ok guys.I need some advice please.I am new to the 4x4 world.I just bought a 83 chevy 4x4.And im wanting to do some upgrades but dont know what all i need.Im gonna mostly use this truck on the street with some off roading. I have a 350 and was thinking of putting the edelbrok thunder series off road carb.Is this a good one or should I find another. Also I have a ten bolt rear end. Im wanting to put a 6in lift with 35s on the truck. what should I do. THANKS  

HEY CHEVEY GIRRLLL.OSUNDS LIKE A PLAN,PUT MONEY IN A TRACTION DEVICE OR 2 AND STICK A SET OF WIDE ALL TERRAINS,AND GO EMBERASS THE GUYS! SIZE THE CARB BY LIKE THIS,,,350 DIVIDED BY 2 TIMES THE MAX RPM DIVIDED BY 1728. THATTLE GIVE YA THE BALLPARK TO PUT ON THE MOUSE MOTOR.MEBBIE A SET OF HEADERS TOO. SEND PICTURES OF YOUR WAGON IN THE BRIAR PATCH, DOING WHAT 4 WHEELERS DO BEST,HAPPY WHEELIN!  

Hmm... sounds like you have a solid plan.

Mild lift, good tires, little performance upgrade... I'd also suggest gears and a locker while you're at it. And maybe some body protection and a winch. With that you should be good to go!

Have fun and be sure to post pics!  

I am getting hedders and some mild upgrades to the motor. The gears and all are what throw me for a loop. Im not to sure I have read alot of things on here just dont quite know whats best.So I hear the dana 60 is the way to go? and what gears are best ? I have the 400 tranny. I really want a winch but havent been able to find one that goes to my bumper. Im from texas and we have some black mud. o and Im rebuildin my tranny and was wondering if a shift kit would be a good opition and if so what kind?  

the stock 10 bolt front is fine for the 35's used for mild wheeling,. with the 35's a 4:10 or 4:56 will both be good ratio's for a daily driver. (only on account of the th400), for the shift kit a trans-go -1 or -2 kit will do the trick, both are  the same, just requires different size holes drilled in the plate. stick to the performer series manifold (not the rpm) and keep the carb under 650cfm. and the cam if you change it, under a 260 advertised duration @110 or 112 LC (204-208) in the nieghborhood of 420-460 lift.

hmmm. I'm assuming its a 3/4t from the th400, that being the case it should have a 9.5 14 bolt in the rear, there's no need to think of swapping it out for a d60, It has stronger axles and tubes than the d60. many of them have a LSD in them from the factory.  

A 4.56 maybe but a 4.10 is not a good ratio for 35's at all!  It escapes me how so many ham string performance with 4.10 gears with 35's or bigger tires. A 4.56 would be about equal to stock tires with 3.73's performance wise which I consider a bare minimum. There is no magic number that works well with everything. You need to factor vehicle and tire size to fund the true "magic" number  

@65mph the little engine is spinning over 2500rpm's.....
with the  3spd auto. the 4:10's are and exellent choice for this combo for efficiency and power.....

2850 from 4:56's is ridiculous for a daily driver.  

No its not a 3/4 ton.The person must of told me wrong.I have only had the truck a week and its been in the motor shop since i got it.Now it has to go to the tranny shop. So now knowing i have the 350 tranny what does that change as far as my set up. Do i still use the same shift kit.I do know i have the ten bolt rear end. So i should just change my gears then.? I bought this truck and it has been sitting for 7 years. So its like im starting with scratch but i like it that way. so all things are new and i know what exactly has been done or not done.  

Dang your unstoppable!thats some of the fun of wheelin is the building,is it a p/u? dont forget the headache rack and the ranch hand bumpers.i went of roading in my 18 wheeler down in WEST,no fun at 82.000 lbs i tell ya, thAt goo is deep,farmer was cool though,broke out the big Deere and off we went,Woo Woo!have fun wheeler!  

yea its a 83 short wide bed. straight body just the other person let everything sit and go to waste. it had a 305 in it and im changing it to a 350 with some upgrades gam lifters  hedders and some other stuff. im trying to get all the under body things taken care of before i start the paint and interior. those are the easy things.  

good for you!  

forgot to ask ,what kid of rims and tires you want to run,think chevie's look hot with a 10"rim and a set of old skool ground hawgs,stickin a little ways from the fenders!saw one longbed with bushwacker flairs so they didnt have to lift as high for taller tires, on the fleepside look at the guys with the 40 to 44 inch tires,mini monsters on the cheap,well to a point,you gotta upgrade the entire drive train but its cool...maybe. happy wheelin!  

mudb8-.:
@65mph the little engine is spinning over 2500rpm's.....
with the  3spd auto. the 4:10's are and exellent choice for this combo for efficiency and power.....

2850 from 4:56's is ridiculous for a daily driver.

2500 RPM is not squat for a SB cruise in a lifted truck, nor is 2800 RPM. A lifted truck with big tires has a lot of drag and a engine under load will use the least amount of fuel per HP hour produced when operating near it torque peak. Some tend to think the lifted trucks operate in a vacuum and the only thing that has changed is the over all effect gear ratio. Lifted trucks take more power to cruise and accelerate because of extra drag from tires and lift. Many make the mistake on gearing them too tall and then are constantly trying to boost power to make up for it. Long ago, 3/4 ton trucks came with 4.10 gears, 30 inch tires and no OD and they did fine overall. To match stock tire size performance with a 4.10 and stock tires to a set of 35's you really need a 4.88. A 4.56 is a good compromise and a 4.10 a poorer one.  

2500 is a whole lot of squat...I have lifted vehicles and the 4:10 are awesome. even a stock engine will scratch the tires while taking off. at 2800 the mileage stinks badly. another thing I have first hand experience with is the 4:56 ratio and 35's the advantage is next to nothing. running a 4:88 and a three speed auto is like driving a 47 willy's down the road......sloooow.

what you count on paper isn't the same as real life...  

im goin to have to agree with mud! snowball here is all about aper this amd paper that but doesnt relized you cant drive a p/u down the road to work or whatever running 3000 rpm....thats just ridiculous. she said it was a daily drier, now if it was the ocasional driver and full time wheeler then yes i would go with 4.56's or 4.88's but its not so listen to mud and go 4.10 gears.