wildweaselmi

On its way to the exhaust shop

High steer is done. Waiting on speedy sleeve, different calipers, exhaust (super 40 flow masters, center in and out, Kelly is doing the work) driveshafts are in. shoild have it back Wednesday

Driveshafts are ordered from Tom Woods.. Hopefully here by Thursday. Just learned front end Dana 60 is from a dodge

Not starting this yet but I need to fix the gauges in my K5 but having trouble finding the bezel for a 91 as well as gauges. Here are some options I found on the internet LMC Truck has these New Vintage Gauges (made in Detroit) that I really like the looks of. It gives me a sense of factory look I have used Digital Dakota in my 72 cutlass and they looked pretty good and worked but what a pain in the butt to install. Lots of wires for the module, the actual back of the gauges was a cat5 cable. It just took a long time but everyone swears by Digital Dakota gauges and what is mentioned most is the lifetime warranty. And I think my favorite from Digital Dakota, the HDX option What's your opinion A. NVU B. Digital C. VHX D. HDX

Looks like a good place to put the switches

A great place that has a wide range of trails for different skill sets as well as vehicle capabilities. Worth coming to check out and they do have camping available as well. Rocks and Valleys located in Harrison Michigan Check out some YouTube videos here: https://www.google.com/search?q=rocks+and+valleys&safe=active&source=lnms&tbm=vid&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjDj7CUjdvSAhVD2yYKHf-xAUkQ_AUICSgC&biw=1117&bih=741

Did a check on status (anxious to get some driving in before snow) axles are almost done when with 4:56 gears from 3:73 The front Dana 60 The rear GM 14bolt I've been told they will be installed and ready for the road by 10/17

So it runs great but doesn't move worth a crap. The stall converter is way to tall (3500rpm) is just too much for this rig. Blazer is at unlimited offroad to hopefully reduce from 3.73 to 4.56 and hoping that will help but I imagine I will need to get this back to Frayleys and get a lower stall like a 2800. Currently, its not fun to drive and the exhaust needs to be fixed... $325 at Muffler Man in Lapeer for some Flow Master Super40's on a full exhaust from the hooker headers back... which is a good deal. Have to wait for axle repair first. Thinking of doing away with the sway bar due to going to high steer setup the sway bar is in the way Also apparently Hutchinson is out of product so they are waiting for a shipment to come in and they have no ETA. We are 5 of 20 waiting in line. Looks like I may have to get some cheap steel wheels for now.

Location: De Tour Village, MI (Off Ferry take SR-134 east about 15 miles then turn left onto Glen Cove Road for about a mile and then continue straight onto Turkey Farm Road for about 1/2 mile to staging area. Open: May to November Price: $25/day or $40/two days Contact: Turtle Ridge ORV Park 33494 S. Maxton Road Drummond Island, MI 49726 (906) 493-1000 Permit is Required No camping or campfires Mostly Amateur Level VVMap_MI_ORV_Trail_Map_Drummond.pdf

Outdoors in the Smokies, Inc. is a private trail and event facility destination on 65 acres in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains!. Trails range from mild to wild. Off-road trails just 30mins from Gatlinburg and 40mins from Pigeon Forge & Sevierville. Just 1hr from either Knoxville, TN or Asheville, NC! Trail Map: pdf_oits_trail_map_aug_2016.pdf Amenities include: 28'x40' event pavilion grills lots of parking Primitive camping too! Just contact Dan (423)200-9935 and we'll set a date/time! $20/Vehicle Private facility for your or your group! Wheel all day and enjoy camaraderie in a private setting. Please no dogs or pets! Private Off-Road Driving Instruction! (The private 5+/- hour session is $249. Cool thing, yes, you can bring a passenger(s) along for just $69ea! A little training for your "navigator" goes a LOOOONG way for fun and safe off-roading! Contact Dan at ex.seal.165@gmail.com today!) Have an off-road vehicle but have never really understood it's capabilities and/or limits? Want to drive your vehicle off-road but don't know where to begin? That's were Outdoors in the Smokies come in! They offer low pressure instruction and learning with both "classroom" dialog and plenty of hands on driving! Instruction covers a crawl - walk - run approach and includes: Review of YOUR vehicle specifics, recommended equipment (safety, extraction, emergency, etc) to have on hand (you borrow ours for training if you don't have it yet), off road assessment and route selection, equipment management / vehicle survivability, obstacle approach, winching/extraction techniques, and more! After classroom time, we hit the trails... I lead out in mine, and you drive YOUR vehicle and get hands on trail time! If you do not have a CB, I let you borrow one so we can communicate and dialog about upcoming obstacles, preferred lines, and more. Often, we stop for discussion and application of learned skills as well. Location: (attached written instructions) GPS Address: 462 Middle Creek Rd. Cosby, TN 37722 PLEASE NOTE: some GPS' will route you to "Lower Bogard Rd." but that leads you to a DEAD END on "Eugene Rd." You MUST enter on "Middle Creek Rd." (Zoom in on the REGIONAL map below) jul_2016_directions_and_map_to_outdoors_in_the_smokies_inc..pdf

Headers on and throttle body on. But have to mount fuel injection computer and fuel pump install.

Waiting for parts to show up today to continue project. Things to do: Headers Install Fuel Pump Upgrade in Tank (full tank of fuel) Install new DUI distributor Install EFI Computer and run wires

Engine is out and now getting new engine ready to go in Since headman headers are on back order until sometime in October and I'm not waiting that long, moved to Hooker Competition Headers

Well looks like we will have to upgrade the fuel pump. The stock in tank fuel pump only puts out about 9-12lbs of pressure and the new fuel injection needs a lot more. So since we have to drop the tank anyways, should I upgrade to a Dorman (576-312) 31 gallon tank and throw in an aeromotive electric fuel pump that can support up to 90lbs of pressure. It's only about 200 for the both from summit

Dropped the Blazer off Monday at Al's, gave my credit card to Al Serra yesterday (Tuesday) to pay for the engine which they delivered to Al yesterday so now I wait like a nervous father in the waiting room for my baby to come ALIVE! The Transmission rebuild of the 700R4 feels solid except the high stall converter makes it feel like it just won't go but I know that because of the little 180hp stock motor. I'm sure once this 324hp stock motor gets put in, it should move just fine. End of next week (22nd or 23rd) the Blazer will head over to Unlimited Offroad for some axle repairs. Current GM 10bolt won't be able to handle the big tires and power. Currently running 3:73 gear and moving up to either 4:56 or 4:88 on 1 ton axles. Using front calipers from a 73-88 pickup truck for rear brakes (since they are so common) and going with ARB for lockers front and back with a big enough compressor to air my tires up which will be on Hutchinson Wheels ($438/wheel 17x9 with a -12 offset to keep everything in wheel well). Still rocking the 37.5 BF Goodrich KO2's During the axle swap, I'll need high steer installed (about $700) and the axles will need Reid Knuckles which are pricey but I think worth every penny. Get a new Driveshaft, front and rear, from Tom Woods. Current driveshafts are too short since the lift and loosing fluid and getting a vibration.

Just got the price of Engine from my buddy at Al Serra and it looks to be about $5000 for the HT 383 Engine. Our friend Al will help me swap motors for $500 labor which is a steal. So I have to figure out ($3800) $500 1 5/8" Hedman Headers LongTube - HED-63890 $162 Moroso Spark Plug Wires - 73602 $600 Distributor (unknown what we need) $2500 Holly Terminator Stealth - PART# 550-441K

Another update that is long over due. Not much has changed Frayley put the transmission in and now the K5 is a dog since the converter is such a high stall it feels like the trans is slipping. Really need to change from the 3.73 gear ratio to something like 4.56 or 4.88 or ideally I need a new engine. The factory 350 only puts out about 180hp and this trans is built for 300-500hp with tons of torque Steering Box did get fixed. Here are some before photos.. Haven't taken any after photos but I'll do that. Brett did a fantastic job repairing this horrible welding. Two tasks I have to complete to make the blazer usable/driveable 1. Axle upgrades (big tires and the GM 10 bolt don't go well together. It apparently pops the C clips that hold the axle shaft from sliding out.) 2. New engine. This engine is old, tired and needs an upgrade. Let's talk AXLE's first FRONT: Dana 60 is my choice A high-pinion Dana 60 front axle is one of the top upgrades for truck and SUV wheelers across the board. The 9.75-inch ring gear provides plenty of beef for running 39-inch and larger tires, and since it is a high-pinion front, the pinion churns on the stronger drive-side of the ring gear. The ’99-’04 models have a less invasive differential casting, which makes them a little easier to work with, but, most were equipped with smaller 30-spline outers. In 2005, Ford equipped the Super Duty platform with a radius arm front suspension, which makes the later units easy to spot. The later series Super Duty Dana 60s are fitted with slightly larger/stronger outer components, but the ’99-’04 axles are still easier to come by. All ’99-current SD front 60s are ball joint-type axles. Maybe the biggest drawback is the unitbearing hub. The plus side of the unitbearing is that some stock and custom unitbearings can be made to work with ABS, and conversion kits to a more serviceable spindle-style outer are offered in the aftermarket. Another challenge is the 8-on-170 metric bolt pattern, which isn’t an issue if you opt for a Sterling 10.5-inch rear axle. Custom unitbearings or kits that convert to standard hubs can be opted with a more traditional 8-on-6½-inch bolt pattern, so don’t let the metric pattern hold you back. The aftermarket is rapidly growing for the Super Duty 60, with high-steer arms and heavy-duty ball joint options now available from multiple sources. REAR: GM 14 Bolt Found under ¾- and 1-ton fullsize GM truck and SUVs since 1973, the sheer number of 14-bolt axles produced continues to keep the cost down. The full-float rear axle has a max torque rating of 6,242 pounds, a beefy 10½-inch ring gear, and a massive 1¾-inch pinion that receives an additional bearing to prevent it from deflecting. Later models can be found with disc brakes, but your more common specimens will have the obnoxiously large and heavy drum brakes. There are plenty of disc brake conversions, so don’t let the drums slow you down. The biggest downfall of the 14-bolt is the size of the differential housing. Depending on which casting you come across, there are a few methods of shaving or chopping the bottom of the diff to gain ground clearance. Aftermarket support is excellent for the 14-bolt and the 1.5-inch, 30-spline axleshafts are pretty stout from the factory. If you need width, look for the 73-inch-wide van axle. While there is a narrow 63-inch-wide version, the more common ranges span between 65-67 inches. Now let's talk Engine's After much research and dreaming of what could be I have decided to go with a GM Crate Motor HT-383 Stroker Motor Looks like it will cost about $6000 to get it running if I do the labor of taking out old and putting in new.