Back-Halved And Solid-Axled: A Beastly 2005 Chevy Silverado

Mike Smith has a long history with this 2005 Chevy Silverado 1500. His father bought it new, making it part of Mike’s life from an early age. It was the truck he drove in high school, and eventually, it became his own.

Mike likes to wheel, and the Silverado saw plenty of off-road action. He also enjoyed launching it in the sand dunes. Over time, that abuse left the IFS in desperate need of repair and completely wiped out the rear axle.

Mike, now in his mid-30s and owner of WOT Auto Spa, took the truck to Cody at Bennett Built in Killeen, Texas. Bennett Built is a one-stop shop offering services that include custom metal fabrication and its builds are legendary. Cody went over the truck from top to bottom and completed a fresh build that transformed it into the beast you see here.

Cam Kit, Headers, Transmission Pan Upgrade, And More

Underhood, the 6.0-liter V8 runs a Brian Tooley Racing cam kit and stainless shorty headers. Fuel comes from an Aeromotive polished 22-gallon tank, and a custom engine cage travels over the powerplant.

Power runs through a 4L80E four-speed automatic with TCI deep aluminum pan mounted on a Bennett Built crossmember made from 1.750-inch-diameter, 0.188-inch-wall DOM tubing. An NP241C transfer case with a JB Conversions slip yoke eliminator kit sends power to the axles.

Bye IFS And Factory Rear Axle

Rather than repairing the trashed independent front suspension and factory rear axle, Cody swapped in a solid front axle and a stronger rear end. Out back sits a GM 14-bolt sourced from a 2006 3/4-ton GM truck. The housing is reinforced with a Ballistic Fabrication truss kit and capped with a Ballistic differential cover. Internally, it runs an Eaton Detroit Locker and Revolution Gear & Axle 4.88:1 gears.

Up front is an AAM 9.25-inch axle pulled from a third-generation Ram 2500. Like the rear, it’s trussed, fitted with a Ballistic differential cover, and geared with Revolution 4.88:1 gears. The front differential uses an Eaton Detroit Truetrac limited slip.

Custom Link Suspension

Cody designed and built the Chevy’s suspension from the ground up. Up front is a three-link setup with 14-inch-travel ORI struts. Each link is built from 2-inch-diameter, 0.250-inch-wall DOM tubing and fitted with RuffStuff Specialties rod ends. After ditching the IFS mounts, he fabricated and installed frame plating, then built the shock towers from 1.750-inch-diameter, 0.120-inch-wall DOM tubing. The setup pushes the front axle 7 inches forward from its stock location.

Out back is a single triangulated four-link with RuffStuff Specialties trailing arms, Bennett Built upper links, and 14-inch-travel ORI struts. The truck was back-halved, with the entire rear section of the factory frame removed just behind the cab. In its place is a custom assembly built from 1.75-inch-diameter, 0.120-inch-wall DOM tubing. The assembly is 11.5 inches shorter than the factory frame, yet with the front axle pushed forward the wheelbase stays close to stock.

A big truck needs big meats, and the Silverado rolls on substantial 15/43-17LT Mickey Thompson Baja Pro XS tires. Each tire is mounted on an 8.5-inch-diameter Dirty Life Roadkill bead lock wheel. Full hydraulic steering from PSC Motorsports makes pointing the big tires effortless.

Line-X Bed-Lined Fiberglass Panels And More

There is a lot to take in when you scan the truck’s exterior, well beyond its impressive approach and departure angles. Cody hung fiberglass front fenders and rear bedsides from ADV Fiberglass, each with a 4.5-inch flare and a 3-inch rise. Up front, a Warn ZEON 12-S winch paired with a polished skid plate made from 1/4-inch-thick, 7075 aluminum and bolted to a custom tube bumper. Each rocker panel is shielded by a slider built from 1.75-inch-diameter, 0.120- and 0.188-inch-wall tubing. Out back, the tail of the truck has been pinched by roughly 12 inches.

Other highlights include roof tubing with crossbars that tie into the firewall, run over the roof, and connect to the rear back-half structure. Lighting comes from FCK Lightbars and includes a grille bar, bumper bar, roof bar, ditch lights, and a chase bar. Rounding things out, the frame is finished in Illusion Cherry, while the body is coated in Line-X Premium inside and out, including the door jambs.

Mike’s Favorite Feature?

We knew it would be hard for Mike to choose one thing he likes best about the truck, but we asked anyway. He responded that his favorite mod is the back-half structure and exocage. “There’s over 200 feet of tubing in those alone and the tube below the back window is radiused to match the contour of the cab. It’s the attention to detail,” he says. And this 2005 Chevy Silverado 1500 is loaded with attention to detail. 

Photography: Dale Martin Photo