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Blazer's Tow rigs

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noJeepshere said:
In another forum I'm on, all of the guys that lifted their 90's trucks with an ifs lift eventually scrapped the ifs and went with an SAS, even on primarily street driven trucks. They just got tired of throwing money at it, not that an axle swap is much cheaper...
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I've already come to the conclusion that I'm looking more at the Ultra4 IFS stuff than I am off the shelf stuff. Not to muddy this thread but longer arms, relocated and massively upgraded steering starting at the wheel and ending at the knuckles, new knuckles, and good CV's, and coilovers perhaps even a bypass stacked next to it.
Good IFS will make a basic SAS with even a newly built axle and custom leafs look cost effective most likely.
 
mrk5 said:
@kgblazerfive aside from the brakes how did this tow? I guess specifically I'm curious about the power of the motor. I'm assuming it's a 454; I skimmed back thru the thread but didn't see for sure.
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It is the 454, tows great, power wise, fuel mileage sucks but I don't drive slow. Got 7 mpg going fast like 80 - 85, got 7.5 going slower like 65 - 70.

My plan is to get a truck with a 8.1 in it not sure how that plan is going to work, for now all the ones I have found are the same price or more then diesels of the same models.
 
kgblazerfive said:
It is the 454, tows great, power wise, fuel mileage sucks but I don't drive slow. Got 7 mpg going fast like 80 - 85, got 7.5 going slower like 65 - 70.

My plan is to get a truck with a 8.1 in it not sure how that plan is going to work, for now all the ones I have found are the same price or more then diesels of the same models.
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Sometime in the next 5 years I'm planning to replace the crew cab with something like you guys are talking about. I'd kinda like to use a 98/99 K3500 and I was curious how the L29 pulled. I'm not going to use it to haul a suburban buggy, just a 4000lbs camper. Possible a side by side if all of a sudden a money tree sprouts in the backyard.

My ideal truck choice would be an '07-'10 but then it gets trickier to run the Magnum I have. If I'm sticking with 4l80e trucks, I like the late 90's trucks better style wise.

I noticed with the 454 in the crew cab pulling our camper that speed didn't really seem to affect the MPG by any noticeable amount. I would say I got similar numbers too.
 
mrk5 said:
Sometime in the next 5 years I'm planning to replace the crew cab with something like you guys are talking about. I'd kinda like to use a 98/99 K3500 and I was curious how the L29 pulled. I'm not going to use it to haul a suburban buggy, just a 4000lbs camper. Possible a side by side if all of a sudden a money tree sprouts in the backyard.

My ideal truck choice would be an '07-'10 but then it gets trickier to run the Magnum I have. If I'm sticking with 4l80e trucks, I like the late 90's trucks better style wise.

I noticed with the 454 in the crew cab pulling our camper that speed didn't really seem to affect the MPG by any noticeable amount. I would say I got similar numbers too.
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I too am waiting for that same tree to sprout
 
kgblazerfive said:
It is the 454, tows great, power wise, fuel mileage sucks but I don't drive slow. Got 7 mpg going fast like 80 - 85, got 7.5 going slower like 65 - 70.

My plan is to get a truck with a 8.1 in it not sure how that plan is going to work, for now all the ones I have found are the same price or more then diesels of the same models.
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Yeah, I've noticed that too. I think it's just that generation of truck (01-06) are going for money right now cause it was pre-emissions on the duramax, so dudes want to pay a lot of money for them. But the average consumer is a freaking moron and even though it's the 8.1 in there (which means it should go for way less money) these guys think just because it's in that same range that they can pull the same price. I almost guarantee you these guys who are listing these 8.1 trucks for $12k+ are not selling them at that price...but who knows, I could be wrong...there is a trend of guys going away from diesels now and wanting gas motors, and the 8.1 is the very best towing gas motor out there, even looking across all the manufacturers.

mrk5 said:
Sometime in the next 5 years I'm planning to replace the crew cab with something like you guys are talking about. I'd kinda like to use a 98/99 K3500 and I was curious how the L29 pulled. I'm not going to use it to haul a suburban buggy, just a 4000lbs camper. Possible a side by side if all of a sudden a money tree sprouts in the backyard.

My ideal truck choice would be an '07-'10 but then it gets trickier to run the Magnum I have. If I'm sticking with 4l80e trucks, I like the late 90's trucks better style wise.

I noticed with the 454 in the crew cab pulling our camper that speed didn't really seem to affect the MPG by any noticeable amount. I would say I got similar numbers too.
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Scott, that silver 96 truck I had back in the Colorado days was an L29 454 truck with a 4l80e and 4.10 gears. That thing pulled pretty good when I towed my blazer (which in all reality my blazer with trailer and gear is probably heavier than your camper you pull). I towed my dads camper trailer, which is pretty much the exact same size as yours, with that truck to go hunting and it towed it great. I think for what you would plan to use it for, it would be a great motor. In fact, I sold that truck to my brother down in Penrose, CO, and he's still driving it to this day, still running like a champ and doing work hauling stuff.

I think it would be sweet to find a GMT400 (96-99) with an L29 and 4l80e, then swap your magnum/205 into it, and SAS it with your axles from the crew cab...that would be a freaking sweet all around truck with a lot more comfort than your current crew cab
 
Kay86K5 said:
Scott, that silver 96 truck I had back in the Colorado days was an L29 454 truck with a 4l80e and 4.10 gears. That thing pulled pretty good when I towed my blazer (which in all reality my blazer with trailer and gear is probably heavier than your camper you pull). I towed my dads camper trailer, which is pretty much the exact same size as yours, with that truck to go hunting and it towed it great. I think for what you would plan to use it for, it would be a great motor. In fact, I sold that truck to my brother down in Penrose, CO, and he's still driving it to this day, still running like a champ and doing work hauling stuff.

I think it would be sweet to find a GMT400 (96-99) with an L29 and 4l80e, then swap your magnum/205 into it, and SAS it with your axles from the crew cab...that would be a freaking sweet all around truck with a lot more comfort than your current crew cab
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That's the plan. I didn't know the L29 went back to 96. I don't know, there's just something I like about that body style. When Richard Hammond drove one a couple years ago on Grand Tour (it even had CO plates) I really liked the looks of it lifted.

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Disregarding the flames.... That's pretty much exactly what I want to build.
 
mrk5 said:
That's the plan. I didn't know the L29 went back to 96. I don't know, there's just something I like about that body style. When Richard Hammond drove one a couple years ago on Grand Tour (it even had CO plates) I really liked the looks of it lifted.

View attachment 316366

Disregarding the flames.... That's pretty much exactly what I want to build.
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But keep the quad steering stabilizers right?!
 
mrk5 said:
That's the plan. I didn't know the L29 went back to 96. I don't know, there's just something I like about that body style. When Richard Hammond drove one a couple years ago on Grand Tour (it even had CO plates) I really liked the looks of it lifted.

View attachment 316366

Disregarding the flames.... That's pretty much exactly what I want to build.
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Better put a triple double chrome roll bar in it too! The ones that go all the way to the tailgate. Just kidding. I like them too. There was a crew cab long bed 454 with a supercharger for sale here recently for like $8500. Real nice. I tow heavy enough though that I don't think I could make a gas engine or even a 6.5L in that era of trucks work. Maybe if I found one with a solid axle swap and a cummins with an NV4500. I have seen one or two set up that way but they always want a ton of money so you can't get a loan for it cuz it only books for what it was not what they built.
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Truckman4life said:
Better put a triple double chrome roll bar in it too! The ones that go all the way to the tailgate. Just kidding. I like them too. There was a crew cab long bed 454 with a supercharger for sale here recently for like $8500. Real nice. I tow heavy enough though that I don't think I could make a gas engine or even a 6.5L in that era of trucks work. Maybe if I found one with a solid axle swap and a cummins with an NV4500. I have seen one or two set up that way but they always want a ton of money so you can't get a loan for it cuz it only books for what it was not what they built.
View attachment 316367
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If I found a triple tube chrome roll bar for a good price, I would certainly rock it!
 
mrk5 said:
That's the plan. I didn't know the L29 went back to 96. I don't know, there's just something I like about that body style. When Richard Hammond drove one a couple years ago on Grand Tour (it even had CO plates) I really liked the looks of it lifted.

View attachment 316366

Disregarding the flames.... That's pretty much exactly what I want to build.
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The Gen 5 TBI454 ran from 1987 to 1995, the Gen 6 Vortec L29 454 ran from 1996 to 2000, then the Gen 7 L18 8.1 (496) ran from 2001 to 2006 (in light duty pickups, it stayed in medium duty trucks until about 2009).

So for you, you just want to pick up a 96-00 3/4 or 1 ton truck in whatever body style you like (single cab long bed, extended cab long/short bed, crew cab long/short bed, or burban) and go from there.

GMT400's with a SAS and a good set of tires on it looks so bitchin, I love it. That was one reason why I built my suburban like I did, just cause I've always wanted to sas one of those body styles. I love them
 
mrk5 said:
I'm glad we're getting my future build figured out in Keith's thread! :haha:
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Well at least it's the same generation truck so we're still on track :pimp:.
Scott, I might have your truck, 98 crew cab l29 4l80 srw and it's 2wd, I know you like doi g 2wd to 4wd conversions.:waytogo::whistle:
 
Was the 502 ever offered in a pickup truck as a factory engine? I can't remembered where or what we were talking about but someone tried telling me once they had a truck that had the 502 in it. Sorry for the derail also.
 
Truckman4life said:
Was the 502 ever offered in a pickup truck as a factory engine? I can't remembered where or what we were talking about but someone tried telling me once they had a truck that had the 502 in it. Sorry for the derail also.
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As far as I know...no. The 502 was always a create motor available through GM. They never put a 502 factory in a offered vehicle. But I could be wrong
 
 
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