2003 2-Dr Blazer ZR2 4WD

I live in a coastal town and my ZR2 has suffered a bit of salt rot on the frame and underbody. The rails are fine as are most of the crossmembers (trans and torsion bar crossmembers have been recently replaced), but the bottom of the front welded crossmember has seen some major disintegration. My major concern is a potential failure where the lower control arms bolt in if it gets much worse. So I'm at a critical juncture where I have to decide whether it would be feasible to try and repair that area or do a full frame swap, or just junk the thing entirely. It still runs great, I still love this truck, and it's really hard to find these vehicles anymore, so I hate the idea of having to junk it.

Anyone ever done a full frame swap on a Blazer? And if so, how much did it end up costing?

 

Not sure about price.

But being a zr2, you would have to find a zr2, as the control arm mounting locations are different then the regular 4x4 and 2wd,if I am thinking correctly.

It might be cheaper to get a SAS done if your concerns are the control arms...

 

^^^ I agree, I would consider rebuilding the front portion of the frame and doing an SAS before trying to do a whole frame swap

 

I'm pretty sure that front crossmember is welded, so rebuilding would be a bit beyond my skillset. And no one in my area will touch frame work due to liability.

The crossmember aside, one of the front brakets welded into the front of the frame, that the swaybar mount bolts into, has collapsed. Anyone have any experiene replacing those or would I just have to find someone to fabricate a new braket and have it welded on? I'm probably going to have to learn to weld since I can't seem to find anyone to work on it.

 

Would a frame from a regular 2 door {not a ZR2 } with 4WD serve as a donor for kmenc67 to use instead of a ZR2? I am asking because it would be a lot easier to find a regular 2 door with 4WD than the rare ZR2.

 

Thanks. I think they should be compatible, but I actually already have a line on both a full and a front-half ZR2 frame for $500 and $250 respectively. Unfortunately, it's looking increasingly not worth the trouble. No one in my area will do that kind of work and I don't have the time, resources, or know-how to do it myself. I hate having to junk a vehicle that runs great over frame rust, but I will probably have to. I really picked the worst possible time to look for another vehicle though, with all the recent used lot price gouging.

 

Another vote here for doing a SAS. On mine, I completely cut out the crossmember under the engine and cut off the swaybar mounts, so you're already halfway there, lol.

Sure, it's going to cost you some money but, as long as you shop carefully for parts, it won't be nearly as much as replacing the whole vehicle.

 

Appreciate the suggestions. Not really wanting all that lift though. And I would have to do it myself, which really isn't an option. If I could get someone to cut out the crossmember, I'd just have them weld a stock replacement. But no one here will touch frames due to liability. Believe me, I've called dozens of shops and even individual customizers.Out of options at this point.