In too deep now
 

Well I got Blazie about 14 months ago in an odd trade with an old U-haul and an older Honda (I got Blazer and Honda for Uhaul) tuned up and sold Honda to work on Blazer. Boy was it in trouble when we got it.

She is a 1998 Chevy Blazer LS 4x4

Nicknamed it Putt Putt because it was backfiring, throwing O2 codes, etc. Up until last month we did the following to poor putt putt-

Replaced rear fuel line that was kinking.
Replaced O2 sensors
Replaced fuel pump
Rebuilt spider injectors (still didn't solve puttputt)
New Fuel Filter
New Transmission filter
Flushed Radiator
New Thermostat
and a couple stickers

And the thing went puttputt for months, with engine light coming on and off several times. So I finally broke down and bought the after market fuel injector spider, and the day it arrived in mail the steering went to hell (was already bad but now just didn't want to turn, like in 4 wheel drive.)

We diagnosed bad driver CV axle and ball joint, and potentially bad tierod end, so I went and got all those, got the wrong axle, and busted the carrier case for the differential.

Well that did it. Got a used differential from junk yard for $90, and hooked that sucker up with

2 new cv axles,
all new tierods (and sleeves)
all four ball joints
all three U-joints
new driver side wheel hub,
tossed in the new injectors with a new mount and new plenum cover and gasket and we are golden!


Wish I could have afforded to put in lift while I was in there, but that can get pricey. This last Saturday I went to grab a new mirror at the junk yard and I saw a 2000 2door with a swing away tire rack...yup it's mine now, and as I was leaving I saw a trailer hitch that will fit too, so I'm going back on Saturday to get that hitch, then I will maybe put hitch and rack on Sunday or next weekend.

Oh, and I probably need to return and replace all crappy duralast ball joints, they just aren't holding up and go on like ****. Anyone got suggestion on the ball joints, or reinforcing panels to support tire rack? I know some people have done it but I haven't seen great pictures of how to do it and what works vs. doesn't work.

I use raybestos professional grade. Better thab moog imo. There is a very long thread about putting a rack on. Just search "tire rack"