'73 1ton K5- NorCal Budget Build. My first trail Break

[NorCal_Chris]

Well i found a new place to wheel today from the guys at the local parts store lol.

Its basically a long dirt road with bypasses on the sides. Rocks, slate, and alot of things to flex on. Got a few pics and a vid in before it started raining. I went in about a mile and they said there is fun stuff the whole 6 miles.

i cant wait to go back.

Side note: I need longer shocks lol. It felt o so weird when my truck was teetering front to back lol. Awesome though.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEhGJrSlnCg

 

[andyblack]

Looks like you had a good time. Your Blazer is just one of the best looking '70s Blazers I've ever seen. The body looks brand new. Be careful with it on those trails.

 

[NorCal_Chris]

Looks like you had a good time. Your Blazer is just one of the best looking '70s Blazers I've ever seen. The body looks brand new. Be careful with it on those trails.

Thanks

It definatly has its issues in a few spots. I try and be mindful of were my corners are at all times and keep it clean. I really wanted to go through this particular spot that was uphill and a little off camber. Was some chunky slate with a few boulders on one side, but was between 2 trees. I knew for sure i would be floppin on a tree lol.

 

[andyblack]

I hear you. It's pretty cool that you have access to a nice road like that to go down whenever you want. Around where I live, if you went down a road like that, it would only be a couple of minutes before some irate land owner or a law enforcement person would be confronting you. That's only if there were no gates and NO TRESPASSING signs to stop from going there in the first place.

 

[NorCal_Chris]

haha yeah i feel you on that. Im glad i found this spot. sure im somewhat close to the seirras, but i like the small places i can go mess around with by myself without too much worry, since i have no wheelin parters

 

[DeviousK5]

OK first, your wifeys gotta let you outta the house sometime to go play in the mountains, when that happens gimmie a call.

Second, roughly where is that spot? it looks like good wholesome fun.Ive got smog next month so im bringing the blazer to my guy down here. Maybe afterwork outing is in order, or ill tell the boss i ate a bad hot dog at lunch and must promptly go home

 

[NorCal_Chris]

OK first, your wifeys gotta let you outta the house sometime to go play in the mountains, when that happens gimmie a call.

Second, roughly where is that spot? it looks like good wholesome fun.Ive got smog next month so im bringing the blazer to my guy down here. Maybe afterwork outing is in order, or ill tell the boss i ate a bad hot dog at lunch and must promptly go home

Haha yeah i hear you on that. I was able to escape last weekend, but mainly the tank of gas to head up is what is holding me back. We will go tear up that spot if i have to bum for gas at the ampm on folsom blvd.

The spot is off jackson highway. It is Latrobe road. It goes from jackson then widns around and hits teh road that goes by rancho murietta. it is all dirt till it goes to latrobe. Let me know when you are gonna head down. ive been having a trend of being off wed if your gonna go down in the week.

 

[NorCal_Chris]

 

[gotblazers]

Thanks

It definatly has its issues in a few spots. I try and be mindful of were my corners are at all times and keep it clean. I really wanted to go through this particular spot that was uphill and a little off camber. Was some chunky slate with a few boulders on one side, but was between 2 trees. I knew for sure i would be floppin on a tree lol.

And thats why your 73 is spotless and my 76 is a little more ****ed every single wheeling trip .

 

[NorCal_Chris]

more latrobe wheelin with some scout buddies.

 

[NorCal_Chris]

 

[NorCal_Chris]

 

[NorCal_Chris]

The Green scout is

350/sm420/d18 d44limited slip/10b 4.10's 4in lift and a mondo body lift 35's

brown primer scout is

ford 5.0efi, c6, 203/300 hpd44 arb/ d60 arb 4.88's stock wagoneer springs, 37 mtrs

 

[andyblack]

More fun.

I noticed in one of the pics of you climbing the dirt hill that your turning radius is really tight. I mean that your wheels will turn really far to the right. Will they turn that far to the left? I'm just wondering because your Blazer seems to have a lot tighter turning radius than my pickup does. You have the regular D44/10 bolt front axle, right? I have the same type ball joints, but I can't turn very sharp at all. Maybe I should try to adjust the stops or something.

Keep having a good time out there in NorCal and posting pics so the rest of us can be inspired to go out and get dirty! Were both of the IHs Scout 800As?

 

[NorCal_Chris]

Yeah it turns fairly sharp both ways. That was turned in a little more because thee was a rock there that was wedging my tire. But ie always noticed i can make a pretty tight u turn so maybe my stops are out a little less. ive never adjusted them thouhg and they came off a stock truck.


They are both 80's the green one is a 62 and brown is a 63

 

[gotblazers]

looks like some good wheeling. Im gonna be out at hollister hills friday-sunday with my 76 k5 if you wanna come down. I know its probably too far but i figured id throw it out there. I gotta see that beast in person someday .

 

[NorCal_Chris]

went to a new junkyard by my house i found out about. Opened the door of a 77 crew and found this!!!

brand new speedo cable, 2 door locks with keys, brand new cluster plastic, brand new gear indicator, and some sort of weatherstripping.

snagged all that and then went a grabbed an xj shaft out of a grand cherokee. also picked up a new front yoke.

Went up to the counter asking about prices and the guy was like i will give you it all for 20 bucks.

CHA CHING. So went home and got to work.

 

[NorCal_Chris]

got the speedo cable installed and did the xj shaft.

The xj shaft was easy. took about an hour. Dont know what all the fuss was about putting it in a early model truck.

Bottom went right on my steering box. Then i had to take and lightly grind all the splines off the colum, then grind a flat spot for the flat spot on xj, then bolted it up. The shaft i got was kinda short, maybe thats why the ends fit. So i took my stock shaft and cut a few inches of the outside part and welded it onto the xj so i could have more engagement on the shaft.

it works awesome.

 

[blazininthe73]

got the speedo cable installed and did the xj shaft.

The xj shaft was easy. took about an hour. Dont know what all the fuss was about putting it in a early model truck.

Bottom went right on my steering box. Then i had to take and lightly grind all the splines off the colum, then grind a flat spot for the flat spot on xj, then bolted it up. The shaft i got was kinda short, maybe thats why the ends fit. So i took my stock shaft and cut a few inches of the outside part and welded it onto the xj so i could have more engagement on the shaft.

it works awesome.

Is your column original? I've been thinking about doing this in my '73 but I'm not sure what year I got my 2 wheel drive steering box from. I might just go pick up an xj shaft and make it work.

 

[NorCal_Chris]

i think so. it was a big splined sahaft. just ground it a little and made the flat spot and it went on