Hello all,
Will ZR2 control arms and CV axles fit on a LS blazer? If they do would i still be able to utilize the lifted upper A-Arm control arms?
I would like to be able to utilize the longer cv axles.

 

Anything is possible with enough money and custom fabrication.

They won't work as a bolt-on for a non-ZR2 truck. The ZR2 is 2" wider, and that is accomplished by different frame mount locations for the control arms. The mounts are built out wider, and lower to get the lifted stance of the ZR2. I'm pretty sure that the upper control arms are the same on both the ZR2 and non-ZR2 S-series trucks. I think the lower arm is different between the two, but I'm not exactly sure what those differences are.

The ZR2 CV axle is 2" longer than the non-ZR2 axle, and the only time I know of when someone tried to use a ZR2 CV on a non-ZR2 truck he ended up cracking the case on his front diff.

 

Dont quote me on this, but the non zr2 have a spring in between the upper and lower arms? Right? I know my zr2 is different than the ones i see in the junk yard when im looking for parts... mine doesnt have springs, its just shock and tbar... but like when im looking for parts the ones i see have a helper spring with the shock in the middle... that wouldnt work on my set up... also, theres like 3 or 4 different bushing sizes and the bolts are different sizes also... like the sleeve on the bushing... so unless you change the mounts and like this guy said... anythings possible with enough fab work and money and skill 🤣🤣🤷‍♂️
mine is a Frankenstein... it has all the typical zr2 off road issues... the control arm mounts are bogus, they didnt have enough support for the frame twist youre getting... when u actually offroad and actually use it, the control arm mounts crack the frame... poor design but i love my truck 🤷‍♂️... also, i have the tuff country upper control arms... the upper bushings are the same as a blazer but the ball joint is for a 1500 silverado... so that was weird... the guy at autozone was just opening boxes trying to match it up...

 

Also, the ls front diff is a 3.42 and the zr2 is a 3.73... the zr2 has 27 splines and the ls has 24 i think... something like that... i know one has more splines than the other

 

No, the Blazers with a coil spring on the front suspension are 2wd. Totally different front suspension. All 4wd s-series trucks use a torsion bar spring suspension in the front. You'll need to make sure any parts you pull are from a similarly equipped vehicle to make sure they're compatible.
Yeah, the frame issues were pretty common in ZR2s. I hope you're able to find the right parts to get your truck running well.
The gearing on Blazers was an option. 3.42 was quite common on non-ZR2 trucks, but there are tons with 3.73 depending on the equipment package, and there was even some very rare 3.04 or 4.10 gear options. Those were typically only special order. The 3.73 gears were standard on the ZR2s because of the taller tires. Different gear ratios were available as special order only.

 

Thank you for your replies/responses

 

Thank you for your reply/response i would like to fabricate whats necessary to do so. with that said maybe even in the future i wonder if it is possible to do a ZR2 lift kit on this LS?
-even if i need to go to a salvage yard and get the front and rear diff from a ZR2 that would make sense as ZR2's have "3.73 gear ratios".
-the uppers (upper controls arms) are same fitment correct?, and lowers (lower control arms) are set different in the cross member? Hmm, get the cross member/s from the ZR2? "fabrication"

 

If you're set on a ZR2 suspension, the easiest might be to get a ZR2 frame and do a frame swap. If you can find a rolling chassis then you already have the diffs and everything.

To make the modifications to your existing frame, you'd have to mimic the ZR2 frame and build out and lower the upper control arm mounts by about 2" each direction.
I don't know for sure if the lower control arm frame mounts are different geometry or not, so you'll need to find a ZR2 and do some measuring to find the differences. I am quite confident that the lower control arms are actually different because all the parts websites say they have different part numbers.

Honestly though, if you're ready to do frame fabrication to get a suspension lift, you're probably way better off finding a solid axle and going the SFA route. You'll have a much more upgradeable suspension.

 

I might have some frame dimensions in my 99 service manual. Reply here if you think it will help and I'll see what I can find.