ZR2 center steering link on a 4 Door? (With stabilizer/damper mount)
 

The title is fairly self explanatory but I am interested to see if you can use the ZR2 steering center link on a 4 Door blazer?

I want to take advantage of the factory steering damper mount on the front cross member but do not want to use an aftermarket damper. I already had to remove my Rough country damper because it was binding and damaged my idler arm.

If anybody knows if the ZR2 steering center link will work on a 4 Door, where did you get your center link? The only place I can find one is gmpartsdirect.Com and there are several options to choose from so I wouldn't know what part # to get.

If there had to be one that looks like it should be right, it would be gm part# 26038980.

http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/chevrol...me=center-link

The photo shows that it has the stabilizer/damper hole but because it doesn't specifically say it'll fit my blazer I'm hesitant to purchase it unless I could get confirmation that it fits my blazer and has the stabilizer hole for sure.

Any help on this would be really appreciated.

Dan.

Got mine from a u-pull yard for $10. I cant remember if I pulled it off a ZR2 though. I just measured the length and it matched my original no mount CL.

And you have just a standard 2 door without the ZR2 package?

That makes me wonder... If you pulled it from a junk yard then it would almost had to have been a ZR2. They did put the stabilizer on some other models but those are rare.

I wanna say it was off a zr2. I had a 99 s10 pickup ls 4x4 and it had the CL with mount from the factory. I have a 2dr ls blazer non zr2 that I got the CL for.

That's going to be a hard find out here around these parts. I've been to every junk yard within 40 miles of where I live at least half a dozen times each over the past several years and have yet to see a ZR2 at any of them.

I guess I will have to keep looking.

I'm almost certain that the ZR2 center link is longer than the one for a regular S-series truck, and not compatible. That being said, the center link from many 1st generation S-series is exactly the same measurements, and has the mount hole for a steering dampener. I've been running one on my Sonoma crew cab for about 6 months now. The steering dampener is nice to have.


I think that there were some models of the 2nd gen Blazer and Jimmy that had the steering dampener too. Maybe the Trailblazer/Envoy versions from 2001-2002?

Can anyone else confirm this? I found a guy parting a ZR2 here in town who has the center link and stabilizer and I've already made arrangements to go and pull the parts this Saturday coming up it would be nice to know for sure before I buy the part.

I would be inclined to disagree with this statement based on the information provided on gmpartsdirect.com.

See the attached screenshot of the ZR2 center link on their website.

https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...1&d=1454038637

Unless the information is incorrect, that center link from the ZR2 should be compatible with virtually every 1998-2004 4WD S series truck or suv.

I just kept looking under all the s series trucks until I found one. Thats why I dont remember if it was off a zr2 or not. I think only 2 trucks in the whole yard had one.

Well I am going to go ahead and confirm this myself. Went to pull the center link today. Before removing it I measured both my current center link and the ZR2 center link.

2ND gen LT/LS 4WD center link = 27" long from end to end. Pitman arm - idler arm holes = 17.5"

2ND gen ZR2 center link = 31" long from end to end. Pitman arm - idler arm holes = 17.5"


With all of that being said, the ZR2 link is NOT compatible with the LT/LS blazer. Not without serious modification to the tire rods anyway.

I know that the outer tie rods could be shortened and using a tap & dye set, the threads lengthened to make the ZR2 center link work on a non-ZR2 but when it all boils down to it, that's just not practical and would need to be redone every time the outer tie rods needed replaced.

Now does anyone know for sure what non-zr2 blazers came with the 5 hole center link for the stabilizer shock? I'm still seriously looking for one of these links.

Edit: this is the center link that those of us without a ZR2 need in order to have the factory stabilizer mount.

https://blazerforum.com/forum/attach...1&d=1454197052