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Blazer chalet off road rig build advice
- Thread starter rom67
- Start date
rom67
Registered Member
Next stop, utah!
Sweet a Chalet build! Given your intended use of the truck here is what I think... Get it running. Like others have said, driving it you'll find where improvements need to be made now and what can wait. The drivetrain combo is solid on paper. Sitting for as long as it has might be a problem, but dump all the fluids, yank the carb and rebuild it. Replace all the rubber lines, fuel, brake and coolant. Check the brakes, repair as needed. Get it on the road.
As far as the axles go, I've wheeled the hell out of my old 75 Blazer with a D44/12b combo. That was with 35's for the last 7-8 years. I don't go rock crawling, just trail riding and camping out of it. You can do quite a bit on the axles you got. Going to the standard 60/14b combo brings extra insurance to the game, but really isn't required if you aren't going big on the tires or doing serious crawling. The 14sf is a good compremise for more strength to hold up the rear weight of the truck and camper.
Wanting to swap to a more modern drivetrain is a great option, but do your homework with the state for your emissions. I heard CA is a pain to do the LS swap into older rigs, but I'm in CO and don't have to worry about that crap. If the swap police are too much of an issue I'd go with a retrofit efi system for the 400. Add a od trans for the mileage.
With the suspension, you really don't want to raise the center of gravity up much more than it already is over a standard Blazer due to the camper. I'd go with something that can increase the load capacity, level it out and make room for 33's. Keep the swaybar for better road manners. Buy the best shocks you can afford.
Surf around, you'll see there is way more than one way to skin a cat to build one of these. You will find a ton of info.
As far as the axles go, I've wheeled the hell out of my old 75 Blazer with a D44/12b combo. That was with 35's for the last 7-8 years. I don't go rock crawling, just trail riding and camping out of it. You can do quite a bit on the axles you got. Going to the standard 60/14b combo brings extra insurance to the game, but really isn't required if you aren't going big on the tires or doing serious crawling. The 14sf is a good compremise for more strength to hold up the rear weight of the truck and camper.
Wanting to swap to a more modern drivetrain is a great option, but do your homework with the state for your emissions. I heard CA is a pain to do the LS swap into older rigs, but I'm in CO and don't have to worry about that crap. If the swap police are too much of an issue I'd go with a retrofit efi system for the 400. Add a od trans for the mileage.
With the suspension, you really don't want to raise the center of gravity up much more than it already is over a standard Blazer due to the camper. I'd go with something that can increase the load capacity, level it out and make room for 33's. Keep the swaybar for better road manners. Buy the best shocks you can afford.
Surf around, you'll see there is way more than one way to skin a cat to build one of these. You will find a ton of info.
rom67
Registered Member
Sweet, thanks for the info. Yeah California smog laws suck. But... i can install a 5.3 as long as i also install the evap and smog equipment to it too. Which.. i dont know if i want to do that to it yet. More and more the sbc 400 does sound appealing with a MSD efi c.a.r.b kit. Would keep me legal and no mods other than 4l65e. I would still like 35 rubber.
You'll be rolling sooner with the 400 for sure. You'll need to lift it more to fit 35's. Or start cutting with less lift. My old 75 with 4" of lift still rubbed the front edge of the wheel opening at stuff while turning. I ended up chopping off the bottom 4" of the "fangs" on the front of the fenders. Watch the hieght. Going up with that camper that's a foot taller than any other Blazer and you will find it's spooky on the road and worse off road if it is on any type of side slope or off camber situation.
rom67
Registered Member
Maybe build an exo cage for it. Just....in case!
35s can fit with minor lift if done right. Redrilling perches or using an EZ inch or zero rate can locate the axle exactly where you want it.
This isn't sounding like a restoration at all, just an improvement. Look into torsion style swaybars. You'll have to do some fabbing but nothing big.
The extra weight is the other reason I suggested fully custom springs. As is the increased possibility for sway.
I really think done well you could run 35s and not introduce a large amount of sway.
Some frame bracing might be helpful in this case too. These old frames are truly awful for stiffness. A couple cross members could add alot of rigidity. That in turn improves suspension response.
I have often heard about chalets being top-heavy. I have never driven one so I have no idea but with 35x12.50 you also increase the track width. I really think some very good revalvable shocks will be key.
I imagine some handling quirks happen not because of the height but how far the camper hangs off the back. Making any bump worse, unloading the front tires in a turn as you hit a big bump has got to be interesting.
Keeping the 400 would be pretty cool.
On the axles if you plan on locking the front I would consider a 60. But if you plan on a limited slip or an open diff I don't see alot of reason for a 60.
Also crossover steering will be helpful.
Gonna be fun to watch. I've always wanted to do one just too many other projects
This isn't sounding like a restoration at all, just an improvement. Look into torsion style swaybars. You'll have to do some fabbing but nothing big.
The extra weight is the other reason I suggested fully custom springs. As is the increased possibility for sway.
I really think done well you could run 35s and not introduce a large amount of sway.
Some frame bracing might be helpful in this case too. These old frames are truly awful for stiffness. A couple cross members could add alot of rigidity. That in turn improves suspension response.
I have often heard about chalets being top-heavy. I have never driven one so I have no idea but with 35x12.50 you also increase the track width. I really think some very good revalvable shocks will be key.
I imagine some handling quirks happen not because of the height but how far the camper hangs off the back. Making any bump worse, unloading the front tires in a turn as you hit a big bump has got to be interesting.
Keeping the 400 would be pretty cool.
On the axles if you plan on locking the front I would consider a 60. But if you plan on a limited slip or an open diff I don't see alot of reason for a 60.
Also crossover steering will be helpful.
Gonna be fun to watch. I've always wanted to do one just too many other projects
rom67
Registered Member
The goal is to get the best MPGs so im thinking " if " i keep the 400 with en efi and an O.D trans. With a lift like you said and some rear air bag assist and some quick disconect swaybars, i may get my self a solid ride. And yes a locker front and rear would be nice.
Seems like a Chalet needs to sit as low as possible while still having a little bit of up-travel in the suspension. Whenever I dream of having a camper on the back I always think of how many tree branches I hit with just a roof rack on there. I think a Chalet with stock tires and suspension is already taller than mine with 5"/37's (roof is about 7').
rom67
Registered Member
There's a fellow CK5er here by the name chalet2506. He had his on 37 with 4" lift and 2" rear blocks. Looked really sweet
Watch your gearing. If the chalet is currently happy than adding a 0.7 O/D will be downright miserable. As said before, you won't know this until you have driven it for a few hundred miles.
Post up your gearing, tire, and tranny combo and I'll post up a gearing graph for ya.
Also keep in mind this is a taller heavier blazer. Not known for milage.
I doubt even with fuel injection, a new motor, proper gearing with an overdrive trans you could break 12. Maybe if you kept below 60 mph but a lift, bigger tires, all hamper mileage.
I doubt even with fuel injection, a new motor, proper gearing with an overdrive trans you could break 12. Maybe if you kept below 60 mph but a lift, bigger tires, all hamper mileage.
H20 Toie
1/2 ton status
I would keep the 400 ( its a great motor) and trans
just regear for the size tires you put on
you would spend way more money trying to get better mileage than you will ever recover with new motor and trans
fi on the motor would be sweet
spend the money on good suspension parts
My first call would be to off road design for suggestions , oh yeah that was my first call for the blazer that I'm doing now
just regear for the size tires you put on
you would spend way more money trying to get better mileage than you will ever recover with new motor and trans
fi on the motor would be sweet
spend the money on good suspension parts
My first call would be to off road design for suggestions , oh yeah that was my first call for the blazer that I'm doing now
rom67
Registered Member
My 2002 suburban 2500 8.1 gives me 14mpg all day, sits on 37. And its my DD. Maybe i should look for 8.1 donor lol
Let's see. Newer MPFI engine, 4-speed tranny with locking T/C, modern aerodynamic body (relatively), lower weight, and....wait for it...a complete lack of CAMPER sticking out on 3 sides.
Yeah, expecting similar mileage numbers from a worn-out, carbureted 400SBC with a TH400 on a square-bodied chalet is not remotely realistic. If you are serious about mileage you will be wanting a newer drive train. Just about any newer combination should be able to beat the operating efficiency you currently have.
If this is a dedicated camping rig, my guess is that you won't ever put enough miles on it to recoup the cost of a newer power plant. But if your 400 is old and worn out anyways, it may just come down to how much time you wanna invest.
Oh, for lift I would run the absolute minimum required to handle the articulation & tire size you plan to run. If you are running forest trails on 31s or 33s, I would probably leave the suspension completely stock (maybe add zero rates front and back to increase tire clearance). Softer springs are not what you want with the camper, nor will raising the COG be good on the trail.
I haven't driven a Chalet, but I do know that when I throw 2000 pounds in the back of my Suburban it gets more squirrely while cornering. And that's without raising the roof or pushing the weight 12" rear of the bumper or operating with the short wheelbase of a K5. The more I think about it, the less I like the idea of a lifted Chalet.
I haven't driven a Chalet, but I do know that when I throw 2000 pounds in the back of my Suburban it gets more squirrely while cornering. And that's without raising the roof or pushing the weight 12" rear of the bumper or operating with the short wheelbase of a K5. The more I think about it, the less I like the idea of a lifted Chalet.
At very least, use some air bags to give the rear suspension adjustablility on and off the trail. Adding a rear sway bar (like the F150 trucks) is probably a good idea, too. I'd also avoid the common wheeling trend of removing the front sway bar, this isn't a typical offroading rig.
I will be watching this build to see how it turns out, offroad camping is my goal as well.
Cheers!
I will be watching this build to see how it turns out, offroad camping is my goal as well.
Cheers!
Chalet #0580, built in 8/76, I posted the first Craigslist ad I saw for it last August, seen here.
When you got it, you took off the aftermarket wheels with the round holes seen in that August ad and put on the angle 5-spoke wheels that are now on it, or did it have the current wheels on it when you bought it?
