Fabworx - Solid Axle Swap Kit - 1998 Chevy Tahoe

With all the '88-to'98 Chevy/GMC trucks out there, we're surprised there's not more aftermarket support for their suspensions. But when these trucks were current, consumer suspension technology had not progressed to the levels it is at today. Besides bolting on an IFS bracket kit, there's not much else you can do but go custom. So why don't companies and shops go back and develop long-travel IFS suspensions for this era truck? It is simple math: Who is going to spend $7,000 on a truck that's only worth $2,000? Most enthusiasts would go buy a reasonably-priced '99-to-'06 Chevy and purchase an already-produced long-travel kit for a few thousand dollars instead. For that reason, "custom" usually means a solid axle swap on the '88-to-'98 era of 4x4s.

A solid axle swap usually involves cutting off the IFS front end and adding hangers to swap for '73-to-'87 Chevy front leaf springs and a Ford front axle. There are coilover-and-link kits available as well, but most guys are still adding leaf springs for the simplicity and cost effectiveness of the swap.

When it came time to get a little more serious with our friend's '98 Tahoe just before going to Moab, Utah, we enlisted the skills of Fabworx to do the solid axle swap and sling some beefy axles under the 4x4. We liked Fabworx's solid axle swap kit because it uses 6-inch-longer leaf springs (than standard '73-to-'87 Chevy leaves), is completely bolt-on, and sells for just $499 for the complete hanger kit. Fabworx can provide Atlas leaf springs and F-O-A shocks as well, but the base kit price obviously goes up.

In true OFF-ROAD magazine fashion, we left Friday morning and headed north towards Santa Rosa, California, planning to do a solid axle swap over the weekend and drive home in time for work on Monday. We gathered all the parts we could in the matter of a week (including a front Ford Dana 60 and rear GM 3/4-ton 14-Bolt axle), and left with what we could, thinking we'd be able to get the rest of the parts on the Tahoe before leaving for Moab the next weekend.

All we had to do was cut off the old IFS, mount the spring hangers, add the front springs and the solid front axle...and all those other little things (driveshafts, brake lines, matching rear axle wheel pattern, getting eight-lug wheels, shock brackets, steering, etc). Okay, so maybe we had high hopes, but we think we would have pulled it off had we not hit all the Friday San Jose/San Francisco traffic on the way north.

Monday at 9:30 p.m. we pulled out of the Fabworx shop and were heading back towards Southern California with a three-quarters-built Tahoe. We were a day behind schedule, but we still had time to pull off the build and make it to Moab!

1. The team at Fabworx removed the suspension bolts attached to the frame and let the entire front end come out as one piece. Mike watched a little nervously as his Tahoe was lifted into the air. This is Mike's first shot at a truck build this serious, and it can be a little nerve-racking the first time you see your truck go past the point of no return.
1. The team at Fabworx removed the suspension bolts attached to the frame and let the enti
2. Once the front IFS was dropped, Forrest Moore went to work torching off all the old IFS mounts and smoothing the frame.
2. Once the front IFS was dropped, Forrest Moore went to work torching off all the old IFS
3. Fabworx includes weld-in cover plates to hide the frame indentations where the IFS used to bolt onto. The cover plates give the front a much cleaner look.
3. Fabworx includes weld-in cover plates to hide the frame indentations where the IFS used

4. The Fabworx solid axle swap (SAS) kit is made for '88-to'98 half-ton trucks, Suburbans, Tahoes, Yukons, and Blazers. The brackets are made from 1/4-inch steel and are CNC formed before being MIG-welded together. The front hanger incorporates a crossmember that gives rigidity to the front end after the IFS equipment is cut off. Fabworx offers two kits: A kit for a 36-inch spring perch-to-spring perch width or a 32-inch perch-width kit. The 32-inch width kit does not need the offset shackle that the 36-inch width kit does, but the '78-to-'79 Ford axles that have this width are not nearly as common as the later Ford Dana 60 36-inch perch-width axles. Since we used a 1990 Ford Dana 60 axle, we used the 36-inch width kit.
4. The Fabworx solid axle swap (SAS) kit is made for '88-to'98 half-ton trucks, Suburbans,
5. Bryan McCully lifted the front crossmember and hangers from the middle, so the hanger wouldn't wedge onto one side. The fit on the frame is very tight, so make sure you're starting with a straight frame.
5. Bryan McCully lifted the front crossmember and hangers from the middle, so the hanger w
6. The most difficult part of the installation could very well be adding the nuts to the bolts inside the boxed frame. Billy McCully used some "claws" to grab onto the nut and hold it in place while he got the bolt threads started through the holes Fabworx drilled in the frame to mount the hangers.
6. The most difficult part of the installation could very well be adding the nuts to the b

7. It's good to take some measurements and make sure that the left and right front hanger-to-rear hanger distances are identical. If the truck you're starting with has a slightly tweaked frame, you might have to account for that when placing a hanger. If the left and right spring hanger distances are not equal, the truck will sit high on one side.
7. It's good to take some measurements and make sure that the left and right front hanger-
8. Once the hanger distances were checked, Bryan clamped the upper portion of the two-piece shackle hangers in place.
8. Once the hanger distances were checked, Bryan clamped the upper portion of the two-piec

9. The rear shackle hangers for the front springs are two-piece units. You can move the lower part back and forth in the upper part to change the pitch of the shackle on the leaf spring when the truck is at ride-height.
9. The rear shackle hangers for the front springs are two-piece units. You can move the lo
10. Since we were using a 1990 Ford kingpin Dana 60 with a 36-inch perch width, we used the offset shackles.
10. Since we were using a 1990 Ford kingpin Dana 60 with a 36-inch perch width, we used th
11.Since Fabworx recommends using Atlas springs, that's what we used. Unlike most SAS kits, the Fabworx kit utilizes front leaves that are six inches longer than a typical '73-to-'87 leaf spring (three inches longer in the front and the rear, keeping the center pin in the same basic location). This discourages some cheapskates that would rather use a SAS kit that they can bolt an old, rusty, used leaf spring into, but we liked the idea of having longer leaves for a better ride and increased travel.
11.Since Fabworx recommends using Atlas springs, that's what we used. Unlike most SAS kits

12. Atlas uses a front military wrap (the second leaf extends and wraps around the main leaf's spring eye) on their truck and 4x4 leaf springs as added safety should the main leaf break under severe stress.
12. Atlas uses a front military wrap (the second leaf extends and wraps around the main le
13. Fabworx set the axle under the leaves and lowered the truck down to compress the leaf springs enough to install them in the shackles. When leaf springs are brand new the arch of the leaf might be too great to get the shackle and rear spring eye to easily meet up. Putting some weight on the springs can help to flatten them out enough to bolt them in place.
13. Fabworx set the axle under the leaves and lowered the truck down to compress the leaf
Bryan tightened on the Atlas U-bolts before lowering the truck onto the axle. Remember to start with brand new U-bolts any time you clamp an axle to a leaf spring. U-bolts stretch and can break if reused!
Bryan tightened on the Atlas U-bolts before lowering the truck onto the axle. Remember to

14. We were going to have to go with new wheels since we were adding a Dana 60 front end with an 8-lug pattern. And since we were under a time crunch of less than a week, we started making some calls fast to see who could deliver tires and wheels quickly. After some searching we found that we could order the tires and wheels online and have them shipped directly to us through Discount Tire Direct's website. We got ourselves some Liquid Metal Gatlin wheels with a chrome finish and a 17x9 pattern. Why chrome? Well, black was an option too, but black wheels seem played out. The chrome looks awesome, and it is a hundred times easier to clean than polished aluminum. Also, we suggest checking on the blowout deals that Discount Tire has. Since they had an overstock of the discontinued Goodyear MTRs, we were able to get a killer deal on the 37x12.50R17 tires.
14. We were going to have to go with new wheels since we were adding a Dana 60 front end w
15. With the front axle in, we couldn't help but bolt the new wheels and tires on and lower the truck down to see how it would look. We still had steering, brake lines, drivelines, and some other things to work out, but it looked awesome.
15. With the front axle in, we couldn't help but bolt the new wheels and tires on and lowe
16. One of those "other" things we had to do was rerouting the exhaust to clear the driveshaft that will now be moving up and down with the front axle (the driveshaft stayed put with the IFS drivetrain). Since it was the weekend and all the local muffler shops were closed, Forrest got to work fixing our exhaust. Wanna know how to piss off a master TIG-welding fabricator? Make him build some cheesy exhaust for you.
16. One of those "other" things we had to do was rerouting the exhaust to clear the drives

17. Like we stated: This was a last-minute deal we threw together a week before driving to Santa Rosa to do the solid axle swap. With a day to go before we left, we drove over to see Hugo at Metro Fluid Connectors in Fullerton, California. They are one of the few shops that will make hydraulic lines while you wait. We took over our new (used) axles' brake lines and the Tahoe we were putting them on so we could be sure to get the correct fittings.
17. Like we stated: This was a last-minute deal we threw together a week before driving to
Metro has various brake line sheathing colors, as well as different anodized ends for the lines.
Metro has various brake line sheathing colors, as well as different anodized ends for the
18. Billy added the new brake lines to the axles and used a brake bleeder machine to clear the brake lines of all air.
18. Billy added the new brake lines to the axles and used a brake bleeder machine to clear

19. Though shock hoops are not included in the kit, Fabworx can bend you some hoops to weld onto your frame should you want them to.
19. Though shock hoops are not included in the kit, Fabworx can bend you some hoops to wel
20. Bryan and Forrest worked as a team to get the shock hoops and lower shock tabs on to allow us to run 12-inch-stroke F-O-A shocks. They covered the shocks with tape to protect them from getting scratched or spattered with weld beads.
20. Bryan and Forrest worked as a team to get the shock hoops and lower shock tabs on to a

21. Unfortunately a few things did not arrive in time for the build. One of those things happened to be the steering arm and spacer that Fabworx literally fabricated from scratch. No they do not sell these parts, and if you ask them to build you a steering arm it's going to cost you. At the same time Fabworx made and attached a draglink using '73-to-'87 draglink ends and a Superlift pitman arm at the steering box.
21. Unfortunately a few things did not arrive in time for the build. One of those things h
And since we ordered the shocks a week before our build, F-O-A couldn't build them in time for them to be ready in a week. You might notice the sweet take-off shocks that we borrowed to drive home on. Luckily, Fabworx had their own set of F-O-A shocks at the shop so we could at least fab up the correctly-sized shock brackets.
And since we ordered the shocks a week before our build, F-O-A couldn't build them in time

22. We got a used Ford Dana 60 front axle for $750, which is about half what they were going for a couple years ago when the economy was better. We also picked up an eight-lug 3/4-ton 14-Bolt rear end for $200. We could have modified our front axle with an aftermarket 6-lug hub kit and kept the stock rear 10-Bolt, but that would have left us with a weak C-clip rear end and would have cost more than the $950 we dropped on the two used axles. Billy helped our friend Mike sand, clean, paint, and prepare the axles to be laid under the truck. By the way, make sure you start with a 3/4-ton single-rear-wheel 14-Bolt rear end so that the spring perches match up to your rear half-ton factory setup.
22. We got a used Ford Dana 60 front axle for $750, which is about half what they were goi
23. Though the 14-Bolt fits the spring perch widths perfectly, remember to order some U-bolts ahead of time since the 14-Bolt axle tubes are a larger diameter than the original 10-Bolt's axle tubes.
23. Though the 14-Bolt fits the spring perch widths perfectly, remember to order some U-bo
24. With the rear axle in place, Forrest welded on some of their Fabworx shock tabs to the axle.
24. With the rear axle in place, Forrest welded on some of their Fabworx shock tabs to the

25. Forrest also made some custom upper shock tabs to locate into the original upper shock locations. He welded these brackets straight onto the frame.
25. Forrest also made some custom upper shock tabs to locate into the original upper shock

26. After Fabworx finished the majority of the build and we accomplished our all-night drive back to Southern California, we still had some things to do. The rear springs weren't quite ready, so we had temporarily kept the blocks for the drive home. We would also still have to get a front driveshaft, match gear ratios, and install our shocks before the trip to Moab.
26. After Fabworx finished the majority of the build and we accomplished our all-night dri
Luckily, F-O-A works fast and our online-ordered shocks were at our door the day after we got back from Fabworx. We had our 2.5 12-inch stroke smooth-body remote reservoir shocks on the truck in no time since Fabworx had already built the correct mounts for them.
Luckily, F-O-A works fast and our online-ordered shocks were at our door the day after we
27. With no knowledge of the condition (or ratio) or the gears inside the used axles when we bought them, we ordered up some 4.88:1 gears, install kits, and differential covers from G2 Gear and Axle. We likely had matching 4.10 gears in our front high-pinion Dana 60 and rear 14-Bolt, but we were going to need to regear the axles at some point to account for the 37-inch tires and we were able to pick up the gears, the install kits, and the aluminum diff covers from a local 4 Wheel Parts store that had them in stock.
27. With no knowledge of the condition (or ratio) or the gears inside the used axles when

28. It's a long story, but we found out that our gear guy had not started either axle three days after we had dropped off the truck (gears should only take one day to do, anyway). We won't bother to mention names, but it goes without saying that we sped over there as fast as we could, ripped the truck out of the shop's yard, and headed to some good friends at Jeeps R Us. Though this was no Jeep, we knew Larry Garcia could handle the gear swaps since he had just put the same Dana 60 and 14-Bolt package under Matilda, our giant fullsize project Cherokee.
28. It's a long story, but we found out that our gear guy had not started either axle thre
Larry worked late that night, but he got the G2 gears and install kits into both axlehousings for us. Thanks again, LG!
Larry worked late that night, but he got the G2 gears and install kits into both axlehousi
29. The G2 covers really topped off the builds. They looked nice, helped with cooling, and were better-priced than a lot of aluminum diff covers we've seen.
29. The G2 covers really topped off the builds. They looked nice, helped with cooling, and

How Did It Work Out?
We honestly couldn't be more happy with the way this truck is working. Well, that's not entirely true-we'll have to address the front ABS brake issues soon. But otherwise we're stoked at what's been turned out. Though we had to go out for some testing before the G2 gears were installed, the truck worked really well in the dirt, and the F-O-A shocks and Atlas leafs worked on the Fabworx build really well. There was a lot of flex, but no need for a sway bar as it kept fairly level through corners. Once we had the gears installed the truck really seemed to scream. The 37-inches tires and Liquid Metal wheels we got from Discount Tire didn't seem to add much drag at all with the new gear ratio.
How Did It Work Out? We honestly couldn't be more happy with the way this truck is worki

Sources
Discount Tire Direct 24350 N. 20th Drive Building C, Suite 134 Phoenix AZ 85085 800-589-6789 www.discounttiredirect.com	G2 Axle & Gear 400 W. Artesia Boulevard Compton CA 90220 310-900-2687 www.g2axle.com
Superlift Suspension Systems 300 Huey Lenard Loop West Monroe LA 71292 888-299-4692 www.superlift.com	F-O-A Shock Absorbers 7345 So Durango Dr Las Vegas NV 89113 760-608-2188 www.f-o-a.com
Jeeps R Us 3231 Laguna Canyon Road Laguna Beach CA 92651 949-497-9183 http://www.jeepsrus.com/	Atlas Spring Co. n/a n/a CA 626-333-7373 www.atlasleafspring.com
Metro Fluid Connections Orange County CA 714-523-7093	Fabworx Offroad n/a n/a CA 707-566-7045 www.fabworxoffroad.com