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Let's build a 95 blazer!
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This is a few years in the making and I've got a lot of nothing to show off, until now! The Blazer belonged to my late grandfather, I inherited it in stock condition with 130k on it.
I'm waiting for a few pictures to upload, so I'll leave you with a teaser for my next project :icon_goofygrin: https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1461299219 |
I'm in for this one! Let me know if you have any questions I'll do my best to answer them.
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rear storage, full album can be found here: http://imgur.com/a/W9N1L
https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1461448148 https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1461448148 https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1461448148 |
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This was more of a proof of concept, I'm going to revisit this project in the future.
What's this box of goodies? https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1461449445 Bluetooth OBDII scanner https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1461449445 A $30 raspberry pi computer, a camera module, and 23" monitor https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1461449445 and we have lane tracking! https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1461449445 https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1461449445 |
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Put some bigger shackles on and gave the t-bar a crank for a quick 1"
Size comparison: https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1461649772 https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1461649772 Before/after: https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1461649772 https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1461649772 |
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and I scored this off craigslist the past week, another piece to the puzzle!
https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1461650168 |
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I can only work in 15 minute increments, and my bank account can't keep up with the spending for the swap at this rate. My plan is to get the swap done this mid to late summer though.
I'll do a writeup if anyone is reading/interested. onto a few pictures (full album is here) Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet after a few 15 minute spurts with the grinder: https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1462661995 opened the diff housing on the 44, 3:31 gearing from what I found online. I'll regear down the road. https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1462661995 steering knuckle https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1462661995 vacuum coming off the axle housing https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...ine=1462661995 |
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I was on Craigslist, events transpired and.. well..
i picked up a set of 36x12.5x16.5 super swampers with ~half tread and 6x5.5 rims for $400 Attachment 38080 Attachment 38081 Attachment 38082 Attachment 38083 |
Things are coming along nicely! I really like that back shelf you made!!
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Copied your design rex, thanks for that!
Now that I got axles and tires I can start taking measurements to get an idea of where I'll mount a front hanger and shackle mounts. But I'm looking for input, ideas, gotchas, tell me I screwed up, etc in the mean time :) I want to run shackle relocation mounts in the rears, something ~8" long with 6 or 7 holes every inch. That way I can play with spring length and not do any welding in the future. I really haven't done too much measuring yet because of lack of yet to be known parts. I've heard waggy springs work well with the center pin being 2" forward, will that help tuck 36s? I'm trying to avoid my 36" tires in the firewall basically. I'm thinking of going SOA front/rear. But this will also be a get to work and home dd.. think it will be a bit high? Brakes... I was planning on just doing everything stock and see how it handles then upgrade to bigger brakes and mc if necessary. Thoughts? I haven't even started to think about steering, but it needs to be solid since it will see the occasional highway. Astro box? Hi-steer? Cross-over? Both? Keep the hydro? |
I like your idea of the shackle mounts except that it is going to be very hard to pull the idea off. I say this because you have to mount the hanger inside the frame rail which leaves very little space behind the mount for access to get a nut on the bolt. The hardest part will be bracing it so it is stout enough. IMO trying to build that would be more work than just finding the correct spot for the hanger and welding it up. You can use a few heavy tack welds and that will be enough to hold the weight long enough to check shackle angle and easy enough to cut off and relocate if needed. I don't think you mentioned but it sounds like you may be building your own crossmember correct? Either way get that mounted where you want it and then start with the rear hangers. I mounted mine so the bolt hole on the hanger is directly below the body mount bolt. If I could do it again I would move it forward an inch to inch and a half but thats only because I am running much larger tires than when I built it and I am currently searching for some new leaf springs to help move my axle forward and get the tire out of the back of the fenders when I turn and flex. Once you figure out what springs you want to use you can find measurements of spring mounts online with some searching. The waggy springs seem to be very popular and work very well.
To fit 36's you will have to go spring over or plan to cut alot. Just go spring over and be done with it is my suggestion. I will say that when I had my 44 and 37s my truck truly drove nicer down the hwy at 70 than it ever did stock. To high is a matter of personal preference and desire to climb in and out lol. You can keep it plenty low to not be a nuisance tho just by spending a little extra time to tuck the hangers up into the frame a bit higher and choosing the correct springs. With 36s you shouldn't be to tall at all if you plan and execute properly. For the brakes I would look into a disk swap for your rear if possible (I'm not certain they make one for your axle) and I would absolutely do an abs module delete and adjustable prop valve from the start. I would also say go ahead and upgrade the master at the same time that way you are only doing it once and doing it right from the beginning. Brakes are not a place you want to cheap out on for sure! The astro box is needed when you push you axle forward so I am going to say that yes you will need one because it sounds like you don't want to cut the back of the fenders. With your axle your best option is probably going to be a y link steering setup. Ditch the tie rod and drag link that you have now and check out RuffStuff's heavy duty y link kit with GM 1 ton TREs. Steering is another place you don't want to skimp on. You really shouldn't need hydro assist on there but if you find that you want it it is easy to add later down the road. All that being said be prepared to cut some body the fender openings are so small on these things that it makes it really hard to fit large tires without cutting or a huge amount of lift! Hope I helped a little. |
Good point on the shackles.. hopefully I can get something in there even if it only has two or three mounting points. Spring over it is then! I'll probably wind up buying a sky's crossmember to save time. The abs will be going away.
They make disc conversion kits for the corp 20, but they're almost a grand and I only paid $300 for the axles. I'm not sure if I could pull something from the junkyard.. I was planning on just doing all stock brake components and getting my axles under the blazer then upgrading/replacing from there. I'll need to re-gear eventually, maybe I'll just replace the rear axle with another 44/60 that has the gears I want so I'm only doing a re-gear on the front axle. |
What is your front axle out of?
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83/84 waggy. Those years they came with corporate 20 rears, and 44 fronts with vacuum lockers. I'm going to run a posi-lock type setup on it though so I can control it from the cab independently of the t-case.
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Thats what I thought it was from. Look around and see if you can find a Isuzu Rodeo rear axle. They are a d44 that matches the same width and lug pattern as your front and you can find them with a factory traclock and 4.56s. They came in 93-99 rodeos with the 93-95.5 (the only years you want) models being the same width as your waggy axle and the newer being a bit wider, they all had drum brakes. If you have a junkyard look around or if you find one in some classifieds ask the seller if they have the vehicle and to check for the RPO code HC6 this designates the 4.56 ratio. This is going to be the easiest option to get to a better gear ratio to accommodate your tire size. I don't know how to identify if it has a traclock or not besides pulling the cover sorry. Honestly I wouldn't even spend any time on your current rear axle with how cheap the rodeo axles can be found.
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Rex, I've read that traclock needs to run a special additive and won't last as long as something like a detroit locker?
I know the r&p in the corp 20 are beefier than the 44 and I can pick up another corp 20 axle for $150 and have all the replacement parts I need so there's that.. |
Meh the special additive is cheap and easy and even included in many gear oils already. A Detroit is always a good option but at $580 it's ain't cheap! I search many classifieds daily and I have never seen one used for and AMC for sale. Even a lunch box locker is like $280 so add that to at a minimum $300 to re gear and your at almost $600 where you could have a rodeo with 4.56s and a traclock for $250 or less ready to bolt in. I'm just trying to give you options and see the total picture. You are correct about the larger r&p in the AMC but IMO those are negated heavily by the weak axle shafts. It's your truck and you can and should do as you want I'm just trying to pass along what little knowledge I have lol!
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Where are you located?
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Denver. Tons of axles, good ones go quick though.
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Had an extremely busy year and had to put the project on hold up until the last couple months, back with lots of pictures though.
Started with my front cross-member, I wanted to have a receiver hitch in the front so I found a yukon hitch on craigslist and ordered some adjustable shackle hangers that I originally wanted to put in the front rears, but my fab skills are subpar so I ran them up front. Here's the hitch I started with Attachment 38076 ..and the general concept I had Attachment 38077 The adjustable shackle mounts I found online Attachment 38078 obviously the car it'll be going on in the background :icon_eddie: Attachment 38079 |
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Started the tear down on the d44 that's going in the front. It's from an 83' waggy and has the vacuum disco that I thought I had good plans for a year ago. A year later, I'm not sure about my original plans but oh well, both axles were like $100.
Picked up new bearings, rotors, hubs, brake parts, etc. that can be seen in boxes of the background in my last post. Attachment 38072 yummy.. Attachment 38073 Attachment 38074 everything laid out in the order it came off Attachment 38075 |
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Once I had everything pulled off to the outer c's I started cutting off the old mounts. A cutting wheel and bfh made this pretty quick work.
Attachment 38065 could've got closer but didn't want to cut into the tubes on accident Attachment 38066 http://imgur.com/a/vk8Eu.jpg Attachment 38067 cleaned up with a grinding disc Attachment 38068 wire wheel Attachment 38069 first or second coat of primer Attachment 38070 Attachment 38071 |
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Pressed the old ball joints out of the steering knuckles and put some greasable moogs in. Having them tapped for hi-steer crossed my mind at this point but my time has been so limited I didn't want to wait.. I'm kicking myself now
Attachment 38056 Attachment 38057 Attachment 38058 I heard that gloss is easier to wash mud off of Attachment 38059 Attachment 38060 Attachment 38061 Put back together with new parts and fresh paint Attachment 38062 Picked these rollers up for a couple hundred, go CL! Attachment 38063 Attachment 38064 |
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Started lining up the front cross-member
Attachment 38045 These these things had to go anyways.. Attachment 38046 Attachment 38047 Before relocating the cooler lines and impact sensors that sat on the bottom of the rad black this is as far back as it would go Attachment 38048 Attachment 38049 yep.. these things gotta go.. I pulled this and screwed my filter straight into the block. I was still driving it at this point and found a shorter filter that cleared the front drive shaft Attachment 38050 impact sensors were in the way Attachment 38051 their new home. I flattened the tabs and placed them 1/2" or so behind where the cross-member will wind up Attachment 38052 some cutting and notching later Attachment 38053 much better fit Attachment 38054 |
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No turning back now. I started with just a 4" angle grinder, gave up and rented a plasma cutter
Attachment 38040 The plasma turned removing the ifs into quick work. I had the spring mounts tacked on but wound up frenching them into the frame more later Attachment 38041 junk pile Attachment 38042 Still on jacks, rolled a tire under it and put a leaf spring on to get an idea of where things will sit Attachment 38043 |
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ground off all the old ifs mounts. couldn't for the life of me get a good enough angle on that nut in the frame. I tried wobble joints, extensions, and just wound up making room with the plasma cutter.
Could have done a better job grinding down old mounts on the top of the frame, but I was ready for a break after that long weekend Attachment 38039 |
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started on my front shackle hangers, here's my crappy booger welds. I did 2 or 3 passes on some parts. I mounted them inboard right where the frame curves in/up.
Attachment 38033 Attachment 38034 Attachment 38035 set the shackle angle 7 degrees forward Attachment 38036 mistakes were made, I'll have to sawzall that bolt off :icon_fryingpan: Attachment 38037 springs are nice and level across though Attachment 38038 |
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and this is how it currently sits, I used stock springs in rear with a 3" add-a-leaf. The rear is currently ~ 1.5" - 2" higher than the front. I can play around with the leaf pack or remove the longer shackles I have in the rear and put the stock ones back in.
I need to figure out what shocks I'm gonna run. Need to figure out my steering setup, I have a reverse astro box laying around and there's some obvious binding issues that will happen. I think I'll have to go hi steer regardless. Gotta take a look at drive shafts and pinion angles. I'm hoping the exhaust won't be an issue here. Attachment 38032 I've done a lot of reading, but this is my first SAS project and I know my work isn't perfect. I'm looking for constructive criticism or tips, thanks for reading so far. |
Looking really good
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Now the only thing missing is a nice mudpit to get it dirty ;)
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Nice progress!
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