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Frame options

quicker

quicker

1/2 ton status
Joined
Jul 12, 2006
Posts
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Location
CA
I am building a frame for my 1975 blazer and I need to make sure I get a good donor. What years will bolt up exactly the same?

I will be sandblasting and boxing it but I don’t want to have to reinvent the wheel. Just make it better....stronger.

I had posted earlier about this but still need a bit more info.

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=205045

Thanks
 
quicker said:
I am building a frame for my 1975 blazer and I need to make sure I get a good donor. What years will bolt up exactly the same?

I will be sandblasting and boxing it but I don’t want to have to reinvent the wheel. Just make it better....stronger.

I had posted earlier about this but still need a bit more info.

http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=205045

Thanks
Click to expand...

If you are looking for a direct bolt up, you need the 73-77 frame.
The 78 (I am almost sure of the year) they changed the frame to have a footwell in the back.
I know for sure the 81 was changed at the front body mount too.
 
Again I am in debt to you imiceman44.

Thanks
 
I've heard that if you replace all the rivets with grade 8 3/8" bolts it makes the frame more ridgid.
 
Chevy305 said:
I've heard that if you replace all the rivets with grade 8 3/8" bolts it makes the frame more ridgid.
Click to expand...

[FONT=&quot]There is that much slop? Well I have yet to get a suited frame so I bought a dana 70 to play with while I look for my frame.

Thanks for the info.[/FONT]
 
quicker said:
[FONT=&quot]There is that much slop? Well I have yet to get a suited frame so I bought a dana 70 to play with while I look for my frame.

Thanks for the info.[/FONT]
Click to expand...

Actually you cannot get the rigidity you have with the rivets by using bolts, but if you have a lose rivet change it and put a bolt.
Don't replace all the good rivets with bolts.
The rivets are snug fit and fill the hole completely, and they are hot when installed and shrink when cold to make a nice and tight fit a bolt will never get that tight.
Now if you wanna do some work and get a stronger frame go with a 1 ton frame and move the spring hangers to suit your wheel base.
You still will need to do some work on the back to fit the body mounts in the proper place too but you will put less work in that than any modification you can do to a stock K5 frame.
 
I'd rather take the chance at bolts instead of rivets.

Rivets are and have been known to come loose and/or fall out of the holes. If they don't fall out, they can wallow out the hole and make them bigger or elongated.
 
check out my thread. I ground every rivet and boxed the entire frame with 3/16". I still have all the templates I made to.
 
imiceman44 said:
Now if you wanna do some work and get a stronger frame go with a 1 ton frame and move the spring hangers to suit your wheel base.
You still will need to do some work on the back to fit the body mounts in the proper place too but you will put less work in that than any modification you can do to a stock K5 frame.
Click to expand...

So again what 1 ton frame year do you think I should try and get? Unfortunately this is the area I don’t have any information so any help would be appreciated.

Yes I am willing, wanting to box a frame so changing mount locations will be fine as long as I don’t have to reinvent all the other mounts to the point that I might as well start from scratch.

Thanks again for all the info
 
quicker said:
So again what 1 ton frame year do you think I should try and get? Unfortunately this is the area I don’t have any information so any help would be appreciated.

Yes I am willing, wanting to box a frame so changing mount locations will be fine as long as I don’t have to reinvent all the other mounts to the point that I might as well start from scratch.

Thanks again for all the info
Click to expand...

Well if you're planning on boxing I guess it's not worth going o a 1ton frame since it's already a lot of work and to add he body mount locations which is not just horizontal change but in the back the blazer frame goes up about 4 inches, the truck frame doesn't.
You could solve that with some body lift blocks but either do a blazer frame and box it, or go with a 1ton frame and modify, not both.
As for years again the 80 and below are the same for front clip purposes the 81 an up are slightly different.
I have a blazer back half and a truck back half, i could probably give you a profile with measurements to see the difference but I need a few days for that.
I actually cut them both at the front corner of the cab mount and made them trailer frames and this is where I am seing the differences.:D
 
That was my concern. I do want to strengthen and yes the 1 ton is tempting but it will be easier for me to just reinforce the 73-77 blazer frame. requires less thinking.lol

Thanks again
 
quicker said:
That was my concern. I do want to strengthen and yes the 1 ton is tempting but it will be easier for me to just reinforce the 73-77 blazer frame. requires less thinking.lol

Thanks again
Click to expand...

Your right about this.

It would be much easier & alot less work to modify (beef up) a blazer frame than to try & make a 1 ton frame work.

FYI the blazer frame is wider (read further apart) around the trans & t-case area.
It helps with drivetrain mods & exhaust routing
 
j20m715 said:
Your right about this.

It would be much easier & alot less work to modify (beef up) a blazer frame than to try & make a 1 ton frame work.

FYI the blazer frame is wider (read further apart) around the trans & t-case area.
It helps with drivetrain mods & exhaust routing
Click to expand...

Are you sure about that?
I don't see any differences in mine.
The difference is the 1ton frame is taller, and in the rear where the axles are, the spring hangers are slimmer to put the springs closer to the frame.
Other than that I don't have any difference in width.
 
The area from behind the frt springs to just before the rear springs is wider on a blazer than a truck.
 
Personally this is how I see it. In my experience when I fab something from scratch unless I have a perfect jig I am going to spend 4 times as long as I want to set up a one off modified frame that will work... If I can start with an original and expand form it the time saved is well worth the extra welding and work.

I am looking for the easier way out here. If I was looking for another project I will never have time to finish I would make a frame from scratch. As imiceman44 says the 1 tone is stronger and it would make a great starting point to modify. Again I personally would never finish it because of my time constraints.

All said and done I will have a very strong boxed stock frame and the odds of bending or cracking it will be diminished sufficient for my scion crushing needs.

So anyone in the central California area have a 73-77 blazer frame in ok condition they want to get rid of??? Drop me a PM if you do. Thanks.

Pleeeaaassseee
 
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