New guy help

[watz]

Good morning ColoradoK5. I have some questions from a new user. I currently own a regular cab 2000 short box chevy. I was going to lift it, tires and wheels this winter.


However /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif


This weekend, I ran into my cousin. He has a 89 - 90 or so K5 blazer. He put an 8" lift on it, tires and wheels. It's missing the front drive shaft. He said he had some issues with the lift. He bought for 5,200 2 years ago. Electric windows, locks all that stuff the back window doesn't work. But everything else does. He told me he would sell the truck to me for 3,500. It has 75,000 original miles on it. That is about the same price it would cost me to lift my truck and get it set up for wheeling.

Is this a good deal? I need more details on the truck (I have only seen it twice from a distance. I know it has some rust. Anything to look for? How hard is it to find a drive shaft? Is it common for a truck like that to eat shafts with that much lift? Personally I think 4" with 33's is enough but if I can get a good deal, so be it.

What do you experts think?

 

[Z3PR]

First thing you cant too check is the frame around/behind the steering box. That is a known weak spot. Known for cracking, but not a big issue, ORD makes a repair kit for it. 8" lift ?? Is that a 8" Suspension lift or a combo of suspension lift + body lift ?? When I went 6" Suspension lift, I had new driveshafts made. Local driveshaft shop made mine for around $200.00 per driveshaft.

 

[watz]

8" all suspension. He did tell me that.

 

[surpip]

3500 for a k5 of those years in good shape is a pretty good deal,The fact that it has lift ,tires,wheels too, is a bonus!! I paid 5000 for mine But it has no rust at all, came with a 6in lift W/rims and tires, That i sold to help finance what i wanted(1 ton's better lift) So you have alot of options!!

 

[Z3PR]

Okay, that'll probley be a stiff ride. You can always swap out the leaf springs for a 4" and put those 8" springs up for sale. Infact, some 4" lift springs ride better then stock springs, well in my opinion anyways. Where you located ?? You might have a CK5 member near you that'd be willing too give it the once over and help turn wrenches when the time comes.

 

[big83chevy4x4]

for $3500 that doesn't sound like a bad deal. what size tires? do you know what axles it has? if stock it has 10bolt front and rear, not the best.

for the front driveshaft, he maynot have put it in, with 8" lift the stock one wont work and would need to have one made. most people get the rear made so you can atleast drive it and worry about the front later or not at all (posers /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif)

for rust, check rear floor, front floor, rocker panels, floor supports, door bottoms, and all the cab mounts.

welcome to CK5 /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

 

[mxfireman]

Paul,

Did you end up selling your K-5 last week?

Shane

 

[Z3PR]

[ QUOTE ]
Paul,

Did you end up selling your K-5 last week?

Shane

[/ QUOTE ]Not yet, I'm selling it to Outlawtorn. We're just waiting for him too get his check. Hopefully soon. I'm not in a really big hurry to sell, so I don't mind holding it for him.

 

[watz]

Any idea what I could get out of 8" springs? What kind of budget will I need to get to a 4" with BFG muds?

Can one add a snow plow to a K5 with a 4" lift and 35's? Will it take the beating?

Basically, I want a mud run truck, for mud and snow fun. But I figured if I can put a plow on it, I can use it for a write off on my taxes. Which would also offset my cash needed to build the proper amount of power. (Looking for around 400 hp. Probably a 383 stroker. I would assume the orignal 350 would be in relitivly good shape with only 75k on the clock. I have a 400 crank laying around. Maybe port the heads and build the tranny. Should be good.

I see a lot of you are using 1 ton axles? Are the 10 bolts THAT weak or is that mostly for crawling?

I am in Nebraska we barely have hills, no rocks or mountains to climb /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif so as long as I can spin the 35's I should be good.

My buddies K5 was tough to stop in the snow, he said it was because of the balance? Any suggestions? Might make a good recovery vehicle for heavy snows too?

 

[kyser_soze]

when you get bigger tires there is more weight that comes along with the new tires bigger tires weigh more= harder to stop, larger axels that came off a 3/4 ton provide larger brakes easier to stop the larger tires, more power to the original axels with the larger tires puts a ton of stress on the ring and pinion gears (original gears) which WILL cause a malfuntion eventually. bigger tires=bigger axels with a change of gears, now the size of gears will depend on how you are going to use the vehicle, this is a different discussion altogether, there are charts available that can match up tire sizes with size of gears, matched with your current transmission and transfer case, I do not have that link but other members here can help you out with that one. /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif