Long travel IFS

[v7guy]

Been working on this for a long while and it's starting to look like it's getting somewhat close to being done sometime this summer. Even after it's driveable I figure there'll likely be small things that need sorted out.

Essentially I've taken a mixture of 3500/2500HD parts and tossed em on the trailblazer.


The front diff from the 3500 wouldn't fit in the stock subframe, additionally it couldn't be kept at a reasonable height if I centered it even with a rear sump pan, so I used it in the stock configuration and tossed some 5.13s in it. With 37s it should act about like a stock trailblazer with 4.10s

remove subframe, drop oil pan

need some lights for the UFO

stock oil pickup won't work with rear sump

cobbled together a new pickup from a colorado I5

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rear sump pan

then the front diff was put up in place to see where it would fit, the first of many many many times it would go in and come out

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[v7guy]

a mix of some of the parts going in this thing.

lower a arm heim joint misalignment spacer

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uniball cup that'll replace the balljoint

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lower a arm heim joint

14 bolt rear axle from a 2500HD silverado

37" humvee wheels and tires

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misc heim joints

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[v7guy]

regearing the front diff was a bit problematic due to the short side stub shaft not wanting to come out. Moots and I tried for hours to get it out and it just wouldn't budge. After a little reading it turns out it's notorious for being impossible to remove and GM has a service bulletin telling the service techs to cut it off. Which in the end is what we ended up doing. In the process we did develop the infamous stub shaft twerk.




Eventually I got the wheels powdercoated, assembled them with James02, and aired them up without issue, tossed some airsoft beads in em for balance. Bent up some subframe tubes, made some diff brackets for the front diff and the rear axle too. Ended up using some brake lines from a 3500 silverado with a 6" lift and adapted them to the trailblazer lines.

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big ole pinion

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brackets and brackets

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powdercoat

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subframe tubes

subframe tubes

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subframe tubes in

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PHR bracket

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PHR bracket

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axle in and brake lines ran

[v7guy]

There wasn't anything I could find that would fit the design, so I ended up building my own spindles that let a 3500 hub bolt to it.

parts

bolted together

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clearance

[v7guy]

From there the frame needed plated and some shock towers needed to be built.

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[v7guy]

Front diff bolted in, steering rack roughly in place and a few misc pics

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[bartonmd]

Coming right along!

Mike

[HARDTRAILZ]

Atta boy! Well done! Good things come to those that wait.

[Trail X]

You are a crazy person!

Hey, when am I going to see this at TECORE?

Is the final picture the planned resting height of this thing?

[v7guy]

I've gotta find some springs to drop the ass end a bit or buy some coilovers... probably shoulda done coilovers from the get go. At the highest point (hi lift on the roof basket) it's about 7' 8", I think I can get it real close to 7'. There's already a few items I would do differently if I were to tackle this again. But that's kinda the case with any build I think.


Appearance at TECORE? Eh, absolute earliest would be in the fall. At my current pace I'm doing pretty good, if overtime gets stupid again and I go back to 90 hour work weeks who knows. I'd like to be daily driving it for a few weeks before I try any real trips with it.

[tarsh]

Wow, is all I have to say... Wow... Ur crazy Jason. But I do plan to do the same..ish at some point as well. U got skillz brutha. Can't wait to see a finished product of sorts

[Eredin]

Wow, that's insane, but nicely done. Looking forward to the results, great work!

[maricard]

Great project!

[Opeth]

Wow... Simply awesome

[ErikSS]

ok, with all these positive comments... knowing Jason as well as I do... and knowing how long he's been working on it... Dude, once it drives I'll be impressed. lol So far you're just insane!

[Moots1288]

Ok, as close me and Jason are... this is awesome but he still sucks

[Regulator1175]

Ehh, I will give you $500 for it.

[v7guy]

Meh, it's probably not even worth that Matt, especially after it falls apart LOL


Got an order in from ruffstuff today for some of my missing parts, that's exciting.

[v7guy]

Got some time to start working on the upper A arm brackets, lil spacer put next to the misalignments to make sure it stays wide enough after welding. Also had an epiphany that I could use a hole saw to cut the rounded space for the rod end, dunno why it never occurred to me before. Looking forward to welding em on the frame tomorrow.

[Trail X]

Nice stress transition with that hole saw cutout. Shouldn't see any stress concentrators there. Out of curiosity, what grade steel are you using? Assume you're using 70ksi welding wire?