my new 72

[kyle.rj133]

so i was searching around on ksl and i came across a 1972 k5. it was only on there for a hour or 2 so i gave the guy a call and asked how much and he said 8 hundred. so i went down there and found out it ran good and the engine only 30k on it. so i picked it up for 600

i also have a question. i had a 86 jimmy and i was going to do the shackle flip so i have a 4 inch ord shackle flip with 7.25" shackles for it. can i not use them any more? and i was going to run 56" springs on my 86 will this still work with the 72?

 

[72gmck5]

nice score! looks like pretty straight.
iirc the shackle hanger wont work you'll have to get the 1st gen style, the shackles should be fine to use, as for the 56 inch springs you can use them i recently put 56" springs on mine and the work great mine are supposed to be on a mid 80's suburban. hope that helps

 

[SHANES SOCAL 70 K5]

Nice find, and good luck with the build. As for help, I was going to be asking some of the same questions. So now I can read the answers you get, thanks.

 

[kyle.rj133]

now that i got the back all worked out. what are my options on the front springs to match? i think i will be getting around 5" or 6" of lift in the back with 4" shackle flip and 7" shackle?

i was thinking about the b52s 1st gen from diy4x?

or i can just scratch the front and back if this set up wouldnt be good for a dailydriver/weekend fun in the mountains

 

[kyle.rj133]

im also trying to decide if i want to strip her all the way down to the frame and start or just paint the body and fix her up as i go. what would you guys do?

i know the body bushings are getting old but what do you expect?

 

[Greg72]

Get some enjoyment out of it before you do a full-restoration.

The average restoration job of a vehicle for a typical enthusiast takes about 3 years to complete. Do you really want to wait that long before you have some fun?

Also, keep things simple. A shackle flip and a set of Tuff Country EZ rides up front will give you a nice improvement in ride quality over stock, and enouch clearance to run a 33" - 35" tire. If you start messing around with super-soft spring setups the truck will be miserable for street driving and you'll enjoy it a lot less.

I had a pretty good looking truck (last time around) when I simply cleaned-up and painted each part that I worked on. If you're doing replacement body mounts....clean up the rust in each area with a wire wheel and apply POR-15 or Rust Bullet or even just some rattlecan Eastwood Chassis Black at each mount you work on... if you feel motivated, you can paint the outside part of the frame in those areas too.

When you do maintenance on the axles (seals, u-joints, ball joints) it's a good time to clean up the axle and give it some rattlecan love too. New springs replace old rusty ones.... and with each part you work on, go a little further and clean/paint it nicely. The next time you need to deal with something, the parts will be clean and easy to service....and you'll see any fluid leaks more easily.

Avoid the "1-Tons & 42's" mentality for as long as you can.... the costs will eat you alive. Keep the tires under 37" and use the 1/2-ton axles you've already got. The truck will drive better on the street, and you'll be enjoying it more often.

 

[MONTANA_BLZIN]

my vote doesnt count clicked the wrong one... i can never get enough first gen builds .... my advice would be to start simple at first as well it does save allot of money and time trust me i know... i miss wheeling my blazer for what little time i did

 

[scottishdave]

Well....as i roll into the 15th month since i started down the road of massive resistance that is the 1st gen k5 restoration there is still no end in sight.

Mine was not in any sort of running order, the engine, tranny and axles were shot. But....If i could go back i would have only pulled the front clip off , removed the engine and tranny and axle and been able to completely clean and restore the entire front half. From there it would have been a simple instal of a new motor, tranny, replaced any parts like steering components, brake lines, etc...replaced or rebuild the axles then finished it off with small things like brakes, body mounts and i would have had a running truck a LONG LONG time ago. From there i could have slowly changed the body mounts, wiring, got more involved in suspension, steering, etc...all one at a time without taking the truck out of commision for a long period of time.

Instead i tore that pig right down to the bare frame, replaced almost everything brand new...New 350, rebuild tranny and t-case, new brakes, lines, fuel system, tank, 1-tons and all the little nick nacks like 56" springs, disk conversion, diy4x engine x-member, etc...Problem is...life is only getting more busy and the truck isnt restoring itself.

Greg72 told me once...Its a big elephant, dont try and eat the whole thing at once. Take small bites....Man i shoulda listened to that guy.

 

[kyle.rj133]

Get some enjoyment out of it before you do a full-restoration.

The average restoration job of a vehicle for a typical enthusiast takes about 3 years to complete. Do you really want to wait that long before you have some fun?

Also, keep things simple. A shackle flip and a set of Tuff Country EZ rides up front will give you a nice improvement in ride quality over stock, and enouch clearance to run a 33" - 35" tire. If you start messing around with super-soft spring setups the truck will be miserable for street driving and you'll enjoy it a lot less.

I had a pretty good looking truck (last time around) when I simply cleaned-up and painted each part that I worked on. If you're doing replacement body mounts....clean up the rust in each area with a wire wheel and apply POR-15 or Rust Bullet or even just some rattlecan Eastwood Chassis Black at each mount you work on... if you feel motivated, you can paint the outside part of the frame in those areas too.

When you do maintenance on the axles (seals, u-joints, ball joints) it's a good time to clean up the axle and give it some rattlecan love too. New springs replace old rusty ones.... and with each part you work on, go a little further and clean/paint it nicely. The next time you need to deal with something, the parts will be clean and easy to service....and you'll see any fluid leaks more easily.

Avoid the "1-Tons & 42's" mentality for as long as you can.... the costs will eat you alive. Keep the tires under 37" and use the 1/2-ton axles you've already got. The truck will drive better on the street, and you'll be enjoying it more often.

yeah maybe your right. i just got way ahead of thinking. the reall reason i even wanted to do a frame off is because the tcase and trany are totally covered with grease bad!! and im puttinig a newer engine in it wich i was going to clean everything else up while the body was off.

and the wiring. they guy before me tried putting an electric ignition and you can tell that he didnt know what he was doing. what kind of wiring harness would be good to run with? including the inside. the engine is a 350 from a 76 k0 pick up so nothing to fancy on the wiring.

i was hoping to at least run 37's the mountains in utah are rocky and muddy. what would be a good set up for this? i like the soft ride that stock suspension gives, i know i wont get that soft ride if i do put a lift and tires on which is ok. i do have a 14bff 4.56 with disks that im going to put in and im also planning on new body mounts and a 1" body lift

i also know that i want the body to be painted for sure. so if i do the body now i will just enjoy it and do the frame maybe during the winter when i wont drive it so much. does that sound good?

 

[kyle.rj133]

so after taking the time to think about it and looking other peoples build thread i have decided that i will just take the front clip off pull the tranny and t-case clean and put new seals in if i need to and then start on body work.

i got another engine to through into it that has a good rebuild other than the cam. im not sure what the cam is but i want to replace it. i want some more bottum end i think its a high rpm cam. so whats a good one?

i also like the hydro trannys. is it worth going through the trouble to put one in? or is it just the bellhousing? any help would be good its a sm465

 

[scottishdave]

I am not the expert but i can give you my suspension for my planned 37's

-I have an ORD shackle flip with the longer 6" + shackles in the rear with 56" springs.
-The front i have Tough Country EZ-ride 4" lift springs. I also have a 1" body lift and brand new bodymounts.

I think it is a good idea on the front clip. You can completely clean up almost 50% of the frame inside and out with the front clip off. Plus it makes the engine/tranny/t-case alot easier to get in and out. The 1" body lift might be a nice idea as it gives a nice amount of room to work with when dealing with the drivetrain and also lets you get at the frame more with a wire wheel without removing the body. With that you pretty much have dont most of what a frame off would have accomplished with a fraction of the work.

I bought a full wireing system form Painless for around 4-500 bucks. It comes complete with everything and its broken down into the engine comp. and the rest of the vehicle. It is extremely simple and alot better than the old rotted wires i am sure are in yours.


Personaly i would have done all this and left the body rotted. I think i would have been much happier with a rusted looking truck with brand new, clean and refreshed drivetrain and driveline. I oculd have drove it and maybe tackled to body on winter months.

 

[Greg72]

Kyler,

Do yourself a favor and find a place that does steam cleaning.....not just a high-pressure washing, but REAL steam cleaning. When I lived in San Jose there was a place that did it. They had an outdoor lift and used a really hot cleaning solution with relatively low pressure. They spent about 30 minutes on the underside of my vehicle and engine compartment and when they were done it practically sparkled!!!

Doing maintenance or upgrades after that will be a snap, and a lot more pleasureable....and leaks will be easy to spot.

37" is right on the edge of what 1/2-tons will handle, if you must swap to the 14 bolt, then hold do an 8-lug conversion on your existing D44 up front (you can get parts for around $200). A D60 swap is an expensive swap....the acquisition costs of the axle are only the beginning. Realistically, by the time you get it rebuilt with new hubs, seals and steering you'll be in it for $3000 - $3500. No lie.

Nobody here is trying to crush your dreams.... most of us wanted the same "balls out, take no prisoners" resto-mod 1st Gen too at first. The realities of what that ACTUALLY costs, and the amout of TIME required are sobering, so we just want you to have a realistic perspective about it.

 

[72k5mike]

I also did the painless harness on my 1st gen, and I think this was the best mod ive done so far. wires were chafing on the radiator as a result of the previous owners hack job. If i were to start a truck this old again that would definitely be the first thing i did

 

[SHANES SOCAL 70 K5]

I am not the expert but i can give you my suspension for my planned 37's

-I have an ORD shackle flip with the longer 6" + shackles in the rear with 56" springs.
-The front i have Tough Country EZ-ride 4" lift springs. I also have a 1" body lift and brand new bodymounts.

I think it is a good idea on the front clip. You can completely clean up almost 50% of the frame inside and out with the front clip off. Plus it makes the engine/tranny/t-case alot easier to get in and out. The 1" body lift might be a nice idea as it gives a nice amount of room to work with when dealing with the drivetrain and also lets you get at the frame more with a wire wheel without removing the body. With that you pretty much have dont most of what a frame off would have accomplished with a fraction of the work.

I bought a full wireing system form Painless for around 4-500 bucks. It comes complete with everything and its broken down into the engine comp. and the rest of the vehicle. It is extremely simple and alot better than the old rotted wires i am sure are in yours.


Personaly i would have done all this and left the body rotted. I think i would have been much happier with a rusted looking truck with brand new, clean and refreshed drivetrain and driveline. I oculd have drove it and maybe tackled to body on winter months.

Not to get off topic, but from what you say you will be running 5" of lift, and running 37". Will you be doing some cutting.

 

[kyle.rj133]

well my plans for the hole 72 have changed. my brother has a 69k5 and he decided he wants to sell it so i asked him for a straight across trade and he says sure. i thought that he would never ever let it go.

im now a proud owner of a 1969 k5 blazer!!!!!! its also complety stock but with less rust then my 72 had. its a straight 6, 3 speed manual, np205.

build plans soon to come, for sure a full frame off restore. i will also take pictures when i get the time.

 

[Greg72]

Congrats!

I always thought that a "stock" 1st Gen K5 with maybe a 31" tire and a set of rally wheels and maybe 1" of extra lift would be totally killer looking!!!

 

[scottishdave]

Not to get off topic, but from what you say you will be running 5" of lift, and running 37". Will you be doing some cutting.

I think it will work, worst comes to worse there is always the Zero rate option. And i have accepted the fact that after all the work, i doubt i will want to wheel this hard and beat on it. Some fun weekend warrior wheelin yes, but nothing risky risky. So i think i should be fine.

 

[scottishdave]

well my plans for the hole 72 have changed. my brother has a 69k5 and he decided he wants to sell it so i asked him for a straight across trade and he says sure. i thought that he would never ever let it go.

im now a proud owner of a 1969 k5 blazer!!!!!! its also complety stock but with less rust then my 72 had. its a straight 6, 3 speed manual, np205.

build plans soon to come, for sure a full frame off restore. i will also take pictures when i get the time.

Pictures Pictures Pictures

 

[Yukon Jack]

Definitely good advise above. In regards your 86 jimmy's 4 inch ord shackle flip - you could use it if you changed to a later model front spring mount for the rear axle.