86 s15 v8 corner carver

most of this is copy and paste from s10forum, so some posts may not make sense and may be out of context just fyi. im looking forward to posting here. at v8s10.org all they care about is drag racing and time slips, and s10forum doesnt really care unless is bagged and bodied, which isnt my thing.

i got this s10 when i was 17 as a graduation present. my dad bought from our neighbor, who was the original owner, for $500 with about 238k on the original 2.8 and 700r4. it was the office runabout truck for his concrete business, and it never left the phoenix area up untill i got it. it still has never been out of arizona to this day. he said one day it just quit on him, he threw a few hundred dollars of ignition modules etc at it and couldnt get it running. the rubber tube on the fuel pump had disintegrated so it wasnt getting fuel, replaced it and i drove it to 261, 267 miles when the throttle cable broke from age. i pulled the motor that day (about 4 years ago) and it has been in various stages since. i had lifted it 3/2 suspension and 3" body, heavily trimmed inner and outer fenders and 32x11.50-15s. the plan was to just keep it like that and do a v8 swap. my interest is primarily in offroad, but its a 2wd, so i realized how stupid that was and removed the body lift. then i got bit by the gforce bug and things just spiraled out of control and this somehow turned into a frame off resto corner carver. enjoy....



i got the whole suspension from a 96, including front brakes, but no rear axle for $100, a prothane full kit, some por-15, chassis black and caliper paint, and all the prep chemicals. i needed stock spindles and shackles because it has 2" lift spindles and shackles id like to revert to stock, so i thought $100 was a steal, and i can take my time to paint the parts and not have the truck on jack stands. i have been working on the cluster, and wiring of the whole truck, im an electronics nut, so that part was fun for me. i cut up the evap housing for valve cover clearance. i had removed it a long time ago, maybe 2 years, i had the evap core on the front seat for all of that time, well, it got stolen recntly. went to reassemble, and it was gone! still waiting on my ebay replacement.

i dont want to hear it from you 305 stroker haters, but:
30 over stroked 305=335
vortec L31 heads in stock form, the 1.94 version cast# 12558062
94 truck block, kb hyperutectics, 9.3:1
full arp
comp 256h-12 w/ magnum roller tips 1.52:1
mallory unilite with mech and vacuum advance, it was free, was going to use hei
holley 4160
patriot shorties
blah blah blah, ask if you need to know more, nothing crazy just a nice little torqy stroker

old pic, but its fully dressed now, just need to install the oil filter adapter and shes ready to drop in


stroker clearancing


most of an s10 suspension


the rest, with a tranny

97 grand cherokee steering shaft, the colum end doesnt fit, i didnt read the jeep steering shaft thread well enough. i have a 92 cherokee shaft now as well i need to get a picture of it, its a direct replacement for the first gen s10/15. the joints and rubber damper are worn out to bad to use though, but the shaft material will work as a key to make that beautiful grand cherokee shaft work with first gen s10 colum, more on that when i attempt it.

naked control arms, proper use of sockets and extensions, and stuborn bushings





evap housing jtr valve cover clearance thingy, used rivets and some really good adhesive used in motorcyle case halves to seal it all up.



i think we all know what that is

everything unnecessary removed, and the rest labeled and separated, got a huge convoluted tubing kit, oh joy

decided to clean the cowl, i recommend you do this, the driver side wasnt draining, caught it in time, beside you find some neat stuff sometimes. i found some old bottle caps and a nice pen.


what a champ, orginal 2.8 and 700r4, seriously

teaser

street rod artic whites


exploding cluster


whats that diamond plate for?


made a template to see how it would all fit, once i decided it would all be symmetrical i came up with some mathematical assistance



cut out old gauge faces


thats what its for...


milling off the diamonds around the perimeter so the bezel sits flush, and clearnace for the column. the joys of owning a mill.


boring the holes

gauges mounted, i have the holes for the turn signals drilled now, and the turn signal lenses cut out, need to mount them and update pics

i may use the brake and brights lenses as well, may not

what it used to look like. i didnt have a digi cam back then, so i am taking a pic of a pic.
went camping in nov up north, snowy. had 32x11.50-15's 2WD, was kind of pointless. 3" body lift, 3/2 spindle/shackle kit, heavily trimmed fenders and inner wells. the fenders will get replaced eventually along with the wells, need to get the dam thing running first.

how it looks 10 minutes ago

got my $48 ebay evap core

installed with the moded cover

check these connections, chances are they are nasty

removing as much wiring and lines as i can to por15 the frame

removed some of the suspension to check it out, it all looks reusable, i am going to replace the ball joints and just replace the boots on the rest


my core for a zq8 box

these came with my $100 suspension find. all 4 are in working condition, are they anything good?

this will be fun...

entered my combo in dyno2003 vs a stock vortec 305 that would have come in a half-ton., didnt quite reach the 1000hp mark


gauge cluster is done, im happy with it.

lamps lit, the brights indicator looks a little dim, but im fine with that as its the only one that would remain on for extended periods and i dont want it glaring at me.


8hrs of hard labor to get these clean, still needs a little more. i wish i had a sand blaster.

mic-ing rotors for runout, theyre pretty dam straight


i discovered that i was missing my x-member, so i went to the junk yard to get a new one and ended up getting a bunch of goodies. some interior pieces that were broken, some ac vents that dont require a "shim" in the form of a biz card to stay pointed at you, vacuum canister,the smaller battery tray from a 4.3l blazer, rubber mounts for the radiator, and some small trim stuff
finally found one of these

jeep steering shafts

pressing the bushing in

this was interesting

por15


decided to use their caliper paint. it loosk good, but i wont use it again, its really hard to use with a brush, and it only come is a can. it goes on sooo thick and doesnt flow that well, so its hard to get a nice finish and not have runs, takes a few coats and a lot of labor, but it goes a long way. id say the little can will do 4-6 calipers
2nd coat, its drying right now, will need at least 1 more

im diggin the chassis coat.


3rd coat on the calipers dried and hardware reinstalled


finally made the plug wires, plugged up some holes in the block and intake, still need a water pump fitting, timing flag, air filter and water neck to top it off, need an extension for my oil press sender, it hits the manifold. i also need to find a good way to attach a return srping, the BTO TV kit blocks off the spring eye in the holley linkage. i test fitted the accessories but didnt leave em on for a pic, that engine stand is getting worked out, and it scares me, but it looked great!



BTO TV and throttle cable kit. made a bushing to adpat the ball stud fromt he lokar throttle cable kit to the gaping hole in the linkage. check out the adjustable
TV cam.



installed my vette servo, speedo gears and sender



the timing tab didnt fit


all better


wiring pic


i broke out the ruler and calipers and measured all my springs to figure out what i got. just posting this info in case someone else can use it.


86 extended cab 2.8 coils- equivelant to the moog 5662
http://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=MOOG-5662
actual measurements were: 0.747" coil diamter, 7 coils, couldnt measure anything else, they are installed on the truck. 748lb/in spring with 1690lbs load capacity. must have only come one the ext cabs or blazer with a v6 from what i can tell. its the stiffest stock gbody spring gm used if im not mistaken.
96 standard cab 4.3 coils- equivelant to the moog 5664
http://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=MOOG-5664
actual measurements were: 0.745" coil diamter, 7 coils, free height right at 13". 707lb/in spring with 1863 lbs load capacity, interesting that this srping holds more than the 5662
leafs- both leafs packs have 3 leafs plus an overload, they are both 2.5" wide and have a pad thickness of 1 5/8". it was hard to measure on the truck, so the ext cab pad thickness might be 1 1/2". either way according to the spring king, they are the same rate, the 1350lb versions.
1rst gen
http://thesuspensionking.com/catalog/tables/82-94s10_s15%20_s10blazer_s15jimmy_rear.php
2nd gen
http://thesuspensionking.com/catalog/tables/95-05s10_s15%20_s10blazer_s15jimmy_rear.php
the only differnce is that the 96 spring has 3/4" more arch and the ext cab spring's overload leaf is arched whereas the stnd cab overload leaf is flat. the arched overload comes into play sooner in the suspension stroke and would be harsher, thats how they support the extra weight of the extended cab, thanks for the harsh ride gm.

im still not sure which springs im going to use, but theres all the info. my goal is to make the truck sit level with my 2" drop spindles and one of those 2 coils along with one of those 2 leaf packs with the overlaod and maybe the 3rd leaf removed. any one have any input?

i got the speedway control arms, all that work to the stock ones for nothing. i read a lot of posts where people said they wernt symmetrical and that you couldnt use 2 right sides, despite people trying to tell them otherwise. i couldnt find a pic that showed that the ball joint mounting plate was welded in the center of the tubing, a few people said they welded the plate to the top or bottom of the tubing, making the rights and lefts different. heres some pics that i hope will end all that. got the zq8 bumbstops and proforged tall bjs as well.

mouting plate centered, tubing straight, symmetrical

crosshaft flanges centered, symmetrical

tall bj

ZQ8 bumpstops vs stock



some info about the control arms that i couldnt find, maybe someone can use in the future: the aluminum crosshafts ride directly on the steel tubing, they are circliped and put togther then wleded. you cannot remove the crosshaft. the shaft spins easily by hand and has no slop...  yet    some people said they look like shit and the welds suck. i think the welds are great quality, the paint is a little cheap and will flake off easily it seems. theyre $42 each, nuff said




heres a pic of the aforementioned key i made:

and what ive been doing lately with the rear suspension.
chevy flared the stock bushings, i had to get medieval on them with a grinder, chisel and bfh.


and of course, when does a leaf bolt actually come out without a fuss? i tried to be nice


goodbye 3rd leaf

so it turns out there are some slight differences between some leaf springs on the s10s, even if they are the same rate, size, etc. some of the later model springs have a 2" front spring eye. every s10 from 82 to 96 used 1.5" eyes front and rear. of course you learn these thing too late. energy is the only supplier for the 2" bushing and i have to spend $80 just to get 4 pieces of poly. i think not. made some adapters on the ol lathe.

making my own grease able bolts


i bought a cobalt bit for this project, well it gave out by the 9th out of 12 holes, i completely obliterated it, but it didnt snap. so i figured hell, i can finish the 2 and a half holes i have left with my HF tin coated drill bits. it snapped almost instanly, was a brand new bit. cobalt or better only with grade 8 bolts! thats a ruined bolt, i have 1 extra luckily.


disassembled leaf. going to try to have em all togethr and painted/bushed by the weekend

machining of the angle blocks

roughing to size






flipped and then the angle is set





holes drilled and counter sunk


pressed the adapters in, they went in nice and tight, i went 0.030" oversize



my assembly rig, the clamps were to get some of the arch out of the spring so there wasnt a gap between it and the angle block.



painted, bushed, greased, done



im going to try and get it into the garage to work on it this weekend. anyone ever taken the bed off with an engine crane?
had to go get some of these so i could move my truck around.





i also cleaned up the firewall breakout right in front of the fuse panel, and decoded it. i made a pretty drawing for everyone, hopefully someone will get some use out of it. schematics as well. (this stuff applies to an 86ish s15 truck with a 2.8 and 700r4, if you have a blazer, a 4cylinder, or 88 and newer, a lot of colors and wiring changes, 2nd gen isnt even close)



the colors correspond to the actual wire color in my truck, a few were different from what the schematic shows.

further explanation of each wire
A1-TCC 12V. torque converter control. this is 12V lockup for the TC, it comes from your brake switch, and goes to the tranny.
A2- alternator indicator, brown wire from the alternator to the alternator indicator in the cluster
A3- wiper motor low speed
B1- TCC grnd. goes to the ECM and the ALDL (cruise component) to complete the circuit and put the TC into lockup
B2- 12V ignition switched, from ign. fuse to 510ohm resistor for alternator excitation, also goes to the contacts of the AC relay to power the compressor clutch, and to a random oil pressure switch on the v6 models
B3- wiper motor park switch
C1- +coil, coil power, large pink wire directly from the ignition switch
C2- ecm 12V, ignition switched 12V from ECM1 fuse, main ecm power
D1- Alt. fuse, the large red wire to the alternator with the fusable link, powers most of the interior of the truck
D2- oil pressure, comes from the oil pressure gauge, goes to one of the oil pressure senders
E1-fuel pump relay, this is just a signal wire to the ecm for the fuel pump and to serve as a junction block.
E2- water temp, comes from the water temp gauge, goes to a temp sender
F1-main 12V, large red. goes to the firewall mounted distribution post that the alternator connects to, supplies power to the fuse panel and most of the truck
F2- CEL, 2 wires connect here, a green/wht and a yellow. one goes to the "oil" relay, and the other to a water temp switch, either one will set off the check gauges lamp.
G1- ECM B, constant power to the ecm from the fuse panel
G3- wiper motor park switch, the other one
H1- starter crank, 12V from the ignition switch in crank position to the starter solenoid
H2- ecm crank, crank signal to the ecm
H3- wiper motor high speed
L4- brake pressure switch, comes from the brake lamp, goes to the pressure switch located on the top of the master cylinder
L5- head lights, forgot to see which were high and low beams
M5- head lights, other
N4- front park lights
N6- right front turn signal
O4- windshield washer motor
P5- horn
P6- left front turn signal
 1-6 are missing from the schematic, as are a few of the above, i just labeled them for reference. the 1-6 connector harness goes to the rear of the truck
1- left rear turn signal
2- fuel gauge, fuel sender to the gauge
3- reverse lights
4- right rear turn signal
5- fuel pump 12V, internally connects to E1, so it really comes from the fuel pump relay contact
6- running and licence plate lamps
enjoy





[/QUOTE]

a little more electrical decoding for tonight
this is the cluster connector and its connections





and more explanations:
the numbers on the diagram correspond to what is on the connector itself, see the below pic. the wire colors, again, are what are actually in my truck, 2 were different from the schematic, number 11 is brwn/wht, the schematic just says plain brown, and 5 is wht/grn, schematic just says dark green.
the number at the end of each description in the pic is the number that the wire corresponds to on the schematics posted above, of course they are different, thanks gm.

1- switched 12V from IGN fuse, only powers the gas gauge
2- oil pressure gauge, from oil sender, through firewall connection D2
3- switched 12V from IGN fuse, powers h20, oil pressure and voltage gauges only
4- water temp gauge, from water temp sensor, i think this comes from the ecm through the dash, or through a firewall connector i havnt looked at yet, it may also just tie in with the check gauges indicator, which is run off a water temp sensor
5- right turn signal indicator, comes from the column switch
6- high beam indicator, come from the brights switch
7- alternator/battery indicator, come from the alternator, through firewall connection A2
8- brake indicator, 2 wires, one comes from the pressure switch on the master through firewall connection L4, the other comes from the parking/E brake.
9- check gauges indicator, from water temp switch, through
10- up shift indicator, from ecm, manual tranny only
11- service engine soon, from ecm
12- 12V supply for all ground switched indicators, which includes: SES, up shift, check gauges, brake, and battery
13- N/C
14- cluster illumination dimmer voltage, from dimmer control
15- seat belt indicator
16- ground
17- left turn signal  indicator, comes from the column switch
18- fuel level, from the sending unit in the tank, through firewall connection 2






cleaned the interior and cleaned the bed, hosed it out, scrubbed it clean. it was disgusting, my dad used it as a trash can for a year while it sat at our old shop, then it sat for 2 more years, nice. removed all the bed bolts, then i realized i had no place to put the bed, so i started on the front end instead,lol.
got the whole front end apart this morning, found a bent bumper bracket, explains the bumper attitude. fixed that and started cleaning the frame.





ground out the original weld, bent back and rewelded the bracket






cleaning the frame





at v8s10.org we are having a debate on shorties vs long tubes. i already have shorties and they dont like those over there. opinions?

i got my shift kit in today, i really should be doing the frame but couldnt help myself, its too hot anyway.
transgo 700-2-3, installing in auto mode, also have the tci lockup kit and tvmadeez sping to install












improvising, clearing out the brake master and lines for removal, more frame brushing, i smelled rust for hours after a wire brush session

this morning i got the reprogramming kit installed, TCI lockup kit installed, and BTO TV spring.
i used the transgo 700-2-3 kit, i hear its the best kit for the 700r4, but the directions suck and are really vague, and you dont use like half the kit, i dont like paying for things i dont need. either way i figured it out, would have been a peice of cake if the instructions werent so mysterious, i didnt install the orange 3-4 spring.

modified separator plate, its funny about half of the holes were already enlarged by someone before me, but it didnt have any sort of kit installed 



new and old TV



lock up kit



various plugs



filter is installed,i just need to install the int/rev valve when it gets here and bolt her up




this weeks progress-
i trimmed the tranny ears the other night and made some room for the bed today, started on the rear of the frame.








also drew up my TCC wiring




solo bed removal





tucked away, my garage is soooo full




removing the rear bump stops, i plan to replace them with some modified zq8 front bump stops that mount with a stud









got started wire wheeling the rear, removed the tank, i sanded down the welds from the bump stop brackets, then it got too hot out and i cleaned up and stopped.









got everything off the frame, and i mean everything except for the fuel lines. anyone remove em before? they look like a pain to pull out and an even bigger pain to re install where they come through the boxed sections of the frame, but they had to get in there somehow.
rear brake line in a safe spot for now

rear harness all coiled up

i also replaced the fuel pump with a new one just to be safe, the original one has sat for years, and for $40, ill just play it safe. i had to adapt the sending unit that came with the autometer gauges to the stock pump assy because the ohm range is different. auto meter didnt have a kit that has the 90/0 ohm gauge /sender that would have worked with the stock sender, and my stock sender was bad anyway.


the "bolt" holes for the stock sender and autometer sender almost line up perfectly



stock sender removed, i had to notch the bottom right hole on the mounting plate of the fuel pump assy to get the autometer sender to mount and to get the right angle on it, since the mounting point isnt centered in the tank, and so i get proper readings on my gauge.


all done

i am going the short water pump route, but decided to make my own pulley.
this gives about 2" more clearance between the pump and radiator for the electric fans and for servicing

blank on the left orriginal pulley for long pump on the right, power tool underneath 







and ive decided im going to install a "5 point" roll bar. im going to buy an 8 point kit and make it my way. i will use plates as flanges between the frame and body so i can remove he body still, and i wont be going into the bed. might not meet regs, but i will never go to 11.49, not in this truck, its more for the wifes worrying and possible autocross.
started gutting, notice all of that rust that doesnt exist, ill remind you that its an 86









got the pulley done this morning

inside bore finished



flipped around to turn and face



quick turning vid



threw it on the mill, drilled the holes, done, still needs paint







had a break in the weather, finally cooled down, i took advantage of this and left work early to part the cab from the frame

roll bar kit came in yesterday!


i ordered a drivers seat from summit so i can fit the roll bar correctly, im going to wait on the roll bar until that gets here. figured why let the stock seats go to waste when i can do this.

my new computer chair



heres the seat i ordered
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-G1130L/




and roll bar sneak peak




not bolted in yet,i have more adjustments to make and them some welding, but close.




i was woried about cleance issues with the armrest, came out close, about 1/4" gap



and metal goodies for the seat brackets and roll bar






i finished fabbing the seat bracket today, it was a lot more work than i thought it would be. the seat is soo much more comfortable once its mounted properly and adjusted. im very happy with this seat.






got it level to within 0.1 degrees





i started sizing and cutting the main hoop

i have to do the other end by hand because of the angle and the ground is in the way









got the main hoop tacked in, and the bottom plates welded in. dont mind the welds, the strength comes from the bolts, my truck is the first welding ive done in years 

mounting plates, i had to make these so long because the main hoop ends up right over a mounting box for the body, no way to bolt through it, so i am going to bridge across it, and gusset the hell out of it.



plate just tacked in



welded up



hoop, i made it so with the seat as far back as possible, you still cant smack your head against it in a tbone or something. thats the plan at least :roll:





my nissan hardbody got a rod knock so ive been busy with that. this is all ive got done in the last few weeks.


fabbing mounting plates


welded in


still need to do the pass side front strut, the crossbar, and some gusseting.


and some of my better welds...   







door clearance, the seat just rubs it, and now only has about 3" of fore/aft adjustment before it hits the bar, its cozy


i got a long block for the nissan i want to rebuild, probably a few more weeks until i can get back on the s15

today i scored a 2wd truck 8.5" freshly rebuilt rear with 3.42s and a locker, gov- bomb i think, for $300! i think im going to slap discs on it,  put in a lock right and run it.



hop shock mount?




got the interior part of the roll bar done today. just need to do the frame outriggers, rear xmember, and bottom plates.







mill turned tubing notcher, and this neat little tool a friend let me borrow





got some zq8 springs and made some progress on the frame. just a few hours more work and i can lift the body back off and paint the frame.

zq8 springs


my welding is getting better, start of rear mount


front strut mount


hoop mount

i scored a front bumper, a straight tail gate, really strait front fenders and a new lmc tail light from an 84 on craigslist for $80. he had the stationary rear windows that i want, but i couldnt get them out with the tools i had. i hate urethane. the bumper is newish from lmc, mine is tweaked. my tailgate is screwed from a dirtbike incident, and i destroyed my fenders making 32's fit, besides they have some dents. pics








also got the rear cross member and bar mount tacked in. now i can lift the body, finish weld all the mounts and brackets, clean and paint.



another advantage to owning a lathe. making a 7/16 bit fit a 3/8 drill




removed console mounts. going with a floor shifter.







finished the rear cross member, did some welding where GM didnt.









added a liitle tab to "box in" the leaf mount









small update
i bought a sand blaster, 50lbs of al oxide. i should have a long time ago, works great.



body mounts and motor mount shells all blasted





paint



the dam rear leaf bushing that goes in the frame needs a metal shell, i found out after i destroyed and pounded out my old bushings, i guess you reuse the shell?...  gotta love flared bushings.






back to the lathe



cad plans



started making the front control arm bolts greasable, broke another f@kin bit in a bolt, need to get another bit to finish.




its been to dam hot to wear pants, and wire wheeling sucks. there were 2 stuck in me well over 1/4".

i made some droop stops for the speedway arms because the upper ball joint would bind when i mocked it up. i wanted to put the stop on a bracket on the frame to keep the unsprung weight down and because it would have looked better, but now matter how i tried it would have interfered with the tire or the steering and sway bar linkages. i didnt want to screw with welding a cross bar across the upper because they are chrome moly, and i only have a flux core.

front suspension


template








holes drilled on the mill



side plates cut out






added a 1/4 rib down the middle







had to cut down these poly stops on the lathe, i couldnt find any in the height i wanted in the right diameter. its very interesting to cut poly on a metal lathe. they come off in little rubber bands, you can see them in the next pic laying next to the springs.


painted my zq8 springs

 
removed the rear end and springs



today i made a rotisserie for the frame for $20 at harbor frieght and scraps of steel i had, also featuring the pregnant wife









i flipped the frame upside down and set it back on the ground so i can do the rest of the bottom easier. i should have made one of these a long time ago. ill mount it back up when its ready for paint.

also ground the weld marks from the rear bump stop mounts off, and drilled holes for the new stops.








i know its off topic but, miata vid for those who are intersted, skip to 3:30. i guess its a prelude to what the s15 will be used for.
ProAutoSports Firebird West Hotlaps #2 10-28-12 miata - YouTube

i mocked up the rear today while it was easy with my frame upside down. i had a suspicion that my drive shaft might hit the cross member i added right before the axle bottoms outs. unfortunately i was right, so im going to need some 4" pipe to weld in there to clearance the cross member. except for the drivers side bumpstop being a little off, everything else looked good. i think my "fresh" 8.5 has a small pinion leak.







made a fake shackle out of some scrap, the fishing line represents the main leaf, wanted to see how the angles all end up.






i need to add gussets on top, i dont trust 1/4 pipe on its own to be strong enough, but other than that the cross memeber is done. i was not pleased with the welds i had done to the cross member while it was still upside down (right side up?lol) so i ground em off and re-welded them. i also noticed the drive line is offset to the pass side about 1/2". thats why the cutout isnt lined up with the roll bar mount, as the roll bar mount is centered in the chassis. glad i checked as i assumed it was centered.

















my axles on the "rebuilt" 8.5 were leaking, so i took it apart and found that the g80 is toast. the drive gear for the centrifugal governor is stripped (common failure mode). the axle shafts are grooved and all the seals and shit are original. this "rebuilt" axle only had the oil changed and a quick rattle can job. im glad i only paid half of what the original seller was asking for, i would have been pissed if i paid $550 for this. no big deal, im going to get a trutrac eventually, ill have to run it like this for a while.

so anyone ever use the "axle saver" bearings? theyre axle bearings that move the bearing and seal out about 1/4" so everything rides on a new surface. my initial research shows they fail quickly and make it hard to get the c-clips back in. my axle is a really weird width i guess(30 spline 26 5/8" long axles), only yukon gear makes shafts for it, everyone makes the wider shafts for the 4x4 and zr2 models. they are $200+ and im not sure they even include bearings and studs. the saver bearings are $30-$100 depending on the flavor for a pair. advice?

pics






last weekend i finshed my gussets for the driveshaft notch, pressure washed the frame rails out, did the last of the sanding/grinding/blasting, cleaned with marine clean and chemically etched with metal ready. proper por-15 prep in other words.








and today, i started painting, waiting for the first coat to dry as i post this. using a $15 harbor freight gun, and my first time ever painting with a gun. i impress myself sometimes lol.







looks like i missed an oil/grease spec







the final coat will be chassis black, it will be a dull matte finish.

im sorry i made this first page such a cluster f@ck. i hope you guys have good connections.

Welcome over Sean! Fun to see another AZ member. I might have to talk you into doing some welding for me...

Awesome build !! 

im sorry i made this first page such a cluster f@ck. i hope you guys have good connections.

Hell, you have a bad ass build going with lots of pics. Wish I had the tools you have.

Keep up the good work and keep posting pics!

thanks guys.

artos, your welcome to come by anytime for some welding or light machining, im in the far far east valley just off the 60.

Machining I can handle. If I can't do it on my drill press, lathe or end mill at home, I've got access to one of the biggest machine shops I've ever seen. Welding is all that I really lack access to. When I get it that far, I'll get in touch with you to make arrangements to do some welding on my blazer body, it's got a few boo-boos and some holes that need filled.