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New Member, just got an 1989 K5

Clark75K5

Clark75K5

Registered Member
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Joined
Mar 19, 2020
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Location
Hermiston, OR
I have always really liked the K5 blazer and finally drug one home a few weekends ago. This is an 89 Silverado which I hauled back from an hour north of Spokane WA which is not far from the Canadian border.

Message boards like this are an invaluable resource and I have used many over the years in various builds.

This blazer is 100% rust free and supposedly the speedo is not rolled at 72K. Engine bay looks clean enough to support this and it runs great. It has a 6" lift and 35" tires on it, rear is lifted with a 6" lift block and front appears to have skyjackers or some other aftermarket brand. PO told me it was used out in the CA desert for offroading so of course the frame needs some work around the steering box. Right now I'm working on fixing the steering as the lower column bearing is just flopping about, the steering shaft is shot and the steering gear has play. Borgeson steering shaft and RedHead steering gear are ready to go in, as are the ORD frame repair and steering box bracket. May eventually put a 14 FF bolt in the rear. I have a fully equipped garage and have been restoring cars and trucks for about 20 years now and will do all this myself.

Once that is done I will do the 64" long spring swap in the rear and 4" shackle flip lift, and probably go with some Alcans in the front. Then once it looks like it is going to stay warmer i have a Soft Topper (gray) to go on. Goal is to have a nice ride on the highway and also be able to use it in the mountains on rough forest service roads and camping in the back.

89 blazer.JPG
Here is my other "95%" project, a 1968 GTO ragop 4-speed.

1968 goat.jpg
 
Congratulations on the find and welcome to the forum!

Nice Goat!
 
My old blazer is also an 89'. I wasn't sure on the mileage either so did a Carfax on it. Because it was in Washington, you could see the historical timeframe on mileage and each time it got checked in. Some dealership data points, but mainly vehicle registrations. All those points, I could see mine rolled over 3 times, thus I have 375,000 miles at my current state. I converted my 89' speedo to the 90-91 era with an extra digit. Took new speedo to shop and they dialed in the correct mileage. Pretty cool and you might be able to piece yours together. Hopefully it's under 100k..that would be cool confirmation. Cali probably has some good records too, due to emissions, etc.

Nice rig by the way!
 
Welcome!
 
Nice starting point for sure. Welcome to the fun. Post many pics and don't be afraid to ask questions because this is the place with the info.
 
What’s the reasoning behind the 64” spring swap?
You didn’t mention if it already had steering correction or if you were going to add it. What’s the story so we can be more informed.
If you had problems with the frame at the steering box, then I’d also check the frame where the shocks mount in the rear - you may need the bracket from ORD.
And agreed, nice truck and good starting point. :waytogo:
 
rampage said:
What’s the reasoning behind the 64” spring swap?
You didn’t mention if it already had steering correction or if you were going to add it. What’s the story so we can be more informed.
If you had problems with the frame at the steering box, then I’d also check the frame where the shocks mount in the rear - you may need the bracket from ORD.
And agreed, nice truck and good starting point. :waytogo:
Click to expand...


The 64" swap is so it'll ride smoother, like a newer truck is what I've heard. My previous "toy" truck had a 6" lift and was a short wheel base and I absolutely hated how to rode. I can ditch the lift block in the back and use some stock springs from a junkyard for about what I'd be into some 4" lift springs.
Steering was all stock, the front of the frame had been welded once before. If I can figure out how to get the new ignition switch installed (the one on the column) I'd get the steering all buttoned up.
Ya I'm assuming it is cracked back there too and I'll need to do some more work to that area.
 
I see you mentioned the lower column bearing being loose. The link below is the kit i bought. It comes with everything you need to swap it out. It says it’s for a jeep but our columns use the same exact setup.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/cwa-4487696k

Also, make sure you paint the borgeson steering shaft after you test fit! They are uncoated and rust quickly. I did their shaft with u joints on both ends (PN 000935)
and i love how much it tightened everything up.
 
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