Throughout the 90's, you could buy a 1500 series pickup or SUV equipped with the 6.5L turbodiesel and 4L80-E. The chassis used for the half ton vehicles was deemed adequate for the weight of the diesel engine and transmission. Either by luck or by design, the weight of the Duramax 6600 very nearly matches that of the 6.5TD. The extensive use of aluminum does make a difference...

The front torsion bars in our Lil Red project did not need to be adjusted to accept the extra weight, and GM Powertrain's Pikes Peak race truck did very well with its half ton front suspension.

Jim