i would like to build a LSX powered pickup... i had a ram SRT-10 and loved it but alas it had to go and i am a chevy guy......

so here is what i want to do: build a pickup with auto trans, reg cab, 550ish tq and hp........ i was wondering how hard would this be and also i had horrible issues with hooking in the Ram. under no conditions would the SRT-10 hook ANYTHING. so i thought find a 4x4 truck and convert it to an AWD setup or just use the 4hi feature for strait on drag? i know you can shift on the fly to 4 hi up to 55mph in most modern trucks.... so you could still use it for 30 kicks or so.....

any advice would be good guys

 

www.ls1truck.com is your source. thye have articles on AWD conversions and do this exact thing.

 

wow amazing internet..... thanks man

 

Lingenfelter built an AWD LS7 S10 a few years back and it ran 9's on street tires. They ran it in 4hi, but they had an issue with it eating the trans every few passes. Turns out the truck was leaving the line so hard all the fluid in the pan ran and stayed in the back and would starve the 1-2 clutch pack and burn it up. Awesome idea, but i would not reccomend shifting on the fly with a 500+ HP engine as this can be bad for the front shaft.

 

well i know not to shift under throttle just like in a 4x4 i either lift off the throttle or clutch if aplicable and then pull it in to 4hi then make sure i engaged solid then re-apply throttle... the only situation where i would see a shift on the fly is if creepin round town and get a 30 kick or somethin....

also would i be better off with an LS1 or goin with a 6.0 engine? i can foind the 6.0s alot easier and i have read on here that they can be made to drop good power

 

check out performancetrucks.net

 

^^^ What he said

If you want 550 horse and enough torque to move a truck a 6.0 will be the minimal as far as cubes. But if you just want to go fast you could do bolt-ons to a 5.3, go fast, and be able to switch all of the stuff over to a bigger engine when your ready.

 

yeah i wanna build her ***** out from the gate.... so i may go the 6.0 route.... i plan on finding a slightly neglected ole silverado and just takin my time and build it pretty much from scratch. will i need new harnesses and ECm for a 5.3 to 6.0 swap? i was thinkin the 6.0 was just a stroked 5.3? if so cant the 5.3 be built to bigger cubes?

 

No harness or ECM swapping needed, ECM will need to be custom tuned when serious mods are applied. 6.0 is bigger bore, different heads almost all interchangeable. Do a bunch of reading on PT.net to figure out a good direction for yourself then you'll know where to start. Biggest thing to look for is the drivetrain of the truck your looking to build. It would be nice to get a 4L80e right off the bat as the 4L60e runs into issues in a truck with 500 horse. Good Luck!