Hey everyone, I have been a long time viewer, but this is my first post.

I just bought a 2002 blazer ls 2 door 4wd with 90k on the dash purchased about a month ago
A little back ground of me, I am 20 years old, I am a technician at a chevy dealership and I am a certified master mechanic through the sate.

I live in the sticks of Michigan where you see more dirt roads than pavement and gas stations are few and far between.

I need my blazer to get through snow and lots of it.

Here are my questions.

Solid front axle swaps. I found the ORD kit online and thats cool and all but where am I suppose to find such specific axles? they say you can only use axles from 70's and 80s trucks/ jeeps, why can't i use newer model ones?

IFS lifts such as 6 inch super lifts. how capable are these? strength wise?

V8 swaps..I also found the kits online. can I have a 6 inch IFS lift and swap in a V8 with the online kits?

will the V8 power destroy my drive train from the 4.3

Thanks in advance, I love the community and will have pics of my blazer up shortly.

 

Just my opinion, take it for what its worth. Not taxing the IFS axles. The best setup is solid axle swap. And unless your going ls engine dont really think you`ll gain much horsepower and be adding weight. Yes with normal driving and even some offroading the drivetrain should hold up to a v8 if you go that rt

 

okay thanks for the reply!

So my drive train will hold up to a V8 that is good to know, Do you know why I can not run a new axle with the ORD SAS kit?

Also I find the kit and whole thing to be very vague. do you know of a how to or thread sticky that actually shows the SAS.

and last thing…will a SAS hurt drivability at all?

 

oh and is there a right up/kit/how to. to flip the rear axle over the leaf springs.

 

You can run any solid axle you want with the ORD kit if you're willing to strip whatever brackets are on it off and weld on new spring perches. The only reason ORD lists those 'old' axles on the website is because they all have the correct spring perch width to bolt on using the kit. Plain and simple 'new' trucks don't have leaf springs in the front, so they don't list their axles.

Also...

I know some lift kits come with a "flip kit" for the stock rear to go SOA, but you're probably better off just buying new spring perches and welding them on top the axle. Plus, If you're serious about SASing you'll probably end up swapping out the stock rear axle to match the front (gear ratio, bolt pattern, width, strength, etc), in which case the flip kit wont work anyways.

 

I am running my 05 2dr at stock height with some really aggressive tires
I have plowed the snow with the front bumper

I run HERCULES TRAIL DIGGER M/T

 

Thanks for responding back guys.

Thank you for clearing up the axle questions I had.

This winter I will buy the ORD kit and the axles/parts that I need.

right now a body lift/shackles/31's will do fine for this winter.

This is my first 4x4 truck so excuse my lack of knowledge as far as trucks go I am much more familiar with cars. I usually run AWD sports cars through the winter with snow tires, although fun, I would still have to wait for the plows to come through first.

with the solid axle swap, going to bigger front and rear axles I am guessing I would need the drive shaft that goes with the two and a new transfer case?

 

front driveshaft yes, rear maybe, transfer case no

 

Thanks New Guy!

New guy your blazer is on 31's with shackles and a body lift? looks good!


Do you guys think SAS is over kill for my needs?

Really I do not go in the mud. mostly trails, fields, snow/dirt roads/steep hills.

I like custom projects thats why I am doing this, I understand what I have is probably fine but bigger is better right? lol

The 6 inch super lift. Keeps my IFS which I under stand is very weak. although weak would it with stand Daily Driving with some small off road adventures?
on either 33's or 35's with like 373 gears or something more aggressive

 

I also have add a leafs and ball joint spacers