I read an article in a recent mag where a guy put a 12v cummins in half ton ram.
I was curious as to how hard it would be to pull off the swap in a gm with the duramax. I would assume the frame is the same, the trans tunnel is the same, and if you had to you could swap out the whole gauge cluster and all wiring so all your factory gauges would work. I think this would be an awesome daily driver, sleeper, that would get compact car fuel mileage.
Also, what duramax would be the best for this swap?

Read up on TDIGUY and the DURAMAX ESCALADE swap. That was built on a half ton ESCALADE chassis and involved quite a bit of work to make it all fit.

I plan on putting the dmax/allison in a 2wd shortbed, if that is possible.
Thanks for the info on the escalade swap.

There is a guy on here that has a gm half ton with an 8.1, not sure if its got an allison though. I would say if the 8.1 will fit so will a duramax, a body lift is required I think but im not positive on that.

The allison requires a body lift to fit under the cab. The frames on the half tons and HD trucks are completely different, and the HD trucks have a factory body lift to clear the tranny.

thanks for the info, greatly appreciated.

There is a red reg cab stepside 1/2 ton 4x4 that was done up running a D/A combo. I know it was featured in a few mags.


http://www.bmdmax.com/Wote_files/image084.jpg

http://www.bmdmax.com/Wote_files/image077.jpg

guy has a forum dedicated to swaps that owns the red truck

That is Jim Bigleys truck of the diesel page.

You can do it, your gona need at least 2 3/8" body lift, the front rad support, drive line out of a duramax, the brake pedal out of the 2500HD and the hydroboost. cluster and the fuse block.
you need to make motor mounts( serch the DURAMAX ESCALADE swap) for the mount measurments, i think there on page 3 or 4.
other than that it is very easy, if you have all the tools and a lift. if not well..... bust out the John deer loader lol.
i built a 03 GMC halfton 4x4 shortbed with a LB7. its running strong and getting 30-35MPG at 65-70MPH.
you also should upgrade the rear diff , i used a 14 bolt 9.5" out of a 2007-2009 halfton crew cab with 7200GVRW. there kind of a bitch to find, but there out there
you also need to keep the years in line. 01-02 LB7 can only go in the 99-02 trucks and the 03-07 trucks can be put together. the wireing is different from 02-03.

I just sold it too my buddy, and will be starting on a 03 Chev reg cab short bed 4x4 for myself. all the same setup. LB7 and Allison and the 14 bolt, but there are many more 10.5" diffs outthere so im gona try and find a 6 lug convertion for that diff.

The 14 bolt SF axles are a bit easier to find in the OBS trucks, just a matter of moving perches to get them in. Your other option is to find a vortecmax truck, they all also had semi float 6 lug 14 bolts.