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Long time member back with a slow build 91 K5
- Thread starter Madbomber88
- Start date
Long time member back with a slow build 91 K5
Lol...yeah, I should probably change my handle, given the crazy times we live in. That was from a bombardier hat I was given way back and and was called the "Madbomber" hat. I've been in the Air Force for the last 22 years (10 years active, 12 as a reservist), but never dealt with bombs. I've always been on the intel/recon/space side.
Welcome back
I got her up on the lift today to check her over. I still can't believe the condition of this truck. Even the rear seat footwell area and those pillars are near spotless.
I removed the rear add-a-leafs, but need to get new spring bolts to get them back on. Doesn't look like it lowered it much at all.
Note the created shock mounts in the front!!! Never seen so many washers before.
I removed the rear add-a-leafs, but need to get new spring bolts to get them back on. Doesn't look like it lowered it much at all.
Note the created shock mounts in the front!!! Never seen so many washers before.
Removed the 1” add-a-leaf from both the front and rear. Funny…. It only dropped the truck about 1/4”. What’s really weird is that before and after, the rear drivers side is over an inch taller than the passenger side. Tires are equal pressure. Axle is same height on both sides… body mounts are the same and in good condition. Thoughts?
Welcome back. As far as the suspension sitting after taking the add a leafs out I’m betting the spring bushings are bound up. Loosen up all the leaf spring eye bolts front and rear and let it back down. You want the weight on the springs prior to tightening those bolts. I’d bounce each end a few times before tightening them back up.
I bet the height settles down and should sit even after doing that.
Oh btw you’ve got 10 bolt up front. The round cover and little cast triangles on the bottom are the giveaway. You’ve been out of the game for a while so you get a pass on that one.
I bet the height settles down and should sit even after doing that.
Oh btw you’ve got 10 bolt up front. The round cover and little cast triangles on the bottom are the giveaway. You’ve been out of the game for a while so you get a pass on that one.
lol…yeah, that’s what I get for taking the seller’s info. I noticed that when I got it you on the lift . The truck was sitting uneven before I touched anything. I’ll take a link at the bushings, that’s a good lead.
Might be worth checking the springs to see if there's a broken leaf. Or bent.
You have to jump it a few times to get the suspension to settle back in
I took it in for a state inspection, knowing it would fail, but looking to get the "list" to start working on. Failed for the expected (ball joints, horn, rear brakes, no catalytic converter, and tires.
I'll probably redo the exhaust and switch it back to a 3" single cat-back system maybe with a dummy cat, as my county does not test for smog. I eventually plan on putting an LQ9 in the truck, but not ready to undergo that just yet (or afford it). All the parts are on order for a crossover steering conversion (ORD with PSC steering box, reid racing passenger knuckle, weld-on frame brace,new axle bearings/seals, heavy duty upper and lower ball joints, U-Joint steering conversion, etc). I am hoping this drastically improves the steering. I drove the kids to soccer practice in it yesterday and it's scary. I've never driven anything with so much play and non-responsiveness. I'm also looking at custom ORD rear springs, given that with 277K miles on the original rear springs, that may very well explain (as some of you mentioned), the height difference from side to side in the rear.
I'm also trying to get the A/C working as VA summer is basically here and they are brutal. It blows, but not cold. They tried charging it but they said there is a bad blockage. They said the compressor is in great shape, but there's a clog somewhere. I have a new condenser, evaporator, orifice tube, and drier on the way. Hoping that does the trick.
I'll probably redo the exhaust and switch it back to a 3" single cat-back system maybe with a dummy cat, as my county does not test for smog. I eventually plan on putting an LQ9 in the truck, but not ready to undergo that just yet (or afford it). All the parts are on order for a crossover steering conversion (ORD with PSC steering box, reid racing passenger knuckle, weld-on frame brace,new axle bearings/seals, heavy duty upper and lower ball joints, U-Joint steering conversion, etc). I am hoping this drastically improves the steering. I drove the kids to soccer practice in it yesterday and it's scary. I've never driven anything with so much play and non-responsiveness. I'm also looking at custom ORD rear springs, given that with 277K miles on the original rear springs, that may very well explain (as some of you mentioned), the height difference from side to side in the rear.
I'm also trying to get the A/C working as VA summer is basically here and they are brutal. It blows, but not cold. They tried charging it but they said there is a bad blockage. They said the compressor is in great shape, but there's a clog somewhere. I have a new condenser, evaporator, orifice tube, and drier on the way. Hoping that does the trick.
Well, I found out why the steering was so bad. This is my 4th squarebody (2 K5s and 2 trucks) and I've never had one with the famous frame crack by the steering gear. I guess my luck ran out. This one is cracked 100% through the bottom of the frame and more than halfway up the side of the frame. I cleaned it all up, drilled a hole at the end of the crack, and cut the V. Then I turned up the heat and welded it back together while clamped.
I then cleaned up the welds, grinding them smooth so I had a good mating surface to the ORD frame brace repair. Before bolting it on to make sure I got a good match, I sprayed the backside of the brace as well as the frame, with a weld-through primer.
Nice starting point!
If you havent thought about it, i’d recommend a soft top. We love cruising around as a family (i have 2.5yr old who loves the blazer) in the spring/summer/fall with the sides up in safari mode. good airflow and out of the direct sun so nobody get roasted by the sun.
If you havent thought about it, i’d recommend a soft top. We love cruising around as a family (i have 2.5yr old who loves the blazer) in the spring/summer/fall with the sides up in safari mode. good airflow and out of the direct sun so nobody get roasted by the sun.
Thank you! Yeah, I'm debating the soft top. My old '90 K5 I had put on a Kayline soft top and I loved it, but the hardtop leaked from that point on.
One of the MANY decisions I have to make... I'm thinking of keeping my '71 K5 as a convertible/softop-only.
One of the MANY decisions I have to make... I'm thinking of keeping my '71 K5 as a convertible/softop-only.
