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    Results 61 to 80 of 82
    1. #61
      Join Date
      Mar 2020
      Posts
      199
      Quote Originally Posted by Dynamic View Post
      The riv-nuts sound like a good fix for the rear sway bar . I'm not sure yet if I'll be able to use the factory sway bar setup with the 9" or not. I haven't tackled that part of the project yet.
      This was done for the front bar. The rear bar was a whole other issue as the factory one will not clear larger rear ends.

    2. #62
      Join Date
      Feb 2021
      Posts
      6
      Ahhh... The front bar. OK, Got ya. Interesting. I misunderstood. Either way, good fix!

      I'm anxiously awaiting front spring rate reviews!

    3. #63
      Join Date
      Mar 2020
      Posts
      199
      The front springs got a good test today, a 65mi. round trip to work & back on winding back roads.
      Ride is firm but not harsh (similar to my friends 3500HD Duramax truck... your opinions may differ as I am used to my Firebird that also runs an 800# spring.)

      I ended up taking 2 clicks off of the front shock compression from the previous best setting (was 13/18 now 11/18 clicks)
      It did not significantly change the handling, but removed a harsh feeling on choppy road surfaces.

      Tomorrow I will remove 1 more click of rebound from the rear to see how it reacts.
      I know it prefers less rebound stiffness on launch & gear changes, so fingers are crossed that it helps both issues.

    4. #64
      Join Date
      Mar 2020
      Posts
      199
      I figured I would post some updates....
      After a summer of driving, I got a good handle on my likes/dislikes.

      The camber is a little aggressive & beating up the inside of the front tires.
      I think I'm going to reduce it a bit.

      I further reduced both shock compression & rebound a bit more for reduced harshness.
      Although it feels slightly less responsive, the ultimate cornering ability does not seem reduced.

      I still want more rear traction (in both acceleration & cornering), but it appears my only option is a race tire, but the NT05 is wearing very quickly as it is.

      The 4.10's & .65 OD is not exactly tailored for extended highway trips but it great for all around use & I can drive just about everywhere in 6th gear.
      Only at 80mph on the highway do I wish I had the .5 OD. Some planned engine mods may cause me to drop the rear gear to possibly a 3.73 in the future.

      Now for the winter changes....

      The performance is good as well as the mileage, but I cannot leave well enough alone.
      I found an LSA supercharger so why not try to add another 200hp.

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      It is proving to be rather crowded getting everything to fit under the hood.

      Saty tuned for more updates on engine mods, fuel system updates & overall fitment issues.

    5. #65
      Join Date
      Feb 2022
      Location
      Chicago
      Posts
      15
      - - - Updated - - -

      Quote Originally Posted by Lonnies Performance View Post
      It took a lot of fitting to get a tire with 12.4" section width under the front.

      The 2" drop spindles allowed me to run a 1" tall ball joint for better camber gain, but still clear a wheel with over 6 backspace.
      Blazer unit bearings open up wheel choices as there is no longer a hub/dust cover protruding through the wheel.

      I also had to machine custom spacers to get the offset where it would work, even though the brakes complicated things a lot...
      Getting a wheel with a nice lip that had almost 2" of caliper clearance plus over 6" backspace was tough to find for a reasonable price.
      I would like more backspace at this point, but I only have .100" caliper to wheel clearance & was not inclined to buy a $5000 set of custom wheels.

      Currently fitting a battery box under the rear of the truck to gain room for an air box under the hood. Also moving 40lb to the rear helps an already front heavy vehicle.

      I also got my exhaust finished.... dual 3" into a single 3.5" to the rear, all hidden behind the frame so none is visible from the side or rear.
      Attachment 179531
      Wow this thing is a beauty! and that stance is amazing! I am also trying to get my blazer to be setup for pro-touring and doing things little by little! I will be reaching our for help for sure!



    6. #66
      Join Date
      Mar 2020
      Posts
      199
      Let me know...
      I learned many things the hard way & I can steer you clear of them on your build.

    7. #67
      Join Date
      Jul 2007
      Location
      nw phx
      Posts
      178
      im on the edge of going coil overs or not for alice. i need to re-read through your build to see your spring rates
      ...life is too short, live for today, tomorrow isn't guaranteed

    8. #68
      Join Date
      Oct 2022
      Posts
      1
      Any build updates on this? Beautiful truck, and very clean build!

    9. #69
      Join Date
      Mar 2020
      Posts
      199
      I made a lot of progress & was driving it in June.

      I decided to color match the supercharger.
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      It took a lot of mods to fit everything.
      The coils had to be lowered to clear the fuel rails, but it then put them closer to the heater box, where room was non-existent.


      The reservoir for the PS had to be moved & a custom tube made to reroute the fluid return.
      It clears the pulley/belt by about 3/16"
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      Because of the cable throttle body, there were some fitment issues here also.
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      After making a new cable pin, it clears.
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      The intercooler was another issue as the radiator is now inside the rad support to clear the engine & the AC condenser is in front against the grille.
      This made me look into a refrigerated intercooler similar to that on the Dodge Demons.
      What made it more interesting was the truck has metric AC lines & the aftermarket parts are US dimensions, making adapter fittings unavailable.
      I chose to install an isolation valve to turn off the cab AC for max cooling during race use.
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      Here is the heat exchanger located under the front bumper.
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      It cools very well & I can get 40 deg air temps entering the engine on a 70 degree day.
      The water contains glycol to keep it from freezing.

      The unexpected benefit is the cool air temps condense the mixture & reduce the boost level.
      Boost dropped over 2lb while increasing HP... a good excuse to add a 22% overdrive lower pulley.


      This is everything crammed into place.
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      Now I am back on the suspension...
      After making it handle well, then adding power, I cannot get the truck to hook, even with slicks.

      I also need to pull some rear gear as I now need 5th to get through the quarter. 4th gear is only good for 128 mph

      I'm currently working to increase suspension travel to help weight transfer without hurting handling.
      There was only 3" front droop from ride height. On launch you could see the slicks wrinkle, the front suspension top out & instantly the rear tires smoke.
      I'm doing some alterations to the upper control arms, ball joints & shock length. I currently increased it by another 2.5", now limited by the outer tie rod (rod end) binding.
      Next will be altering the tie rod shape to get some more travel, up to the point I run out of ball joint angle.

    10. #70
      Join Date
      Oct 2022
      Location
      Xenia, Ohio
      Posts
      7
      Country Flag: United States
      Great thread! In the process of building a 54 Chevy 3100 on an S10 frame. What you have posted is a great help! Keep it coming...

    11. #71
      Join Date
      Apr 2010
      Posts
      96
      Quote Originally Posted by syborg tt View Post
      Blown away by this build and would love to see what else you’ve built.
      I totally agree. 100%. I love the color, brakes wheels. Everything lol

    12. #72
      Join Date
      Mar 2020
      Posts
      199
      Thanks,
      It's a slow process. but it's been a fun build.

      I put a few thousand miles on it, driving it to work, hitting some cruise nights & car shows on the weekends.
      Managed to score a few trophies in the process.

      Once I get more traction it will be a lot more fun.
      It annoys me that I cannot use 1st & most of 2nd gear at full throttle.

      The 4.10's are coming out & will be replaced with a 3.54 or 3.73.... still deciding on which one.

      Handling is great & everyone compliments it on how well it rides.
      I'm on the borderline with height... any lower & I would have limited travel or be hitting the bump stops.
      I have no tire to fender contact, but front tires will touch the frame on steep turns into a driveway at full lock.
      I just adjusted the steering stops a bit to keep from repainting the frame again.

      Getting ready to cut the bump stop braces out of my $600+ UMI upper control arms to get more travel.
      It's hard to make a vehicle do everything well, but I'm determined to make it happen.

    13. #73
      Join Date
      Apr 2010
      Posts
      96
      I would go 3.52 or similar. Let “us” know how you like whatever gears you choose.

      thanks,
      jimbo

    14. #74
      Join Date
      Nov 2023
      Location
      Chico CA
      Posts
      1
      Country Flag: United States
      Simply amazing! I must have those 305's on the front.

    15. #75
      Join Date
      Mar 2024
      Location
      Ohio
      Posts
      11
      Country Flag: United States
      One of my all time favorite trucks. I had a S10 Extreme Blazer. I should have kept it...
      I currently have a 91 S10 Blazer with a gen2 LT swap in it. Its a fun truck.

    16. #76
      Join Date
      Jul 2023
      Posts
      17
      Quote Originally Posted by Lonnies Performance View Post
      Tires are finally installed. 305/30-19 front & 305/35-19 rear.

      Attachment 179446
      This picture is making me feel things that aren't usually associated with machines. So good.

    17. #77
      Join Date
      Mar 2020
      Posts
      199
      Thanks guys....
      I haven't followed up on this thread for a while.

      I pulled the gear back to 3.54's & it made a huge difference in the day-to-day driving.
      It still has enough gear to ride around in 6th as long as you are over 40mph as it idles at 35mph.
      Now I can also finish the 1/4 in 4th gear.

      I did a lot of front suspension work to get more front-end travel.
      I made ball joint spacers, offset sway bar links & modified the upper control arms for more travel.
      It also required different outer rod ends to support more angle as well as Afco racing ball joints since they have more articulation to prevent binding.
      All of this gained an additional 3" of travel without compromising handling.

      I was still suffering with the rear axle being too light.
      I did some testing & adding weight at the rear helped both straight line traction & cornering.
      I got some elevator weights from a friend & installed them in the crossmember over the rear axle.
      This made a world of difference, taking a second off of my 0-60 times.
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      I drove the truck all last summer this way & had a lot of fun with it.
      Unfortunately, now that I found more traction, I found the limitations of the clutch when I put a set of slicks under it.

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      You can hardly tell they are on the truck.
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      Next was a Monster twin disc which I installed late last fall.
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      While I had the trans out, I put in a new short throw shifter.
      This required some modification to get the angle correct, so I built an adapter.
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      Everything has come together rather well & my remaining item was to build an air box to keep some heat out of the intake.
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      With an early spring this year, I got some seat time already & all is working well.

      My next change will be to convert the truck to E85 for a few more HP.

    18. #78
      Join Date
      Jul 2005
      Location
      Eastern Virginia
      Posts
      3,960
      Country Flag: United States
      Awesome build.

      I too need a PS tube like this. What did you use to make it? Thanks
      Scot
      86 Monte SS


    19. #79
      Join Date
      Mar 2020
      Posts
      199
      That is household 1/2" flexible copper pipe.
      It's easy to bend & solder.

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      A few 90's & a 45deg Street elbow.

    20. #80
      Join Date
      Jul 2005
      Location
      Eastern Virginia
      Posts
      3,960
      Country Flag: United States
      Hmmmm. I'd be concerned with the vibration it will cause the solder joints to crack & leak.....?
      Scot
      86 Monte SS


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