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16 yr old w/ 84 4x4 blazer problems

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abercrombiedude16

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waco, tx
i recently purchased a 84 K-5 blazer for $500 and drove it home, i also bought some new 39.5-20 inch super swamper truxus for $350 and i dont know how much lift i need for them, also if i should go with a 20x12.50 or a 20x10 inch rim for them, also i was told if i do a lift bigger than 6 inches ill have problems with drive shafts breaking. any help or tips would be appreciated, thnxs.
 
Welcome to the website.

For your question about the lift... http://www.coloradok5.com/tirefitmenttable.shtml
that link provides a general guide for tire fitment. Every truck is a little bit different. You can use less lift if you are willing to cut the fenders.

About the rim size... http://www.intercotire.com/site35.php
That link is to interco's website where you can find all the information you need about your tires. I am guessing that your tires are the all-terrain variety of the trxus because Interco says that the only trxus they make in a 39.5 diameter for a 20" rim is the "sts - all terrain" in a bias ply. If you go to their website it says that a 10-12" wide wheel will work.

As far as driveshaft's breaking...
That has very little to do with the amount that you lift the truck. A lift will increase the driveshaft angles, which can be hard on u-joints and can also cause bad vibrations. From the sounds of things, I seriously doubt that you will break your driveshafts.

Before you go buying more stuff, you should really plan things out. It sounds like you are on a budget, but 20" wheels, new gears / axles, lift, driveshaft changes (you will likely need longer driveshafts), and who knows what else really add up fast. I am not trying to discourage you, but I would hate to see you run out of money and abandon the K5.

You should also familiarize yourself with the search feature of this website. People are more likely to respond and respond in a nice manner if it is not a question that is asked all of the time.

Good Luck, and again, Welcome!
 
hey man, good job on getting the truck. i got my 84 jimmy when i was 16(im 17 now) feel free to pm me if you have any questions
 
hey man, welcome to the best chevy 4x4 site on the net. :D

so you've got a blazer, 40s and questions.:laugh:

short question, long answers.

1. you'll want to swap in a 14 bolt rear end to hold up to the tires. a "14 bolt" is a type of rear axle. it's found in the the back of 3/4 and 1 ton chev trucks.
the front end should be fine as long as you don't drive the truck hard off road.

2. because you bought 20" rims and your name is ambercrombie, i'm guessing you don't want to trim out your fenders and run a 2" lift. (you could do that)
i would say a 6 inch lift is gonna be minimum for these tires. prolly a 8-10 lift would better suit the truck for your uses. this won't be cheap. (sorry:( )

3. you're gonna need new gears in your axles. 4.88s would be about perfect.

4. i'm giving you advice based on you sem like more the street scene kind of guy. if you're building a hard core woods truck correct me, my advice would be different.:confused:
 
Welcome to the money pit!
If you're going to wheel your rig, sell those tires to your local Dodge Ram owner. 20's aren't really the way to go if you're going to wheel the truck. When you need new tires they're cost you double what 15's would. Also 15" rims are going to be way cheaper. And if you're running stock 10blts, limit your tire choice to 35's or maybe 37's if you're gentle with the load peddle.
Ofcourse, as said above, if this is just a street truck and you're going for the bling thang then none of this advice applies!
But still bear in mind that 20's are a lot harder to stop than 15's, even with the same o/d tire. Stock K5 brakes are pretty weak anyway, you'll be asking a lot of them!
 
Without doing any other lift you mean? That is possible... A user on here by the name of mudhog runs 39.5 irocks on 2.5" lift. The key to pulling that off howver is wheel choice. You would want to choose a wheel that was stock offset basicly.
 
it is going to be a daily driver but if i decide to crawl some rocks one day i wanna be able to w/ no problems, my dad has an 02 avalanche w/ a 4 inch lift and 33s and he high centered on a small rock, i dont want that. lol
 
oo and as far as the budget goes, i have close to 6 grand put up to dump into it, my local 4x4 parts store said they would do me a 16 inch lift and a 3 inch body with new drive shafts and ever thing i need for 1800, that a good price or could i save doing it myself?
 
IMO you should slow down and read, read, read. All the info you need is in this site. I'm pretty new to the sport too and I'm learning every time I log on.

What you need to keep in mind is that nearly every change you make to your truck results in an associated weakness. ie. big tires break axles, bog the engine down, and require a lift. New gears are expensive and a lift 6" or more may require drive shafts.

My point is, as already mentioned if you are just getting into the sport and money is tight ditch those tires you picked up, and go with something more moderate.

With say 35's you will have to do little if any trimming, you can easily get by with stock gearing and you will be out driving your rig. It's easy to get caught up in all the possibilities when you see the rigs that other CK5 ers wheel, but that can come in time.

Wrenching is fun and a big part of the sport, and we all like to blow money on new gear but the sport is about driving. The sooner you are on the trail or in the mud or rocks the sooner you are having fun, and learning how to drive off road!
 
ok i just hit 1000 posts lol but anywho 16" of lift on a k5 is asking to die way too much will look like poser did i mention COG and i run 6" with 44's that is a waste especially if you plan to crawl or anything . but yeah 10 bolts will really like 16" of lift then you will be a poser and wanting to ripeverything in your truck apart
 
abercrombiedude16 said:
oo and as far as the budget goes, i have close to 6 grand put up to dump into it, my local 4x4 parts store said they would do me a 16 inch lift and a 3 inch body with new drive shafts and ever thing i need for 1800, that a good price or could i save doing it myself?
Click to expand...

:eek1::doah: Or you could scan E Bay for one of the rigs that we poke fun at once a month!:rolleyes:
 
16 inch lift?????that's way to high to do anything but cruise the local Sonic .If you don't want to trim the fenders go with an 8" all spring lift and 2" body lift 3inches body lift leave to much gap and look goofy a 2" isn't as bad or you could do a "Shackle flip" in the rear and 4" rear springs instead of 8" rear springs. or............... okay theres a ton of different combo's out there ditch your "offroad shop " and start reading some posts and talking to the guys on here you'll pick up alot more useful info and knowledge this trucks are pretty easy to work on(and fun to work on) most importantly do it right the first time It'll save you Time,Money,and Grief in the long run. I don't claim to be an expert at all But I have built a few of these rigs a couple Mudders a couple street drivers and acouple Krawlers there all built different figure out what you think you'd like to do .... West Texas probaly more towards Mud/Street. of course I don't know This is a good site just about everybody here would be willing to help you out with what ever ?'s you have WELCOME TO CK5
 
Yeah.....I would recommend ditching the offroad shop as well. If they are going to give you a 16" lift, then they should be considered a "poser" shop and you can pick up a lot more useful info on here by asking questions. Most of us have been in your situation so we can help....and we can give you more honest opinions without just wanting your money.

From the looks of it, you want a reliable daily driver and still be able to wheel it. Lift isnt always the bigger the better. Nobody who actually wheels runs 16" of lift. Most people opt for 6" or less, that articulates really well, and keeps their center of gravity down cause it can get tippy when wheeling. 39.5" swampers are gonna break your rear axle. When this happens (the 10 bolt is a semi-floating design) so your wheel will fall off. I have seen it in person before. Not what you want when climbing a steep hill offroad. Put a gm 14 bolt full floating rear end in instead. They can be had for around $150 and are much much stronger....and even considered unbreakable by some. Best thing is....they are full floating...so if you do snap a shaft, your tire wont fall off.

Now...if you plan on wheeling it, ditch the 20" rims. They are for show trucks. Pick up some 15" wheels and you should be good. You may want to look into re-gearing the axles too. The truck wasnt designed for 39.5" tires, so it will throw your powerband all to hell and the truck will be a dog. Get some lower gears to compensate. You may also want to install some lockers in the axles. These are probably about the best mod you can do for offroad use. You can get away with smaller tires and less lift and still out wheel people if you are locked front and rear. Now, your dad high-centered on a rock in his avalanche, but if he was locked front and rear, he probably would have been able to just drive right off.

Anyways...if your gonna use the truck as a dd, then its gonna suck to drive with a 16" lift. Your also probably gonna roll offroad and run into a ton of problems. Stay somewhere in the 6" range, and just cut the fenders. It will be better all around. It will be cheaper, ride better, flex better, be easier to drive, and less likely to roll. Before posting up questions like this...use the search button and read some posts. There is a wealth of information on these boards...and by looking at what other people have done...you can get some good ideas of your own. Most of us on here do all the work to our trucks ourselves....it can save you a ton of money...and if you break something on the trail....you know how to fix it yourself. You say you have 6 grand to spend. Go spen 1000 on some tools, then the other 5000 on parts and you will be golden.....if you have any questions....feel free to pm me. I was in the same boat a while back and have some good advice I can give on how to set up your truck on the cheap...and still have a nice reliable rig...later...
-Harrison
 
Im a 17 year old that bought a 84 shortbox, right now its 8 inch bds srings up front and 4 inch bds springs out back with a offroad design 4 inch shackle flip, i hate body lift and i plan on runing 38s and i got some bushwhacker cut out fender flares. Thats just to clear 38s
 
new tires

ok, thnxs for all your help guys. im looking into buying some 35- 15x12.50s tomm. and doin a 4 inch lift with a 2 inch body and trimming anything i have too.
 
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