the roadie said:
If only GM design teams were told to use as many parts as they can find already in the supply and service pipeline, they might have been clever enough to offer us more interchangeability. But alas, they assign no value to things that benefit modifiers like us. I believe they actively try to thwart parts swapping for legal reasons.
So we have a unique hub and wheel stud pattern, and we have a lower strut mount and lower control arm design shared by no other vehicle. Sigh....
If I am a car builder, I re-use as many parts from other models as possible to keep from having to re-design and build model specific parts.
All of my 6 lug wheels would have the same pattern and use the same freaking hub and brakes when possible.
All the mid sized vehicles would have the same rear end in them when possible.
I would expect if one part is slightly overbuilt for an application that would be more than offset by the cost of re-designing another model and all the tooling that goes into that.
It makes no sense to me that all of the TB and the Colorados don't have the 8.6 rear.
I would have the same starter and alternator etc in them all as well.
Every part I could re-use I would.
It would also mean it takes much less inventory to service more vehicles.