Shortbed vs. Blazer

[firefighter184]

So I am buying this truck for $400.00. It's a 78 1/2 ton. The motor is a running 454 with alot of nice dress up stuff, Edlebrock etc. Bum TH350, 12bolt/D44.

Initially, figured I'd buy it, trade the motor my road dog INTERCEPTOR for assistance past and future. The wheels and tires are brand new, so they'd be worth $200-$300. Take the cab and swap it onto the Blazer and build a Trazer like B_to_C's old rig.

I have narrowed down my plans to these two options. Give me your pros and cons for each, and VOTE.

1) Swap the Blazer motor, tranny, t-case and axles into the truck, lose the bed and build a little flat bed thingy.

2) Sell as much as I can from the truck, chop the back of the Blazer off behind the cab and use the money from the truck stuff sales to fund a cage out of the cab into a cool little flatbedded Blazer.

My concerns are that I'll be stuck on 35's until at least fall of 08. Will the extra wheelbase hurt me THAT much, or will it be a benefit? Also thinking that I'd like to minimize the overall work needed to get the rig back on the trail and the expenses associated with it. Also, with swapping a 700R4 and 241 into the truck, will I need to get the rear driveshaft shortened?

 

[Bent77]

I vote trazer the blazer. The wheelbase thing is a real crap shoot as to where you wheel. It doesn't have to grow much longer before you start kissing rear driveshafts.

IMO, 104-110" WB is good around here. Any more is of no help, and any less makes you a jeep

 

[JPMSK5]

Personally, my Short bed wheeled circles around my K5. I use to go to the ORV trails all the time, even a little tough truck, I got my K5, pulled everything from the steering column, all the brakes, springs, axles, engine, trans, transfer, basically left the body and frame of the short bed and went up to the ORV and it scared the hell out of me. No frame flex, picks up tires off the ground, tips over without the 3" body lift that I also had in the short bed. I havent been back in 5 years because of that. I have searched for the reason, but have never came up with why all the same components from a short bed that I felt was 10ft tall and bullet proof, to a K5 I am scared to drive through a little ditch crossways with.

 

[thatK30guy]

Build the truck. It weighs less than a stripped Blazer. That translates into more power-to-weight ratio.

 

[reddog64]

trazers rock!!!

that's the truck front on a k5 frame right...
Cause that's what rocks!!!

 

[big dan]

I vote build the truck but dont really have any experience driving a blazer. so far Ive wheeled 4 short bed trucks in varying heights and tire sizes and like them all.

 

[walla2k5]

I say, build what you can afford. So you don't get discouraged or lose interest.

 

[B_to_C]

Take the cab and swap it onto the Blazer and build a Trazer like B_to_C's old rig.

I like this option

 

[firefighter184]

Seven votes/opinions is not enough to provide an appropriate cross-section of the CK5 membership. MORE PLEASE...

 

[think_07]

How would a truck weigh less than a stripped blazer?`

 

[Masiony]

for the driveline question, the 241 comes with a slip yoke rear. i wont tell you not to run a 700r4 behind a 454, but i can tell you gm never did.

 

[muddermilitia]

I voted trazer the blazer, of course If you want more wheelbase you can always do some spring swapping. I'm at 114" right now, If I ever go to full hydro steer the front axle will be moved forward 1.5"s more

 

[slyguy_22]

I voted Trazer, or you can just cut the back of the body off behind the seats. The reason that the blazer yanked tires might have to do with it being a unibody and the truck is not. Ive wheeled my blazer and not really had any issues with the wheels coming off the ground excessively. I have a pretty flexy suspension though. You would have to give us more specs on what you have for your blazer to make an good opinion poll. If you have the 700r4&241 combo and its gona be a major wheeling rig i would ditch them both and opt for something more reliable and stronger. ie sm465/205 or the th400/205. Im sure there is a couple people out there myself included that would trade you for your setup. If your building a street queen with lite trail use a 700r4/241 is ok. but otherwise you will be breaking stuff
FYI slip yokes are bad things for offroading.

 

[Masiony]

I voted Trazer, or you can just cut the back of the body off behind the seats. The reason that the blazer yanked tires might have to do with it being a unibody and the truck is not. Ive wheeled my blazer and not really had any issues with the wheels coming off the ground excessively. I have a pretty flexy suspension though. You would have to give us more specs on what you have for your blazer to make an good opinion poll. If you have the 700r4&241 combo and its gona be a major wheeling rig i would ditch them both and opt for something more reliable and stronger. ie sm465/205 or the th400/205. Im sure there is a couple people out there myself included that would trade you for your setup. If your building a street queen with lite trail use a 700r4/241 is ok. but otherwise you will be breaking stuff
FYI slip yokes are bad things for offroading.

where did you get the idea a blazer is a unibody? they are both have frames, and the frames are almost identical. and i dispute that the 241 is a bad case for wheeling. it is quite strong, and the gear reduction unit is stronger than a 205. it may have a slip yoke, but those are only bad for two reasons. the first reason is if you have too much suspension and you need more slip. the other reason is if you break the rear driveline and that is most likely due to driver error than the slip yoke design.

 

[blazin_blazer]

speaking of rear slip yoke and large lift....can you combine the rear slip yoke and slip joint in driveshaft? ie..use both?

 

[Masiony]

speaking of rear slip yoke and large lift....can you combine the rear slip yoke and slip joint in driveshaft? ie..use both?

i wouldnt advise it. what happens when the drive line slip goes all the way in, and then it pulls the end out of the t-case? my dad ran a driveline like this for awhile, but he put a piece of radiator hose in the slip in the driveline to keep if from collapsing.

 

[blazin_blazer]

thats what i was wondering...didnt think about that, it could pull it out of the tc

 

[kennyw]

Are planning on staying single and having no kids when you go wheeling for the future? Only downside I see to the truck is the # of open seats...

 

[roadnotca]

Regardless of what you build, I've been thinking of hunting for that sexy Saturday night "Itch"; K30 Step, 6 1/2' bed.

 

[JPMSK5]

I voted Trazer, or you can just cut the back of the body off behind the seats. The reason that the blazer yanked tires might have to do with it being a unibody and the truck is not. Ive wheeled my blazer and not really had any issues with the wheels coming off the ground excessively. I have a pretty flexy suspension though. You would have to give us more specs on what you have for your blazer to make an good opinion poll. If you have the 700r4&241 combo and its gona be a major wheeling rig i would ditch them both and opt for something more reliable and stronger. ie sm465/205 or the th400/205. Im sure there is a couple people out there myself included that would trade you for your setup. If your building a street queen with lite trail use a 700r4/241 is ok. but otherwise you will be breaking stuff
FYI slip yokes are bad things for offroading.

Were you talking about what I said about my Blazer scares me to death?
I dont want to hi jack this thread. We can start a new thread about that and I will tell what I have in it and what has been changed.