Suburban frame question

[73burb]

Hello all,
Just joined and would like to give props to all the knowledgeable folks here. I am hoping someone will be able to help me out with my latest project. I have a very mechanical sound 73 4x4 3/4 ton burb but the body is on its last leg. I have found a very clean 86 1/2 ton 4x4 burb with a bent frame. I would like to put the 86 on the 73 frame but am having a difficult time finding
information on if the body mounting locations are the same and if this is a feasible option?
Any and all information would be greatly appreciated.

 

[bucket]

The body itself mounts the same, but there are other minor differences that you need to be aware of. The biggest one is the rubber body mounts need to be the style that matches the frame. The newer body has a fuel door and the correct filler neck needs to be used. Bumper mounting is slightly different. Headlight switch and wiper switch are mounted different. Minor stuff like that.

 

[bucket]

And before you consider all the work involved with a body swap, you may want to really consider the condition of the '73 body. How bad is it really? I'll bet it's a heck of a lot nicer than the stuff we fix in the rust belt.

And also, if the '86 is clean, why not just have the frame repaired?

 

[89Suburban]

I put a '78 2WD Burb body onto a '85 4WD Burb frame. It was a direct swap and everything bolted up fine. Even the frame wiring plugging into the fuse box matched right up. Only modification I remember having to make was to the floor hump because of the higher sitting transfer case.

 

[73burb]

Thanks guys for the information. The 73 has some serious rust in the floor, all rocker panels, bottom of tailgate and lower fenders. All the normal places. but the frame and running gear are in great shape. The 86 has no rust that I have found so far and as for repairing the frame it is kinked bad on passenger side just behind the shock mounting location and again at the rear spring mounting location. The guy told me his son had hit a piece of RR track that was concreted in the ground at the exact height of the front frame horn.

 

[kleedus]

around here burbs in good shape are easy to find cheap look around a little try to find one that just needs a motor. it will save you a lot of work.
I currently have 3 of them with minimal rust that I am parting out to build my crew cabs. the most I paid for one was 500 bucks and it came with a 4x4 1 ton truck.

 

[73burb]

I am not looking forward to doing a body swap but this one is cheep and I have been looking for a while but it seems that here in California everyone thinks that what they have is worth its weight in gold.