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Plow interchange?

Dragracer

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Hi guys, I have a 1985 (full size) blazer that is pretty much rotted to death that I would like take the plow frame off and put on another truck. I have a line on a 1989 that is in much better shape. Can someone tell me what years would my plow setup fit on? Are the truck frames the same from 73-90 or what is the same? Thanks
 
when the front end changed from the 70's to the 80's the front of the frame changed.
 
Your frame fits up to 87' pickups and up to 91' blazers. So if your new pickup is an 88' or newer your SOL. If its going on another blazer your good up to 91'
 
some assembly required....

I have put a fisher plow frame from 73-87 trucks on others,from 73-87 they pretty much bolt on,but you may need to drill new holes on some trucks..2wd trucks and 4x4's use different push plates ,so a 4x4 one wont fit a 2wd without modification (if it'll work at all--sway bar and other things interfere)...

I also used a fisher plow frame from a '72 GMC on a later 73-87 style frame,they are nearly identical,but do require a bit of tweaking..the 73-87 style will fit the later trucks with the "old" body style,but the 88 up ones with IFS are a whole different animal..:crazy:
 
Thanks for the replies. I am a little confused, because I was not very clear in my post, let me clarify- I have an 85 fullsize blazer with a 7.5' Fisher plow on it. What I meant to ask about frames was: Can I pull the whole plow frame off the 85 and put it on another year blazer, and if I can what years will it bolt onto? I have my eye on a really decent '89 (also full size blazer) that would be perfect if it would work. Diesel4me- are you saying the '88-90 Blazers have an IFS that won't work with the older style plow setups? And kgilly: you were saying :
"Your frame fits up to 87' pickups and up to 91' blazers. So if your new pickup is an 88' or newer your SOL. If its going on another blazer your good up to 91'"
We're talking plow frames(push plates?) . Interchangeable to '91?
 
try again...

As far as I know,the "old style" cab trucks from 73-87 4x4 are the same--so are up to 1990 K5 blazers,and one tons with the "old" square cab--the newer 88 and up IFS pickups with the different cab,are completely different...

So yes,the plow setup off your 85 SHOULD fit the 89 K5,as long as its not IFS (and I dont think the K5 Blazers ever were )...you can visit the Fisher Plow website,they have a chart listing for what push plates fit what years..:crazy:
 
'81-'91 Blazer, '81-'87 pickup, '81-'91 Suburban and '81-'91 crew-cab 1-ton pickups all have the same front frame rails, your plow will work fine on any of them.
 
Dragracer said:
Thanks for the replies. I am a little confused, because I was not very clear in my post, let me clarify- I have an 85 fullsize blazer with a 7.5' Fisher plow on it. What I meant to ask about frames was: Can I pull the whole plow frame off the 85 and put it on another year blazer, and if I can what years will it bolt onto? I have my eye on a really decent '89 (also full size blazer) that would be perfect if it would work. Diesel4me- are you saying the '88-90 Blazers have an IFS that won't work with the older style plow setups? And kgilly: you were saying :
"Your frame fits up to 87' pickups and up to 91' blazers. So if your new pickup is an 88' or newer your SOL. If its going on another blazer your good up to 91'"
We're talking plow frames(push plates?) . Interchangeable to '91?
That's how I understand it.
73'-87' Pickup has solid front axle...88' and after is IFS
73'-91' Blazer "& Burbans:D" have solid front axles...92' and after are IFS

85' Blazer to 89' Blazer should be no different.

One thing I'm not clear on (and maybe soneone can chime in) is was there an exception for this with the 1 ton Pickups in that 88' and after time frame??? I don't think so, I was under the impression they were all IFS after that.


I should go back to the lounge now, I'm exhausted :rolleyes:.
 
Well, that went pretty good- I bought that '89 on saturday afternoon. Nice truck. Black Silverado. I think it was worth the $1200... Pulled the whole plow setup off the '85 in a couple hours Saturday afternoon, and Sunday I bolted everything back on the '89. I didn't expect to have to drill the frame holes for the push plates, thought they would probably be there already, but they weren't. No biggie. The only thing I didn't get done was the mounting for the pump- that's gonna take some fabricating...completely different setup due to placements and the serpentine.
 
one shortcut..

The later serpentine motors can use the old "V" belt fisher pumps, by using a Fisher "V"pulley, that bolts on behind the water pump pulley,rather than the usual one mounted in front of the harmonic balancer on older motors...or you can make a pulley quite easily---.

I've made a pulley from an old GM air/smog pump work great on one truck,they are almost the same as the $$$$ Fisher pulley!--it has a thin sheet metal "hub"--all I had to do was drill 4 holes in it, that matched the water pump flange(originally they had 3 bolts holding it to the smog pump,but they are a much smaller bolt pattern,and dont interfere with the 4 new holes you have to drill--you'll also have to enlarge the center hole to fit over the water pump shaft..simply bolt this pulley between the existing serpentine pulley on the water pump and the fan clutch,and your good to go!..I did not even need longer studs,due to the pulley being so thin!..:D
 
The pulley wasn't a problem- the old one that was on the '85 harmonic balancer fits the '89 too- perfectly. The only problem is the pump mounting. The '85 pump bolted to the alternator (I think that's what it was anyway-it was getting late when I wrapped it up sunday night...) on the driver side, but the '89 had a different setup with the serpentine. Anyway, I just need to fab something up-shouldn't be too difficult. I held the pump approximately where it needed to go to make sure the belt would clear everything, and it did, but the mounts for the pump weren't even close to the same where they should have been. Thinking about it here at work, I'm not sure without looking at it but I might have the option of just swapping pulleys on the old alternator and throw that on and remedy it quick maybe. The PITA factor involved now is trying to find time to get back out to do it! Hopefully sometime before the first snowflakes fly!
 
new pump brackets..

You can get new pump brackets from a GM dealer for not too much $$$...I wasted a day fabbing my own on a truck I had,then found out the correct bracket only cost 15 bucks!..but I got lucky and found one on a truck in the boneyard..they got 5 bucks for it!...

You probably could swap ALL the v-belt pulleys to the 89,but that would take time and probably lead to other dilemas..:crazy:
 
Might be a longshot, but does anyone have a pic or a diagram of the factory mounting of the pump on an '89? With the serpentine belt style.Thanks-
 
Not sure what X2 means??? But I was just on the Fisher Site and found the '89 mounting diagram HPS4598C- looks like '89 was the first year to use the serpentine setup, and the pump mount moved to the front two exhaust manifold bolts. Looks easy enough to make. Have to see if the brackets are available cheap enough and might just buy 'em though.
 
Frame changes

goldwing2000 said:
'81-'91 Blazer, '81-'87 pickup, '81-'91 Suburban and '81-'91 crew-cab 1-ton pickups all have the same front frame rails, your plow will work fine on any of them.

I've also come across some later 1 ton trucks with standard cab and old body style ca. 1990. Kind of hard to figure. My neighbor custom-ordered the heaviest (he thought) 1 ton Chevy 4WD pickup in 1989 for pulling a cattle trailer. It had the new body-style and independent front axle (and was a piece of junk). Another farmer nearby bought a new 1990 1 ton 4WD dump truck with standard cab and dual rear-wheels - it was the old body style with solid front axle.
 

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