hello everyone im new here and i need your advice on a build ive been thinking about. first off im considering purchasing a 96-98 chevy z71 1500, sans the motor and tranny if at all possible. ive been doing alot of reading on here as well as other forums about a 4bt swap, which is were my first question comes to mind, the 4bt is only a 1/2" longer than the 350 v8 so obviously i wont have to "shoehorn" the 4bt in which is a major relief for me, but, what are some other options for me to look into that doesnt require shoehorning anything or getting a plasma cutter? another question is the 4bt is known to vibrate quite a bit versus a 6 cyl diesel. is there a way to solve that rattle or is there no known cure? im on the fence on whether or not im gonna lift the truck or not, if not, im gonna run 33s,if i lift it im planning on doing a solid front axle swap and then a lift and maybe run 36s or a little bigger. if i dont lift the truck would the z71 susp. be up to the task of holding the 4bt or should i get heavier duty components? what kind of power is the 4bt capable of? ive heard 4-500hp and not sure about the torque #s. if i built up a 250-300hp 4bt with a 3-4" lift and the aforementioned 36s what kind of mpgs would i be looking at [not sure what gearing yet] what would you recommend for a gear ratio that could possibly get me into the mid 20s?. thank you for your time and responses