Tips for wheeling a stock height blazer?

[PhoenixZorn]

I'm headed to McCaslin Pipeline in a couple weeks, and as it stands right now, I won't be able to put any lift or new tires on my Blazer. Anyone have any tips for what NOT to do with a stock height blazer with 10bolts, 355, and SM465 with 3.42s and 31x10.5 tires?

Background:

I've never actually taken this truck mudding... it's quite trail capable, and lots of fun offroad, but with the saggy stock front springs, it bounces around in the front more than actually gripping the trail like it should... It doesn't sit any lower in the front than in the rear, but it has almost no flex at all up front.

 

[steve_kibbe]

just make sure the bump stops are there. It should droop a good bit

 

[Jeromy Gibson]

get rid of the sway bar if you have not already

 

[dyeager535]

Haven't had a chance to do much practical testing on my truck, but I believe trimming the front bumpstops will be a positive change.

I cut a spare bumpstop (ones directly above the axle) about an inch from the tip, and didn't hit metal. I need to dissect it to make sure there isn't any metal there, so it doesn't end up metal on metal, but an inch of extra travel (or more) for essentially no work is definitely helpful.

Check yours out...on mine the surfaces the bumpstops contact (both over the axles and on the spring) are clean from how often it hits, and I'm running the 3 leaf front springs that aren't sagging, with stock quad shocks that are "new". (they will eventually come off for single on each side) The spring bumpstops don't seem to be as contact prone though.

Need to check all your clearances if you do this, you don't want to bottom out the front driveshaft.

My truck rides very hard when I'm doing the little bit of "trail" that I do, with the bumpstop contact, I'm sure that is a big part of it.

Watch your transfercase going over large mounds, etc. You don't have a gov-lock rear do you?

 

[PhoenixZorn]

Sadly, not that I'm aware of... I've done brake stands and it just spins one tire, but I've not done it long enough to leave a patch, so I don't know which side is turning.... sad isn't it?