be in there already for that and have already removed most of the front drive system so it’s not a huge difference between 4wd and 2wd

 

[Dameion76]

I've seen lifted pintos and El camino's Jimmy town which is a very small town of hill Billy's if they can do that with absolutely nothing and with those cars anyone can do anything.

 

[2000GMCSONOMA4.3]

I've seen lifted pintos and El camino's Jimmy town which is a very small town of hill Billy's if they can do that with absolutely nothing and with those cars anyone can do anything.

I want to see that town lol thank you I appreciate it

 

[Nastardly]

IF someone can do this:
View attachment 347688

Then I'm pretty sure you could do what you want.

If you are going the route of a LFA over IFS then the chassis starts to matter less and less. You will run into similar fab needs with either chassis, and steering and all that. The main advantage of starting with a 4wd for a LFA conversion is you already have the drivetrain components installed.

What is an LFA?

 

[Nastardly]

IF someone can do this:
View attachment 347688

Then I'm pretty sure you could do what you want.

If you are going the route of a LFA over IFS then the chassis starts to matter less and less. You will run into similar fab needs with either chassis, and steering and all that. The main advantage of starting with a 4wd for a LFA conversion is you already have the drivetrain components installed.

What is an LFA

 

[2000GMCSONOMA4.3]

What is an LFA

I honestly don’t know I think it has to do with a solid front axle, I know IFS is independent front suspension so that’s my best gues at LFA

 

[Nastardly]

I honestly don’t know I think it has to do with a solid front axle, I know IFS is independent front suspension so that’s my best gues at LFA

Maybe it means live front axle as in driven IFS.

 

[Rebel n Dirt]

What is an LFA

like @Nastardly said. Live Front Axle. IFS is independent Front Suspension

 

[Nastardly]

like @Nastardly said. Live Front Axle. IFS is independent Front Suspension

Interesting, I've always heard straight, solid, or rigid axle being used.

 

[Rebel n Dirt]

Interesting, I've always heard straight, solid, or rigid axle being used.

Those work too, but they don’t describe if the axle is powered or not. That is where the Live part comes in.

Straight axle usually describes 50’s era gasser style drag cars, that would remove the heavy IFS for a straight axle. Or other vehicles of that nature.

 

[bk2life]

Doing a SAS on a 2wd or 4wd S10 is pretty straight forward. you can save some money buy using a jeep front axle, or you can spend more and go full width axles from an early blazer/burban. There are kits out there, but it's just as easy to make your own if you can use the schools hobby shop, or have some fabricator friends.
you can use a bluetooth driveline until you get your set up done. But, you can even keep it 2wd and get it lifted with the SAS, and when you save more money, get the transfer case and add in the '4wd'
Being in college, you're going to waste a bunch of money for not alot of outcome, in the end it's still an s10. But, you cant replace memories.

 

[Nastardly]

Those work too, but they don’t describe if the axle is powered or not. That is where the Live part comes in.

Straight axle usually describes 50’s era gasser style drag cars, that would remove the heavy IFS for a live axle. Or other vehicles of that nature.

That makes sense. I never thought of it that way as I've never owned anything 2 whe drive other than a 64 olds I inherited.

 

[2000GMCSONOMA4.3]

Doing a SAS on a 2wd or 4wd S10 is pretty straight forward. you can save some money buy using a jeep front axle, or you can spend more and go full width axles from an early blazer/burban. There are kits out there, but it's just as easy to make your own if you can use the schools hobby shop, or have some fabricator friends.
you can use a bluetooth driveline until you get your set up done. But, you can even keep it 2wd and get it lifted with the SAS, and when you save more money, get the transfer case and add in the '4wd'
Being in college, you're going to waste a bunch of money for not alot of outcome, in the end it's still an s10. But, you cant replace memories.

Thank you very much for the information but my plan was actually to do the ls swap first and either get the ls swap with a 4wd 4l60e on it and just leave it that way with no front driveshaft until I get the front and rear axles and four link in, or I was considering putting the ls on my 4l60e that’s on my 4.3 vortec motor and then when I go to do the 4wd conversion take off my 4l60e to build it and put the 4wd transfer case onto that transmission cause if I’m not confused the transfer case for that transmission is mounted to the rear housing correct and the only diffeeence between the actually transmissions is the output shaft