What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

MeanMikes 77K5 build thread

M

MeanMike

Registered Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Posts
23
Reaction score
0
Location
Hendersonville, TN
Well, I'm new here, but I'm ready to get rolling on my K5 build. After having some fun with my 95 tahoe, I'm ready for a more serious rig. I come from the fast car world and I've owned everything from a Buick GS455 to a turbo mustang. I'm burnt out on cars, but still have a need to tinker and build things.

I scored two trucks that together should make a decent off road rig. No pics of either right now, but I'll get some this weekend.

The first is a 77k5 with a 305/th350/205 with 4.10 geared 10b/12b with a mini spool in the rear. The body has been trimmed heavily to fit 35" boggers on 15" wheels with no lift. The tub and hard top are about the only body parts that aren't bent all to pieces. The tub has some rust, but not bad for what I want to do.

The doner truck is an 85 k20 with an 84 half ton 2wd body and bed. It was an unfinished project that I scored for a grand. It has a good 350 with an edelbrock intake and carb. 700r4/np208, 8 lug dana44 (was this offered in 85) and a 14bff. I haven't checked to see what gears are in them yet, but the 44 is freshly rebuilt with new balljoints, bearings, u-joints and brakes. It has an unknown lift and 38.5 gumbo mudders on 16.5" chrome steel wheels. This truck would make a really nice truck if it was finished, but I don't want a long bed truck.

I'm thinking of using the K5 with the 84 front clip and doors. The 350 from the truck with the th350/np205 in the k5. The 3/4 ton axles with 5.13's until I can find a dana 60. I'll pick up some Tuff country 4" front springs, and a shackle flip along with the steering box braces and all the greaseable bushings and shackles that I need to rebuild the suspension. Some 16" steel wheels and 37" boggers or whatever works best around my area. I'll probably save the crossover steering for when I swap in a D60. I intend to build it better over time, but this gives some good parts and a nice place to start. I know it will eventually progress into a tube buggy, so I don't want to spend a lot of money on anything that won't get me to that point.

My questions for now. With what I have here, would you do anything differently with the drivetrain or suspension? Cheap is good, but my budget allows for whatever I want within reason.
 
first off, welcome to the never ending project lol

one thing i would switch when you do your 60 is swap in some 52" springs in the front. these will usually net you about 4" of lift and flex a whole lot better. the thing about running the 52's is you really need crossover steering or you will limit the articulation and snap steering components (if you can even get the stock setup to bolt up)

and lastly we all like pictures lol
 
I hadn't put much thought into the spring swap yet, but after some more searching it might be a good idea. I could use the stock 52's from the rear of the blazer and the 56" rears from the k20 with a shackle flip to swap into the rear of the K5 getting me 4" all around and more flex. It would save enough to get going on the crossover steering. I already have a 2wd steering box that I can use. I really need to go ahead and pony up for D60 front because I hate spending money twice.

My next question. I have a 4" shackle flip kit for my 95 tahoe that I haven't installed yet. Does anyone know how far off it is from the K5 kit? I know it doesn't have the plate that wraps around the bottom of the frame, but how close are the spring widths when mounted up?
 
I am not sure on the width of the newer model shackle flips, there are different kinds that stick out form the frame different distances depending on what they came off of. For example 1/2 and 3/4 tons stick out farther then 1 tons on the pre-88-98 styles. I would hold the flip up to your blazer and see if it lines up, if it isn't the right width it will be about 1.5" off.

If you are looking for parts for the spring swap or whatever you should talk to Kert over at http://www.diy4x.com he is very helpful and make beefy stuff.

Check out the suspension page for the shackle flip and b-52 kit
 
Here are some pictures of the truck. Nothing of the blazer yet, I still need to blast some of the mud off of it.

DSC01128.jpg


This is the only rotted spot on the truck. The floors and rocker pannels are solid. The bed is in great shape, looks like it was hardly used at all.
DSC01127.jpg


The grill is in the bed. I dont' have a drivers side headlight bucket.
DSC01126.jpg


I guess you could call this ricer camo.
DSC01125.jpg


DSC01124.jpg
 
have 2 people jumping up and down in the bed witht the tires spinning, will get that thing unstuck, but be careful. Nice parts truck, I would definately use the sheetmetal from it. For a tube buggy, the blazer frame will be the weakest link, i know a lot of people that have buggied there project from a factory frame and regret not making a better frame.
 
I could have gotten it out, but I didn't want to tear up the grass any worse than I already did. I'm waiting for it to dry up to get it out. Haven't had much time to work on it lately anyways.

I'm still having a bit of a hard time deciding whether to keep the truck in one piece and fixing it up a little or parting it out for the blazer.
 
I finally decided to go with the truck. I ordered some cab corners and the grill to make it look decent and I ordered everything I need to redo the suspension from ORD. The blazer will be used for parts for both the truck and a solid axle swap in my tahoe.


The truck has some kind of 4" lift spring on the front with an add a leaf. I have no idea what brand they are, but I'll try them out and see how I like them. They have 4 leafs, 1 1/2" front eyes with a miltary wrap and 1 1/8" rear eyes. The suspension is getting new greasable bushings and HD shackles for the front and a 4" shackle flip with greasable bushings for the rear. The front already has a steering correction arm for standard steering.

More pics.
The truck with a grill in it.
downsized_0316081500a.jpg

Now you can see why the blazer was not worth rebuilding. It looks pretty bad in pics and in person, but useable as a trail rig. It was just going to take more work and time to turn it into a trail rig than i want. I guess you could call the paint "urban camo"
downsized_0316081501.jpg

And the tahoe for anybody that cares.
downsized_0316081501a.jpg
 
yah that blazer looks like it would take alot of work.

on doing the SAS on your tahoe, im pretty sure your gonna have to use a ford axle due to which side the driveline drops on.
 
I know I'll have to swap transfer cases in the tahoe to run the chevy axles. The np205 in the blazer is behind a th350. With either a spacer or a shorter output shaft in the 4L60E, it will bolt right up in the tahoe. I'll have to do some kind of custom crossmember, but that's not much of an issue. I already have the parts to convert the 205 to electric vss. The chevy axles are much cheaper and easier to find that the 78-79 HP Dana 60's. The only bad is that the tahoe already has the floor shifted 241, so I'll have to cut a new hole for the 205 shifter and patch the old one.

I've had one alignment issue after another with the IFS in the tahoe and frankly I'm getting sick of it. And I have to fear braking it every time I turn off the pavement. Even swaping the 10 bolt front out of the blazer would be piece of mind for me.
 
Last edited:
Update:



I've been working on the truck quite a bit lately trying to get it to run reliably. The previous owner has rigged so much stuff on it that I'm having to go through everything getting it driveable. The PO said he couldn't ever get the brakes to work right. I swapped the front calipers side to side and bled them, brakes work great up front now.

The motor was a mess. The timing was way off, the valves were adjusted too tight, the intake bolts were loose and the carb is junk. I took the edeljunk carb off and opened it up, it was full of rust. I guess this means the tank is full of rust. I had spilled some fuel on the intake when I took the carb apart and when I put it back on it backfired once and caused a small fire. Noting major was damage, just some soot and maybe a melted plug wire or two.

I did get it cleaned up and drove it around some. So, of course more pictures.

Interior:
02d99de3.jpg

The bed is in really good shape suprisingly
93f42014.jpg

Hmm, still looks like a beater when the mud is cleaned off. Maybe some rattle can paint this weekend.
ddea82c4.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom