AUGUST 2003

Th e ORU IFS Chevy/GMC solid-axle-swap kit to the rescue

The battle between right and wrong has waged among man's quarrels for eons, bringing us to today's fierce battle among truck owners. On one side, you have Ford owners, who are by all means right when it comes to their choice in tough trucks. On the other, there's the Chevy/GMC owner.

For the guy behind the wheel of a Bow Tie, life's tough and only gets tougher when trying to outfit an HD for reliably taking charge of the outback. The first of a number of troubling factors that us Ford guys get a chuckle out of is the contraption that is made to pass as the front suspension. Not a startling discovery, the independent front suspension (IFS) on a Chevy just isn't made for severe service. It's weak, difficult to maintain and difficult to modify, which is why there are a number of private and government agencies that turn their backs on the General when building their fleets.

Off the road and on the tougher trails, it's not all that uncommon to see a guy with a Bow Tie in trouble. A lot times, the culprit is the front suspension. With stock rubber, the problem will occasionally rear its head in the rough and when on the gas, but when outfitting the rig with bigger rubber, the Bow Tie's opportunity for component failure is cranked up a notch. Mounting anything larger than a 35 is like tugging on Super Man's cape, spitting into the wind or pulling the mask off the Lone Ranger. It's just something you don't do, unless you're looking for trouble or staying on the street.

Additionally, jacking up the rig to mount anything bigger than stock rubber takes a sugar daddy-sized bank account. Suspensions leap into the thousands. And what's worse, all that loot doesn't make your Chevy's IFS any stronger.

A FRIENDLY SOLUTION

Being that us Ford owners have a clue and have a heart, we're helping the competition become more competent. No, we're not simply suggesting to swap your Chevy or GMC in for a real truck. We get a healthy riot of laughter from the rivalry. What we're suggesting is a SOLID AXLE SWAP.

Yep, toss that IFS into the trash can. Rid yourself of the worry and expense of a weak front end. Lift your rig with confidence. Drive your truck like an animal.

IN SEARCH OF

Looking for a shop to perform your Chevy's solid axle swap is trying task. Sure, any beer-belly Bubba will do the swap for the right amount of money, but the question is: Will he do it right? Chances are, taking your truck to just any shop will find you sitting behind the wheel of an accident waiting to happen, driving a death trap on wheels.

You want your solid-axle swap performed by professionals who have the skills and experience to do the job right. Handling and overall performance are paramount.

Looking around on the the street, in the dirt, on the Internet and in the magazines, there's only one choice that I've ever come up with. That's Off Road Unlimited (ORU). Sure, they're Super Duty experts. But for you Chevy owners, they are also experts at equipping your rig with a solid axle that works.

DRIVING IS BELIEVING

Several years ago, I went for a spin in a rig fitted with the Off Road Unlimited IFS Chevy/GMC Solid-Axle-Swap Kit. I was impressed. The kit turned a glorified street truck into a capable off-road machine that had excellent on-road manners. It tracked well. It road well. Fitted with a custom set of Nationals Springs, the complete package handled like a dream. The transplanted Dana 60 front end was built for brute strength and outfitted with an ARB Air Locker.

CONTACT INFO Off Road Unlimited http://www.offroadunlimited.com/ 2102 Kenmere Avenue Burbank, California 91504 (818) 563-1208

For more information, check out the article performed by Four Wheeler magazine several years ago, which provides more detail on such an installation. You can do so by visiting Off-Road Unlimited's site or you can CLICK HERE to go you directly to the story.