Looking for my first K5- Help!

[Backcountry Renegade]

Hey all! I am a die-hard jeeper who has decided to indulge my GM-lovers side that I share in my regular out of the garage life! I confess to complete naevity regarding K5's so I am looking for some help in my hunt. I have found several rigs I want to look at but I need a laundry list of "gotchas" to watch out for.

I am looking to wheel the rig (I am a carnage-canyon junkie) so I want flex. I will drive it regularly so I need road-manners. I want the whole top to come off if possible (open-air freak) and an auto tranny. I will tow my pop-up hunting and my goose hunting trailer but that's about it.

So what should I be looking for? Watching out for? Thank you!

 

[AZ79K5Project]

Welcome aboard.

That is one high request list. How much do you want to build?

Check for rust buckets. Pull the carpeting back and check for rust under the front passenger foot area, under the A pillar and along the back corners.

You will never get your money out of a truck, so plan on throwing money into it or spend some up front and buy someone else's junk that has been built.

Be patient and look around for a truck you really want.

 

[73redblaze]

well boss here are some of my suggestion. 72 and earlier have the old body style. 73 on have a different body style. i would go with something before 75 because it will be smog exempt and a full vert. (am i right on those years guys?) i would try my darndest to find a military one or a firefighting blazer because they will have 4.56 gears, d60 up front locked. and a 14bff locked. those are just some of my suggestions but the smog exempt ones and the ones to buy hands down.

 

[YZEATER]

well boss here are some of my suggestion. 72 and earlier have the old body style. 73 on have a different body style. i would go with something before 75 because it will be smog exempt and a full vert. (am i right on those years guys?) i would try my darndest to find a military one or a firefighting blazer because they will have 4.56 gears, d60 up front locked. and a 14bff locked. those are just some of my suggestions but the smog exempt ones and the ones to buy hands down.

military blazers have 10 bolts and 3.08 gears.

 

[Col_Sanders]

Rust spots are generally the front floorpans, tailgate, and the floor in the cargo area. In order to check most of that you would need to pull up the carpet a little. Also check the frame by the steering box for cracks. The cheapest way is going to be find something that someone has already built on and is selling.

well boss here are some of my suggestion. 72 and earlier have the old body style. 73 on have a different body style. i would go with something before 75 because it will be smog exempt and a full vert. (am i right on those years guys?) i would try my darndest to find a military one or a firefighting blazer because they will have 4.56 gears, d60 up front locked. and a 14bff locked. those are just some of my suggestions but the smog exempt ones and the ones to buy hands down.

Military Blazers came out in the 80s and had 10 bolts with 3.08 gears.

 

[73redblaze]

military blazers have 10 bolts and 3.08 gears.

what? i may be mistaken but im 99.9 percent positive they dont have 3.08's the ones iv seen have d60s and 14bff with 4.56s thats why there so disirable

 

[73redblaze]

then do military chevy trucks have d60 with 14bff 4.56? becuase iv seen them. maybe there always built up but i doubt it.

 

[73redblaze]

look here http://raleigh.craigslist.org/pts/882181694.html i guess its just the pickups on blazers. my mistake

 

[lectric80]

Only the military trucks got the heavy axles and deep gears. Blazers were a basic road version with a diesel.

As for the original poster you will probably want a 73-75 full vert Blazer. As for flex you are going to want to find something someone has already built, or be willing to spend some money doing 52" springs up front and 56's out back. You will most likely want to get a D60/14BFF for the strength. As others have said, there are numerous rust issues with these trucks, and the full verts tend to be a bit weak in the rocker boxes.

 

[Backcountry Renegade]

Where does one look for miltary/forest service vehicles besides Craigslist? Most of what I have seen here in Denver on CL are rust0buckets. I am willing to build/spend some cash on good lift, etc and have done axle swaps before- I just need a good starter rig

 

[toomany]

You can try http://www.govliquidation.com/.

 

[SkulzNBonz]

Where does one look for miltary/forest service vehicles besides Craigslist? Most of what I have seen here in Denver on CL are rust0buckets. I am willing to build/spend some cash on good lift, etc and have done axle swaps before- I just need a good starter rig

As was said, the Blazer NEVER in any form came with one ton gear, but it is an easy swap. Up to 1975 was full convertible, but there is a mod that several on here have done to make the 76-91 blazer a full convertable. The Blazers are so easy to mod, just find a good building block that is straight and rust free, and then read and search here, and you won't be able to go wrong.

John

 

[73redblaze]

doing 52" springs up front and 56's out back.

52s and 56s, thats childs play. why does everone on ck5 use this set up. do the manly 56's up front and 64's in the back. i wish there was some diversity here. kerts b52s and shackle filp. thats 99 percent of whats on this site, not that theres anything wrong with kerts products there awsome and i have used them before, but come on change it up will ya

 

[resurrected_jimmy]

To the original poster:

For your requirements of road manners and towing I would do some research on the 52" front spring swap mentioned already. This is a cheap way to get flex up front but I am not sure if i would want to tow anything with this setup. A good set of stock length front leaf packs would be my suggestion

 

[h0wl0ngcanitbe]

this is a good resource for cucvs if you can find one in your price range grab it up! i wish i would have got one to start off with. i have a k5 and would love to to do the m1008 cucv swab of the axles. that is the truck with the 4:56 and 14b, and it would replace the stock half tons.

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/

and their is something to be said about findin one that is built up a bit and buyin that, if you do find one that looks good just post it up here and ask these guys if its worth it they could tear it apart and tell ya just by some detailed pictures if its worth it or not. welcome aboard and good luck in your search

 

[supersize75k5]

52s and 56s, thats childs play. why does everone on ck5 use this set up. do the manly 56's up front and 64's in the back. i wish there was some diversity here. kerts b52s and shackle filp. thats 99 percent of whats on this site, not that theres anything wrong with kerts products there awsome and i have used them before, but come on change it up will ya

that child play you mentioned is a tried and true method.. the spring you mentioned will need a very considerable amount of effort to control the new found axle wrap as well as placement, steering and a host of other concerns. People use this set up for the same reasons a ford hot rod can often be seen with a chevy small block under the hood... proven, effective, reliable, simple, affordable..ect.

For some one trying to "inform" others that a 1 ton axle came in a blazer you might want to spend some more time reading rather than advising...

 

[73redblaze]

.

that child play you mentioned is a tried and true method

how did someone find out it was tried and true? by trying somthing diffent right? so try something new and maybe it will become tried and true.

the spring you mentioned will need a very considerable amount of effort to control the new found axle wrap as well as placement, steering and a host of other concerns.

this sites moto is "built not bought" if you wanna buy a outta the box setup with no work involved you should just buy a jeep. your basicly playing legos with no thinking involved.

 

[supersize75k5]

.
how did someone find out it was tried and true? by trying somthing diffent right? so try something new and maybe it will become tried and true.


this sites moto is "built not bought" if you wanna buy a outta the box setup with no work involved you should just buy a jeep. your basicly playing legos with no thinking involved.

Go ahead and hold your ground on your opinions and suggestions, ive been there and done that, per the users request he asked for suggestions to fit his needs or for what he wants to use the vehicle for. Even a damned web wheeler would know a spring set up as you mentioned would have very negative driving characteristics, even more so if used as he intended.

Yes people find things out by trying a new route... 56" and 64" spring combos however are not new! Hell I think the texas boys had a slew of rigs with the combo at least going back maybe as far as 3 years now. Last I checked the name of kerts shop was diy4x.. not bolt on fuzzy dice warm feeling paradise 4X4.. and as for the "no thinking involved" you might want to direct that to yourself before you hand out anymore bad advice or false info.



this is your old plain jane non flashy suspension... simple shackle flip in the rear with stock springs and some 6 inch bds front springs... 5 years ago...

This thread is officaially hi-jacked, so if you have anymore input feel free to pm me or start another advice thread in the lounge where it belongs, at any rate thank you for the new sig..It was worthy enough for me remove the link to my buggy build and the specs from my 07 just to fit it!

 

[ryoken]

his sites moto is "built not bought" if you wanna buy a outta the box setup with no work involved you should just buy a jeep. your basicly playing legos with no thinking involved

wow... harsh....

some people care about road manners too... 56's and 64's is not the most stable platform for something seeing a fair amount of street duty imo...

this guy? maybe trail only, good articulation, light towing? sure, maybe...

me, 75% street, occasional woods jaunts, etc.. no way....

 

[ryoken]

Hey all! I am a die-hard jeeper who has decided to indulge my GM-lovers side that I share in my regular out of the garage life! I confess to complete naevity regarding K5's so I am looking for some help in my hunt. I have found several rigs I want to look at but I need a laundry list of "gotchas" to watch out for.

I am looking to wheel the rig (I am a carnage-canyon junkie) so I want flex. I will drive it regularly so I need road-manners. I want the whole top to come off if possible (open-air freak) and an auto tranny. I will tow my pop-up hunting and my goose hunting trailer but that's about it.

So what should I be looking for? Watching out for? Thank you!

my .02 to drag this back on topic for ya...

as the others mentioned for years, to me it seems your best bet would be to find a decent enough shell for what you want to do, and not worry so much about suspension, axles, etc... to get it performing the way you want, you'll more than likely be changing that all out anyway..

as for rust... it's what you can attack and repair, cut out, live with, etc, depending on what you expect of the truck and have/want the ability to fix.. anything is doable..

a tub from the drier states is always desirable obviously...