88' K5 Family Mountain Mobile (Fam.lee Moun.ten Mo.beel)

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

So I figured it's time to start my build thread. I have been wanting to do one for years, but never sat down to get one going. As my current project keeps going I find myself on CK5 more and more gleaning what ideas and knowledge I can from the guys with more experience / skills / knowledge than I. Hopefully a thread will allow me to be able to get even more input as different stages come up. Most of what I start with will be a couple of years old, but still part of the build none the less.

First some history. I grew up in a family where driving anything but a GM product was forbidden. Dad was a mechanic for a GM dealer right out of high school and it stuck. As us kids grew up we all have had and have GM vehicles...even the newer Government Motors versions.

I have had 8 different GM 4X4's since I was 16 and just kept getting newer and newer with each one, until stuff started breaking. Then my last few have been older rigs that I could actually improve on.

This build starts off with my 86' GMC that I put 8" lift on with 38's, had a built 400 sbc, trand kit, etc. My wife and I went 4 wheeling all the time, but then we had a baby in 2009. No problem just throw the car seat in the bench seat between us and off we go.

Well after a few trips of that, all three of us and our stuff crammed in the cab because it starts raining, the car seat rubbing down to the bone on my right elbow, etc, etc. We decided that the single cab truck was not going to work as a family rig...but we didn't want to stop wheeling either.

For a few short seconds I considered a Cherokee or some newer SUV, but I didn't want to give up all that I had invested in my truck. I got smart and started looking at K5's for a few months and I got lucky, finding one only about 70 miles from us.

It was an 88' with virtually no rust (except the bottom center of the tailgate and one repair patch on one door). The guy had receipts for a fresh trans rebuild 6 months prior, a GM crate TBI engine replaced 1 year prior with only about 2,000 miles on it. Interior was used but all there in pretty good condition.

After some wheeling & dealing, I brought it home for $2,300. Not the best deal in the world, but decent for a runnin, mostly rust free rig. Then in the weeks following I stripped my GMC of all its pride and swapped everything over to the K5, donning it our new "Family Mountain Mobile".

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

Oh yeah...a few more things about me. Depending on where you come from, I may be considered a Farmboy / Hick / Redneck / Cowboy or what ever else you may come up with. So as this thread progresses feel free to joke about my jackstands, welder, or what ever else you may find interesting. I may occasionally use the term Farmboy Fabrication, or Cowboy Custom cause that is what it is.

I only have some basic hand tools, a 4" angle grinder, sawzall, torch set, old miller stick welder and maybe a few other accessories. No garage, no work bench, or even a vice for that matter. No plasma cutter, no tubing bender or any other fancy equipment....maybe someday, but not yet.

First a few pics of the old truck before & after. Then my K5 before and starting the swap.

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

Starting the swap. Pulling the 3/4 ton axles and lift springs from the truck. Luckily for now both vehicles had 3.73 gears so I could leave the better front axle under the Blazer and just swap the springs and hubs.

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

I have never swapped hubs before so here she goes. Notice my wonderful work bench and schematic.

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

Next was to strip down the K5 suspension. Same deal, just needed to find more stumps for jack stands. I'm glad I didn't split all of our firewood yet . A little comparison of the 4" spring that I took off the Blazer compared to the 8" I'm about to put on. Can you say stiff ride?










Front done, now the back.

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

I didn't realize that you had to lower or remove the fuel tank on the Blazer to do the shackle flip kit. On the truck it was free and clear. So now I'm wishing I didn't top off the tank before I started the swap. I also had to literally hack off the tail pipe...didn't want to break out the torch next to the fuel tank. I was nervous enough grinding the rivet heads off.

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

I cleaned and painted that area of the frame before installing my DIY4X flip kit that was on my pickup. I figured a flip kit and 4" springs in the rear was going to be a bit softer ride than full 8" springs in the rear. I wish I was on here doing a little bit more research before I originally bought my springs, but I can always get something softer later.










When my wife was working, the kiddo would just hang out with me, teething on wrenches and learning how to thread a nut onto a bolt, or just playing on the tires. Maybe she will grow up to be a better mechanic than me.

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

Rear springs on. Now the drive line. Just need a conversion U-joint until I can get a new drive line alltogether. I had to mount the tires so I could remove a set of "jack stands" and use it for my "work bench".










Not having the right tools can sometimes lead to injuries.

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

I had to be at work early the next day so I decided to put the 8 lug hubs on the Blazer before it got too dark. Well....that didn't go as planned. Out comes the flood light and the temps approaching freezing, which greatly reduced all dexterity in my fingers, which led to another minor injury. But I got er done.









I had my wife take a picture the following day to document the initial accomplishment.

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

I had to go do a flex test so I could see exactly how much fender trimming I needed to do.





A bunch!

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

Off comes the front bumper and out comes the sawzall, grinder and torch set. I lobbed off the big dagger portion of the front fender and then made a cardboard template to match the radius for both sides. I wanted to remove enough to stuff the whole tire in there but still keep as much of a factory look as I could.

On the rear of the fender, I just tapered it back and pulled the fender in a couple of inches. I put a small stitch weld to hold it against the inner fender.

I'll do the bumper to match later, it doesn't hit now, but looks a bit off with the cut fenders.

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

I completed a few more flex tests in the days following the fender trim and also to check the new front drive shaft for spline travel. It all looks good so far.

The rear tires stuff up in the fenders perfectly with about 1.5" room all around. The front has plenty of room when I steer lock to lock under compression.

 

[B.N.Z.MTNS]

Well, I have spent enough hours working on the begining of this build thread. Maybe I can update some more tomorrow...or at least get caught up from 2010 to 2012.

 

[shady]

Looks real nice after the swap

 

[78SWB]

Good looking rig.

 

[K5 Jess]

 

[y5mgisi]

Looks like a real fun truck!

 

[magik235]

Looks good. I like it.

 

[70jimmy]

Good Work!!

So Blazer Bash 2013????

 

[blazinzuk]

Love the pic of your little girl.

My daughter who also was teething on wrenches and stuff like that at that age has some good knowledge know.

She is 6 now and someone said something about a certain job being for a boy, she said I work on trucks I can do anything I want too.

Cool ride man