Chev Express Van 2500 vs 3500

ol' grouch wrote:
The springs, brakes and rear axle are heavier on the 3500. Look at the end of the rear axle where the wheel fits on it. A 2500, like my B, has a semi floating rear axle. The axle rides on a bearing at the end of the axle tube. A 3500 will have a full floating axle. The axle doesn't carry any weight. All the weight is carried by a huge bearing assembly and the axle just turns the wheel. It's marked by a large rough bolt together assembly sticking through the wheel. You see these on larger trucks. You can even unbolt the end of the axle and slide it out with the truck sitting on its wheels. The lighter axles you have to take apart inside. If you're going to carry a lot of weight, you want the heavy duty axle assembly.

Thanks... this type of thing is what I was looking for, it would appear then that there is a real difference between the 2500 and 3500 designs in these vans, so far larger brakes on the rear and a completely different rear axle.

On our Dodge truck everything on our 3500 was the same on the 2500 except the helper/overload spring addition on the 3500 series..

I was thinking of changing a 2500 to a 3500 by just adding springs to a 2500 van but that won't work with these vans now as there appear to be major differences from 3/4 to 1 ton express vans...