alright so i have an inherited 89 Chevy k2500 reg cab 8 ft bed 5.7l v8 with the manual 5 speed and its got like 400,000-500,000 miles on it and i live in illinois so we got some pretty good amounts of salt dumped on our roads so my frames about done with, and theres a 90 k5 blazer goin for 3200 bucks about 8 miles from me its white and the paint job is gettin kinda bad looks like one of those factory mess ups and i crawled under it like last week and was in awe, the frame had little to no rust on it, and if there was some it was just surface rust, the body panels arent rusted out or anything. ive always wanted an old k5. so i have some questions about the 1990 year to see if theres anything big that goes wrong with them but i doubt it cuz its got a bowtie on the grille. the transfer case is leaking but my dad says thats basically normal, everything to me looks in good shape. and another question i have is, is the front on the 1990 k5 a straight axle or independent front susp. cuz my truck has independent and if this blazer does thats what i would like over a straight axle.

thanks for all the help
robert.

 

all k5 blazers have the solid axle up front.

only major issue with these trucks other then the rust problems is the frames crack by the steering box. but even if that happens they sell frame repair kits.

 

i see, so i guess i just wont worry about the solid axle deal then, but why didnt they change it to independent cuz i swear i seen a arms on that 90 blazer but i might not have paid that much attention, i can stop by it sometime after school next week. isnt that steering box problem to fix it dont you just weld a patch of metal onto it with braces?

 

yeah its just a welded plate in shape of the frame.

i think 82 was the last year for the 2wd k5 blazer. they did make them, ive only seen one in person. when the blazer changed body styles again in 93 they went with IFS. the 1/2 ton pick up trucks went to IFS in 87

 

welcome to the show.

why would you want an IFS over a solid axle?

you are correct sir. i've been after one for the last 8 years. an old guy around the corner from my brother's place has a '77 2WD Blazer. it's rough as hell, but it's a 2WD (we all know how rare that option was), and in Ontario, any vehicle made prior to '88 is exempt from out etesting. can you say "572"?

 

the ifs has alot smoother ride to it, and its also better in the mud. i went back and looked at the blazer today after school and yea it does have a straight axle up front, and hes got 2 12 inch subs in the rear wich is a plus lol, but the interior and everything is looking pretty good

 

May have a better ride to it but not too sure about better in the mud...lol I'd probably need both my feet and hands to count the amout of times we've pulled out fords, chevys, and the sorts with the ifs suspension. We have a 91 and thus far have had no major problems with it aside from normal wear and tear on a almost 20 year old truck. Aside from a pestering oil leak that is so small we have yet to find it. BTW welcome to the forum!

 

are you going for comfort? if that's the case, don't bother going off the blacktop. although....sometimes the roads are so bad, you can't tell the difference, hahahaha.

X2.
there's a reason why they used the solid axle set-up 90K5Blazer, and it's called durability! like AllEizOnMe said, they've had no major problems so far, try doing that in 20 yrs with with a truck built in 2000, i doubt you could.
after what i saw my landscaping friend take out in a new subdivision, with his '84 HD 3/4 ton Silverado, i know an IFS truck would've been on a flat bed, and have a **** load of tickets! his frame had gouges on it from the island he fell into going 60 (about 35MPH), that's right "into", not "onto". even sheard off some of the rivits for one of the xmembers. not sure what the frame clearance on his truck is, but i know it's stock (it's has to be at least 24-26 inches).

 

well its not like its gonna make the difference between buying one or not, and im not really planning to go off the road that much because id like to keep it in good shape. but i just like the ifs alot better than straight axle but i can deal with it its not that big of a deal to me. but i read a sticker on the window and it was like a parking permit for south carolina so i know the truck hasnt seen any salt or snow so thats deff a plus for me because my truck hasnt not seen a winter so my frame and body is really destroyed. thanks for initiating me into the forum and for all the help. so theres not really anything i should look for before i buy the k5 or is there something out there thats a prob besides the frame by the steering box

 

heck no. these trucks are so dang easy to work on. the hardest thing to replace is the heater core. which only takes a hour to do anyways. simple reliable and cheep. you can buy whole axles for those things for $100 if not for for free. you shouldnt be disappointed