Lookin good!! You're making me wish I had access to a welder!!
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'88 K5 - Running Down A Dream
- Thread starter jimmyleetn
- Start date
Ground up restoration of my '88 K5. The plan is to go through every inch of the truck and fix or replace pretty much everything that needs it. This will also be a full vert conversion and I plan to make the vehicle look more like a 73-75 than 88.
As much effort and grinding and filing as it took to get that ORD bracket to fit I didn't think the stock bracket would every go back on there without out some fab work. I'll have to double check when I get home. I had every intention of putting it on but I didn't look like they would ever line up. I had to move/file the holes well over a quarter inch. I had thought about making one bracket like the stock one but I don't where to get metal stock around here yet.
Harbor Freight or Tractor Supply. Mine is a Christmas gift from 2004ish my folks got from Tractor Supply. Sat for years and years before now. It's a flux core, nothing fancy, but it get's job done. If I was gonna do a good amount of body work and I'd want one with gas and I want a lot more practice, but for random work like this there's no need for it. If those welds break I'm probably dead.
Oh it'll happen soon enough. I'm in the process of dropping cash on parts now, but once the coffers have recovered I may be taking a trip to the local HF and getting a flux core mig.
So tired of paying for the PO's sins. Here's a fun one. Looks like a a big freaking hammer and perhaps cutting and welding will be required to fix this mess. It'd be too easy just to put a shock stud on and send it am I right?! And to answer the question, yes I have the rear shock brace kit from ORD.
That's some genuine redneck engineering 
I can't believe that's what they were riding around on.
I can't believe that's what they were riding around on.
You're telling me! When I was taking the front shocks off the driver side lower front bolt didn't even have a nut on it, he had just put a rubber bushing from what I guess was another shock on a longer bolt. I drove 3 hours from Mississippi when I bought it and then a handful of drives around town before I parked it for all these upgrades/repairs. Crazy.
Still working almost everyday on this old thing. Got a 10-30 service manual off of eBay the other day, and it has helped me tons. Ran into a slew of problems since I snapped the pictures above of the shock mount. Turns out, ORD failed to mention that I needed different bushings in the rear of the front springs since mine is an 88'. That slowed me down. I did some brush wheel grinding and painting in the meantime and even burnt up a cup brush. I was able to get the front springs on with the old nasty bushings so I could at least start on the rear springs, more on that later. Once I had the front steady enough I could wail on it, I begin taking the bearings and automatic hubs off. I have Warn Premiums and all the Timken bearings/seals/races on the shelf. I made it all the way to spindle when I started hitting unforeseen issues. First, both spindles had some sort of scoring or grooves in them so that's just great... I've got a pair of Yukon ones on their way here now. I beat those old spindles and the steering knuckles off so I can paint them and replace the ball joints. Destroyed my lifetime warranty dead blow hammer from HF on the spindles too. (looks like I'll be getting a new one) Had to break out my taps and dies to fix some threads on the steering knuckle too. I love that kit but I know it's a bad day when I have to get it out. Started knocking out the races in the hubs and it appears the PO (I really don't think it was me) gouged the inside of my wheel hubs doing bearing work. Real cool... So now I have a pair of those ordered. If you haven't noticed, this is getting real pricey, and I'm not done. Since I'm now waiting on parts for the front, I decided to move to the rear and take a look at the brakes. Oh boy, the PO must have let rocks get in both drums (see the picture), because the drums have some insanely deep gouges. Yay, another trip to the parts house. So now I'm waiting on drums. Got in there today to at least get the rear springs on and guess what, just guess... A wheel cylinder started leaking overnight. Back to the parts house tomorrow to order those, none in stock around here. These past three days really pushed me a few steps back, fortunately, I have the funds whisked away for these purchases, but they did really catch me off guard. The brakes will be nice and new, especially with those new calipers and brake lines I bought a month ago. I've started keeping a binder with various sections so I can keep up with all of these receipts for the warranties on all these parts. If you're reading along, I encourage you to think about the same, I've already used a few to return incorrect parts.
That's a good idea, i can't count the amount of times I bought the wrong part and ended up keeping it, only to find it in my tool tote years later and wonder why I let myself burn $35 for nothing
What are you pointing out on that picture of the spindle?
Martin
Martin
That small pick is pointing to a score/gouge in the spindle. At first glance I thought it was a mill mark from when they turned it but it isn't straight and it doesn't go full diameter. I'm sure I could just have not replaced it, but since I was in there it seemed like a thing to do.
Got a shock on today (took way too much effort) and other rear suspension parts. I never could get the lower shock bolt to factory torque but I doubt it goes anywhere. It kept pinching the lower bracket to the point it squished the metal of the shock itself so I backed it off so the bushing can do its job. I torqued all the rear spring bolts and rear passenger upper shock stud to spec. I used brand new yellow zinc grade 8 bolts, washers, and prevailing torque nuts compliments of Fastenal and eBay. Cut the ubolts from ORD down to a manageable height. Burnt up a chop saw blade in the process. I finished the last two bolts with my angle grinder. I impressed myself with how straight and flush I cut. Fun things: I broke my big Lexivon torque wrench. It's still accurate but I can't lock on a ft lbs setting anymore, the handle keeps spinning. Already returned it so Amazon is sending another. I verified my bolts with another torque wrench. I also returned a pipe wrench I managed to crack and that destroyed dead blow hammer to HF from the last photo post. They honored the warranty. Tomorrow after work I'm going to drill the holes for the ORD shock bracket on the passenger side and maybe fix that driver's side rear upper shock mount angle.
Yeah, that spindle is fine. Did you already replace it?
Have any pictures of the Blazer as it sits now?
Martin
Have any pictures of the Blazer as it sits now?
Martin
I haven't put the new ones on yet. They should come in tomorrow. I may keep the new ones since the bearings are in them. The other spindle has a ding in it. Clearly the truck wasn't in that bad of shape before I found this problems. I was driving it around before I parked it. The steering was garbage though. This job has just evolved into a tear down of sorts.
I can probably snap you a picture this afternoon. Sitting on several jack stands at the moment.
Just for you. A lot of sitting, starring, and thinking today after work. Finally comfortable with my jack stand setup. I tweaked it a little and got the new front springs on correctly with the correct bushings this time.
That's a nice Blazer just the way it sits. I would be hard pressed to cut it up. That being said, I suppose it makes a great starting point.
Martin
Martin
Rear suspension is done for the moment. I got some mounts ordered from CPP I'm going to see if I like better than the ORD ones. Here's the link to my thread asking for help on fixing that silly shock mount. Everyone was real helpful. Better than asking Facebook for sure. https://ck5.com/forums/threads/rear-shock-mount-problems.342814/
Pretty much every part I had ordered came in yesterday and today except my wheel cylinders. My only gripe is they don't make a rear drum with a hole for access to the adjuster which blows my mind. I checked several places. I guess I'm just going to drill these new drums, which kinda sucks. Tomorrow I'm hoping to get the front axle out from under the truck. I'm off work Friday so hopefully I can get the front axle painted in satin black KBS rust sealer. Been really looking forward to trying this stuff.
Pretty much every part I had ordered came in yesterday and today except my wheel cylinders. My only gripe is they don't make a rear drum with a hole for access to the adjuster which blows my mind. I checked several places. I guess I'm just going to drill these new drums, which kinda sucks. Tomorrow I'm hoping to get the front axle out from under the truck. I'm off work Friday so hopefully I can get the front axle painted in satin black KBS rust sealer. Been really looking forward to trying this stuff.
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You adjust the rear shoes through the backing plate, not the drum.
Martin
Martin
On my '88 Blazer in this build and my '79 Jimmy it is on the drum. I snapped a picture of the backing plate, there is no ordinance for a knockout and no hole for the adjuster. It's also that way on the new drum, there is no way to knock it out. It's that way on a S10 rear end too because that's what my dad has in his 1934 Chevy and his '91 S10. I've helped him work on both since I was a kid I'm thinking about just painting them and not worrying about it for now, me and my dad were talking and he said the odds of me wearing out those drums to the point of not being able to get them off are very low.
I have never seen that before. My 14 bolt is through the backing plate, dad’s 9” on the bronco is the backing plate, my last dodge was through the backing plate. Learned something new today.
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