Our Community is 940,000 Strong. Join Us.


G20 vs G30


knightjp
09-14-2009, 11:50 PM
I'm a big fan of the old 80's Chevy G series vans. When I was a kid and used to watch the "A-Team" show, I wanted to have a van just like it. I still do.

I found a place that will customize a van for me to the exact specs of the A-team van. However, I'm stuck on the dilemma. I want a van that van carry a good amount of weight in the back so I thought of getting a G30 which presents a problem.
According to the guys in the shop, the G30's suspension is a heavy duty one and the wheels need to have a 6 lug configuration (which is hard to get). In addition, there are no suspension upgrades for the G30 and so it cannot be altered for the van to sit exactly as the van in the TV show.

They suggested that a G20 be used, which is what they use all the time for their replicas. There are alot of suspension upgrades to get the G20 to carry the same amount of load that a G30 can and still retain the TV show looks and uses the 5 lug config for the wheels (easier on parts). But will be more expensive due to the suspension upgrades.

With cost as a factor too, I need to know which would you go for?



G30 - Based on functionality. Will compromise its TV looks for the ability to carry a heavy load and will be cheaper as the stock suspension is used.
G20 - Recommended by the shop guys. Will have it all, TV looks and heavy duty suspension to carry loads. But it will cost more.

Vote for your choice.

knightjp
09-15-2009, 12:02 AM
If any one has pictures to illustrate the difference between a G30 and G20 suspension, could you post them here?

:rolleyes:

MagicRat
09-16-2009, 07:02 PM
I am a big fan of these vehicles and have owned three of them. It is interesting that these trucks are the only full-size light trucks with an all-welded unitized body and frame, from 1971 through 1994 models. IMO this adds to their strength and rigidity.

The G20 is the one you want, imo.

Note the G20 already has bigger and stronger brake rotors, calipers, pads, steering knuckles, drums and brake hardware than a G10 (half-ton).

The G30 uses the same parts as a G20, except for a stronger rear axle and stiffer front and rear springs with 8-bolt wheels (not 6 bolt).

The G-30 sits higher than a G20 and has a MUCH stiffer ride. Also, it's tough to get nice-looking 8-bolt rims that will fit.

How much weight are you intending to carry? A G20 may suit your needs without the punishing G30 ride.

My 1983 GMC 2500 (the same as a G20) has a 6600 lb. GVWR. The van itself weighs about 4600 lbs, leaving 2000 lbs for the driver, passengers and cargo, per factory ratings.

However, in my experience, it can carry more. I have carried 2500 lbs of cargo without difficulty.
If you find that a heavy load makes the van sway too much, it is easy to have a truck spring shop add an extra leaf to the rear suspension to carry some extra weight if necessary. A good shop can tailor the rear suspension's stiffness and ride height to your particular specifications.

However,if you really are going to carry more than 2500 lbs of cargo,driver, passengers, equipment (including extra interior furnishings, etc) then go for the G30.

Finally, many years ago, I had a Chevy G20 "shortbox" van (with a factory 350 V8!). I loaded the hell out of it regularly, 3700 ++ lbs of pre-cast concrete.

This van was about 400 lbs lighter than the regular length vans.... but still, it was probably 1400 lbs over the recommended GVWR, with no problems. I would not recommend doing this, but it shows you what these trucks can do.

knightjp
09-17-2009, 02:10 AM
The G20 is the one you want, imo.

Note the G20 already has bigger and stronger brake rotors, calipers, pads, steering knuckles, drums and brake hardware than a G10 (half-ton).

The G30 uses the same parts as a G20, except for a stronger rear axle and stiffer front and rear springs with 8-bolt wheels (not 6 bolt).

The G-30 sits higher than a G20 and has a MUCH stiffer ride. Also, it's tough to get nice-looking 8-bolt rims that will fit.

How much weight are you intending to carry? A G20 may suit your needs without the punishing G30 ride.


Thanks for the info.
I'm guessing cargo isn't going to complain about the ride comfort, perhaps that's why the G30 is so stiff. It can handle the weight easily.

My question is, will the upgraded G20, have the ability to handle that kind of load (same as 1 Ton G30) and still give a comfy ride to the rear passengers?

MagicRat
09-17-2009, 08:51 AM
Thanks for the info.
I'm guessing cargo isn't going to complain about the ride comfort, perhaps that's why the G30 is so stiff. It can handle the weight easily.

My question is, will the upgraded G20, have the ability to handle that kind of load (same as 1 Ton G30) and still give a comfy ride to the rear passengers?
Yes. When my G20 is fully loaded with 2000 lbs, the ride is excellent, extremely smooth, you hardly feel any bumps at all.
The van does sway a bit at highway speeds when cornering, with that kind of a load, though. It's not bad and easily managed, but you can feel the weight.

If you get stiffer rear springs, you will probably get less sway, but a firmer ride... depending on how much stiffer the rear springs are made.

knightjp
09-17-2009, 10:56 AM
Yes. When my G20 is fully loaded with 2000 lbs, the ride is excellent, extremely smooth, you hardly feel any bumps at all.
The van does sway a bit at highway speeds when cornering, with that kind of a load, though. It's not bad and easily managed, but you can feel the weight.

If you get stiffer rear springs, you will probably get less sway, but a firmer ride... depending on how much stiffer the rear springs are made.

Thanks for the info.
I had planned on upgrading the G20 suspension to take the same load capacity of the G30. I'll have to confirm how stiff the suspension will be once its upgraded. According to the shop guys, it should be alot better than the stock G30's.

knightjp
09-21-2009, 10:13 AM
I had a talk with the shop guys about the ride comfort.
According to them, a G20 with the suspension upgrade will be pretty stiff.
If that is the case, I might as well go for the G30. The shop suggested that if ride comfort was another issue, an alternative upgrade might be air suspension (which is pretty costly, but adjustable upon need).

A friend of mine, who also knows these vans and my requirements, suggests that all I'll need is a stock G20 or better, a G20 with a 3/4 ton setup. I know that there is always a temptation to overload and once customized, it will be having other equipment too in the back (TV, etc..) which adds to the weight.

I wonder what conversion van companies used back in the 80's? G10, G20 or G30s....

Also, the price of customizing a G30 is way cheaper without having to resort to suspension upgrades for a better load bearing capability.

MagicRat
09-21-2009, 02:57 PM
Air lift systems are not expensive. This site shows the rear airlift system costs $270 US and can be installed in 2 hours. (Note, it's the black air cylinders. The red ones are fro the front coils. )

Thats pretty cheap compared to professional suspension mods.
The bags can handle up to 5000 lbs or additional payload.... although I don't recommend that... it might bend the rear axle eventually :)
http://www.autoanything.com/suspension-systems/61A2966A0A0A3173018.aspx

Imo, go for the G20. If you find the rear springs are insufficient, add the airlift system. I used one years ago on my Cherokee with great success.

I had a talk with the shop guys about the ride comfort.
According to them, a G20 with the suspension upgrade will be pretty stiff.
.
FWIW, Not necessarily. If an extra leaf is added to the spring pack, then yes, it will be stiffer. But one can add short, flatter leaves underneath the existing pack that do not start working until the rear suspension is compressed 2 or 3 inches with cargo. Such a set-up will give you decent load carrying ability without excess stiffness.

As for conversion vans, a 3/4 ton G20 seems to be most common for aftermarket conversions, such as Winnebago etc.

However, I have seen the regular 1/2ton G10 and the G20 version used in factory passenger vans.

knightjp
09-21-2009, 05:36 PM
I think I'm gonna request that the base van to build the A-Team replica be a G20 3/4 ton. I think that should suffice for the moment. Should I require some more load bearing ability, I'll add the air suspension kit in the rear.

FWIW, I'm just wondering how much stiffer could the G30's suspension actually be to have the reputation of being unsuitable for passenger ride. I mean, apart from being heavy duty cargo vans, aren't they used for camper van / RV setups?

MagicRat
09-22-2009, 09:15 AM
FWIW, I'm just wondering how much stiffer could the G30's suspension actually be to have the reputation of being unsuitable for passenger ride. I mean, apart from being heavy duty cargo vans, aren't they used for camper van / RV setups?

The G30 is strictly an industrial-strength work truck. The ride, when lightly-loaded is really stiff. Only a tiny percentage of GM vans are G30's, for good reason.

I have never seen one used for a stock-body RV conversion or travel van.
However, they are used for the cab-and-chassis version, where a large RV body or cube-van body are added.

Also, they are used for the ultra-long (140 inch) wheelbase, 14 passenger vans.

knightjp
09-23-2009, 05:31 AM
The G30 is strictly an industrial-strength work truck. The ride, when lightly-loaded is really stiff. Only a tiny percentage of GM vans are G30's, for good reason.

I have never seen one used for a stock-body RV conversion or travel van.
However, they are used for the cab-and-chassis version, where a large RV body or cube-van body are added.

Also, they are used for the ultra-long (140 inch) wheelbase, 14 passenger vans.

That's where I saw them being used... Cube Vans, Large RV bodies.

I always wondered why conversion vans never used it, 'cos they had TV's, electrical seats, etc... and those are added weight. Probably nothing a G20 couldn't handle without compromising its nice soft ride.

Add your comment to this topic!