Rear Factory Roll bar in late 80's Blazer

[jeff in co]

Can a 73' rear roll bar fit in a 89' blazer? Are they identical?

I know the front area is different but I'm thinking the rear is the same.

Thanks!

 

[Irish1941]

Pretty sure you'd be ok but check your '89 for floor support changes. You know, I've never seen that rear bar in anything but '76 and up. '73-'75 only had the front bar according to my parts books.
Go for it. You can always make it work.

 

[jeff in co]

I already picked up a 74' front roll bar at the junkyard a few weeks ago for $25. It may not work for my 89' but I just hated to see it go unused. It's actually in really nice shape so I may eventually sell it off.

I just found a rear one so trying to see if it will work or not.....

 

[USSkoval]

I already picked up a 74' front roll bar at the junkyard a few weeks ago for $25. It may not work for my 89' but I just hated to see it go unused. It's actually in really nice shape so I may eventually sell it off.

I just found a rear one so trying to see if it will work or not.....

Is it all one piece or a multi-piece? I've got a front bar from a '75 and it's all one piece, with braces that bolt to the seatbelt area I think.

I don't see why the rear bar wouldn't work for any year.

 

[Irish1941]

Jeff, that front bar won't work on your '89.
Rear foot well changed for the folding seat. See attached GM diagram below.
However that rear bar, take it and toss it in the back then look underneath for floor support changes. GM did a gas tank change and some other stuff from '73 to '89 but again can't see it not working. It really should fit without issue. Get the extra support from the wheel well or make some. Good to go.
I'd show the rear bar set up but GM didn't do a diagram for it.

 

[jeff in co]

Nice spec sheet Irish, thanks! I may or may not try and work the front one but the rear is more important. Here is the one I'm looking at:

 

[dremu]

Yep, the rear bar will fit from '73 to '91.

As mentioned, the floor is different from '73-'77 than from '78-up, so the old front stuff won't drop into the newer trucks.

One thing to note though is the back floor is, I donno, waffled, corrugated, whatever you wanna call it. IIRC the factory ones had plates under the floor which weren't flat, but had ridges to mate to the underside of the floor, and then bolted through.

If you don't get the original set with the bar, they're easy enough to make if you can cut steel plate, and ideally weld some flat stock on top to mate with the floor. Otherwise you'll crush the floor corrugations when you bolt the thing in.

And just bolting the feet to the floor is no bloody good -- the bolts will just tear out of the floor with any force applied. You want to spread the force out evenly across the area of the whole foot.

Hope that makes sense.

-- A

 

[jeff in co]

Yep, the rear bar will fit from '73 to '91.

As mentioned, the floor is different from '73-'77 than from '78-up, so the old front stuff won't drop into the newer trucks.

One thing to note though is the back floor is, I donno, waffled, corrugated, whatever you wanna call it. IIRC the factory ones had plates under the floor which weren't flat, but had ridges to mate to the underside of the floor, and then bolted through.

If you don't get the original set with the bar, they're easy enough to make if you can cut steel plate, and ideally weld some flat stock on top to mate with the floor. Otherwise you'll crush the floor corrugations when you bolt the thing in.

And just bolting the feet to the floor is no bloody good -- the bolts will just tear out of the floor with any force applied. You want to spread the force out evenly across the area of the whole foot.

Hope that makes sense.

-- A

yep, perfect sense, thanks!

 

[jeff in co]

Well, made a road trip last weekend and pick it up. Did a test fit and it looks like it fits like a glove! Sweet!

Now, probably swing by local shop and have it sandblasted and painted.

Any thoughts on color I should go with? I was originally thinking just Black but looking at the blue....kinda cool. However, my panels are color faded and look more blue than grey. Maybe grey?!?

Even though it's on the carpet, it feels like it is aligning perfectly with the floor ribs, too. The spare tire also fits without any issues.

 

[Malathion]

Sweet find.

I've thought of doing the same thing and attaching it to my front roll bar with some tubes. Yeah, it wouldn't be like a real cage but it's better than nothing and it would give you a place to put either a roof rack or some material to help cut down on the sun when the top was off.

 

[metalneverdies]

Wish I could find one of the rear roll bars like that!

 

[jeff in co]

So, I got it all sandblasted and painted up....looks good! Now I'm going to get some plate steel so I can have a solid connection on the backside.

But, do I need to cut my new carpet with big holes for the bar or can I attach it over the carpet? I'd probably get the holes lined up/drilled on the bare floor but the final product would just have the bolt holes through the carpet, through the sheetmetal and then finally the new steel plate on the bottom side.

Think this will work or should it be a more solid connection (metal to metal)?

 

[Deuling]

Wish I could find one of the rear roll bars like that!

My dad made one from a cj fit in his blazer and it looked really good.

 

[badmix]

Wish I could find one of the rear roll bars like that!

An hour or two at fab shop and 100bux worth of metal and you too can have a custom roll bar. Wouldnt be that hard. If you hit up a race shop or speed shop they have cateloges with pre-fabbed hoops for various vehicles including trucks and suvs. that is where I got my hoop for my custom roll bar. Just had to plate the bottom and put the extentions to back to the wheel well.