Dr Burke's Build - 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer

[drburke]

Dr Burke's 2004 Chevy Trailblazer
4.2l 4x4 4.10 G80



Table of Contents
Click the titles for their corresponding post
The Purchase
The Start
The Point of No Return
The Addiction Continues
- Sway bar removal
- KC lights and manslaughter to bumper cover
- Plasti-Dipped doors
The Lift
- Suspension lift
The Saga Continues
- Outer Front Diff Seal
- Door Trim Removal
- Body Lift
- Steering Shaft Extension
- Bumper, Rad and Oil Skids
- 88 Springs
The Tires
-Guard Dog Installation
The Swap
- 8.6 4.10 G80 Rear End Swap
The Other Stuff
- Muffler Delete
- Fuel Economy
The Future


[center][size=200]ATTENTION
This is literally a timeline of the TB since I've owned it. I elaborate on almost everything in my build thread. There is no tl;dr. I do this for thoroughness in hopes it will help out future offroaders looking for inspiration or support. I've included a table of contents for each chapter of the truck's life for ease of use. At the bottom of this thread, I elaborate on any miscellaneous things I've done to the truck that I consider unique or otherwise haven't seen much on these forums.


Suspension Modifications:
285/75/16 Treadwright Guard Dogs B2B
Mark's 1.5" 6x5 spacers
Front:
- Bilstein HD 24-103336
- 88 Springs
- Mark's 3" spacer
Back:
- Z71 Shocks
- Z71 Springs
- Mark's 2" spacer
- Swaybar delete

Exterior Modifications:
Four KC Daylighters 100w
Two Hella 500FF 55w
Two Firestik 4' on springs
Two 102.5" whips
Magnetic base 60" antenna
Six LED white/amber strobe lights
Front bumper removed
Debadged/demolded/fender flare color
Z71 emblems added
Misc. accessories body color matched
Mark's 3" Body Lift
Barton's BL bumper w/ center bar, rad and oil skid

Drivetrain Modifications:
AMSOIL Synthetic 5W-30 engine oil
AMSOIL Synthetic 75W-90 differential oils
Resonator delete
Muffler delete
Transmission rebuilt 1/2/13
- New torque converter
- New sprag gears
- TransGO valve body rebuild kit
8.6" EXT swap with 4.10 gears and G80 locker

Interior Modifications:
ScanGuage II
Cobra 29 LTD
Uniden BCT8
JVC Radio
Weatherproof floor mats
Strobe Controller box
Custom switches for all lights
Mounted iPod Touch

Emergency Equipment:
Four 10,000lb tow straps
Kobalt 131 piece mechanic set
Craftsman 152 piece mechanic set
Torque Wrench, breaker bar, etc. etc. (everything needed to full disassemble the truck)
Flashlight
Warning strobes
Street markers

Mods in Development/Research (not in order):
BIGGER/BETTER TIRES
MDB Radiator skid plate
MDB Oil Pan skip plate
Tire carrier
Steel front bumper
Trunk gun rack - not feasible or useful, tbh
Mark's 3" body lift
Roof rack (custom or bought)
10/14 bolt rear end with e-locker
Regear to 4.10 or 4.56
BIGGER/BETTER TIRES

[drburke]

THE PURCHASE
I bought my baby in November of 2012, four days before my birthday. Before, I had an '86 IROC with a 350.. it was always under the wrench. Besides that, I've always owned cars.. I wanted a truck. I stumbled across this by luck and it was immaculately taken care of. Company highway vehicle, 1 owner, all highway miles, never abused. This, plus the price, made for an purchase I couldn't refuse. I bought it on the spot with 154K on the clock.



I immediately found, bought, and installed the Jeep Wrangler hood mount for the firestik, and bought a 4" firestik. I decided I didn't want to place it where everyone else had-- I wasn't comfortable with not securing it. I found a good spot on the metal fender above/behind the wheel well and installed it. I realized quickly the way I had intended to secure it was not feasible. Thus, I left it.. and it worked!



I also applied my NASCAR stickers and my Back to Back World War Champs stickers-- both obligatory and mandatory for any vehicle I own.

A month later, I chased with it for the first time.. and my overdrive gear went out. $2200 later, I had a rebuilt transmission. I didn't touch it for a while after this.

[drburke]

THE START
Unfortunately, I didn't really do too much to it. Aside from the antenna and CB radio, it remained stock. It managed to conquer small offroad trips, but nothing major.




This all changed in March.

I went all around the Southeast this month. Totalled 3600 miles, $1200 in gas in three weeks. My rear tire blew out a day before this trip, so I had to go grab a pair of Primewells for the rear the day of.

The culprit:


Anyway, we got another CB antenna mounted up on the opposite side (with the same installation method ) and Plasti-dipped the crossbar white, threw the spare tire on the roof and called it a day.

[drburke]

THE POINT OF NO RETURN...


When I got back, I immediately installed the new headlights that were awaiting.

PSA:
If your headlights are foggy, get new ones. They had a fresh look to the truck.




The next day, the anal wart was chopped off-- only five months after I bought the truck




Guy did a great job for a great price. I firmly believe local shops do the best work. Support your local economy! As far as the sound, it gave it a quiet growl but not much else. I saw what it could be, and I was hooked...

It wasn't long after this when I found a good group of guys with some trucks to go find some clay to tear up. And eventually, it happened..




and later..


I had to be towed out more times than I care to admit. 'Twas fun. Was able to go a lot of places those pickups couldn't. Still haven't got all the dirt out.. of anywhere.

[drburke]

THE ADDICTION CONTINUES...


Couple weeks later, I decided to get rid of my rear sway bar. I don't feel like it did much to the driving characteristics, but it gave it much more flex than before.


Note: the endlinks are a hassle to remove after 16x,xxx miles.

Around this time, I received a ridiculous offer from a good friend for his four KC daylighters, as he was moving onto an LED bar. So suddenly, these:



became mine:


Looks so much better, and I can see so much further at night now. Helpful on those lonely night highway drives, and late night wheeling trips as well.
Also got his whips as well.

If you noticed, yes, I my friend did cut into my bumper cover. Rather poor job, but I'm not complaining-- I rarely use the cover.



Also, you can see I decided to attempt to plasti-dip my fender "flares". The idea was to rhino-line the entire black portion for looks, ruggedness, and because of the cosmetic flaws. I used the plasi-dip as a temporary "mockup", to see if I'd like the contrast.



I started to use newspaper, but I decided to YOLO it and spray it where I needed it. I used a rag with goo-gone on it to remove the overspray. Suprisingly, I don't have a daytime shot of it like this; this is the best I have:



I got lazy when it came to the front bumper cover, but I don't use it anymore. I think it came out alright.

[drburke]

THE LIFT

It's finally time. I ordered everything I needed, and two weeks later I was installing it.




Note that this are with the MOOG springs. Didn't look right to me, so I ended up getting 88s and they were much straighter than this. More below.




Next up is MOAR LIFT

[drburke]

MOAR LIFT

Since the suspension lift, I haven't done anything too dramatic. Immediately after the lift, my CV axle boots gave out.



Since I didn't find swapping the axles was completely necessary, I elected to replace the boots themselves. At $10 each, why not. Coupled with 4" hose clamps, it did the job. FYI, if you take it to a shop after this, they will bring it up and attempt to lecture you about it. Heh.

Soon after this, my front diff seal gave out, leaking all of my oil out overnight. Into my shop it goes..



This is a well documented problem and the fix is quite simple.
-----------------------
Everything else is cosmetic. My spare is now permanently in my trunk until I can get a CBI tire carrier. I debadged and demolded most everything on the truck save for the rear two emblems. The door handles and (soon to be) mirror covers are painted white to match the body.






..and moar stickers.


I added Z71 badges between this time and the BL on the rearmost pillar. It technically is..

LIFT TIME

I won't elaborate too much since most of what I've done has been documented by other members. I put on Mark's 3" body lift in a matter of three days, most of the time spent carefully ensuring the body doesn't roll right off of the frame. The instructions came from a mix of Mark's and Zone's. FYI, follow Mark's revised instructions to the T for 51-59. Anyway, the steering extension is easier to put in if you do it while the drivers side is still lowered. Unbolt the stock, push the slip yoke up toward the cab (assuming yours still moves) and pop 'er in there. Makes for a much easier time.


Start of it. PSA: don't do it in the grass. Stupid, stupid mistake.


Half way done. For some reason, I love this pic.


Attempted to show how much easier it is to slip in there with the driver's side down.

ARMOR, AND ARMOR, AND ARMOR...

On my travels up north, I happened to pass by Barton's place in BFE, Indiana where he provided me venison, potatoes, and a full suite of armor for the truck. Less than a week later, it's ready to be battle tested.



All painted and ready to go (pls ignore painted grass, I tread lightly)




On the truck. I love the white rad, black bumper, and white grille. It really adds to the look.

Decided to mount two of my KCs. Was simple to do, cut some scrap metal to shape, notch, weld, grind, paint. The other two don't fit in the holes in the bumper due to the length, so I'll have to find new, slimmer ones. Also added D-rings and wheel spacers.



Also decided to indulge myself with some GM 88 springs, seeing as they're now available again. Incredible hard to do with hand compressors and socket wrenches, but nothing a little American muscle couldn't fix.


Compressed. F that, man.

[drburke]

TIRES

I chose to install my tires lastly due to a number of reasons, but mainly because of the timeline I was on. Everything was installed between May and August of 2013, and in those months I traveled near 5,000 miles. I did not want those miles on my new M/Ts, my H/Ts had some tread life to kill on it, and it saved me a bit of gas. I had been debating between BFG KM2s or Treadwright Guard Dogs B2B, both in 285/75/16 and stock wheels, for a long long time. Ultimately, I chose the Guard Dogs, not because of price, but because of the reviews I've read elsewhere on the internet and their technology they use. This puts me in a position to become a Treadwright supporter and promoter if they do me well. I am a founder of a large truck/offroading group at my school, and my input is valuable to the group as a whole. I intend to run these first, and make my judgement after, as opposed to everyone who cries tears of joy when they install them and proclaim them as the best tires ever. I would not want a situation like Fishstick's to happen to me after I have 10+ guys running them.

Onto the tires themselves, they are the B2B model without the Kedge grip. I note the B2B (Bead to Bead), because these tires come with their own sidewalls instead of simply slapping on another brand's carcass. On the side, it says "TREADWRIGHT GUARD DOG MUD TIRE". I must say, I wouldn't have been able to tell the tires apart from unused tires, they're put together that well. No abnormalities whatsoever. They weigh around ~65lbs unmounted. I had a hard time finding a shop to mount them (I called prior, knowing they'd probably deny me), so I chose to mount them myself utilizing my friend's German repair shop and their tire mounter. The experience was fun and incredibly rewarding. I balanced them as well, each side taking between 50-110g of weights.





They definitely make the look of the truck, I will say that. With all of my lift, I figure I sit at about 8" above stock (3" sus, 3" body, 1.5" springs, 1" tire), putting me above most of the trucks at my school. Needless to say, I'm pretty happy. I'm grateful that our community has come together and produced these products for less than the other markets, while still keeping practical functionality at the forefront.





UPDATE: 2/26/14

Haven't been around much, life takes some weird turns sometimes. At any rate, truck has been doing fine, nothing new to report. Went through another transmission and radiator (re: not related) but it's chugging along. I hate the 3.42s, though. I bought a 4.10 front diff, and magically the 4.10 8.6s magically disappear.



UPDATE: 4/2/14

Hit the junkyard and found some trim again, an autodimming rear view mirror, a new fender, and various other little things. Also added my 102" whip for looks and removed the plastidipped door handles. Everything finally functions, and correctly at that. A friend bought me an exhaust cutout, so I re-installed the muffler and put the cutout on just before it, so I get a choice now. Tires are going on 10k, nothing but good news to report. Ordered a tune, and sourced/purchased a 4.10 8.6". Protip: if your local junkyard doesn't have something, have them look up other locations. LKQ is pulling and shipping one down to my local store from Rhode Island for the same price as if I'd pull it myself locally. Hell of a deal. Almost done with the build! Looking forward to finally enjoy it.

[drburke]

Rear Axle Swap

Welp, the time has come. I was getting really fed up with the 3.42s and the 33s. MPGs were terrible, performance (acceleration, OD, etc) was terrible, and overall, I hated it. I had gotten a PCM tune a week before, but it didn't do much at all. As per the last post, I had a 4.10 8.6" shipped down to me from Rhode Island (re: rust everywhere). Ironically, less than 5 days before it arrived, a rear axle seal broke and I started leaking fluid rather quickly. Good timing I suppose. I ran into many problems throughout the install (diff cover had a hole, found out the 8.6 uses an 8.0 gasket, etc), but it got installed in less than 24 hours.


Old 8.0 3.42-- goodbye!


And I got a small surprise along with it-- a G80! Although it isn't the best locker around, it saves me from having to source and install another for a little while.


Work space.


So much room for activities.. I'd by lying if the thought of fabbing up a Ford 9.0 hadn't crossed my mind

With it back together, I had to try out the newfound torque and locker.



... these tires might not last long. After driving it 300 miles, I have to say I'm almost disappointed. My tranny almost never shifts out of OD anymore, no matter the grade, so that's good. But my MPG and temps remained the same, I'm still getting 11 city/14 hwy. Very disappointing on that end. However, I have the power back that I had stock with 29s, so I can't really complain I guess.

[drburke]

MISCELLANEOUS

Muffler Delete
As I mentioned earlier, once I deleted the anal wart I noticed a quiet growl from it. You couldn't hear it from outside the cabin, but it sounded pretty good in the low end. So a few weeks later at the delicate request of my roommates, I had my local exhaust guy chop it off.




Yes, it has massive backfire when revving down in 2nd and 1st, but surprisingly no drone at cruising speeds. It was alright but it sounded off for the truck's look. It stayed like this for a few months and I somehow survived it, putting on nearly 5,000 miles in the process. I put the stock muffler back on six months later, and installed a cutout if I ever wanted to go back. With this setup, I noticed I had no more backfire, just a clean sound. Best of both worlds, I suppose.

CB Antennas

I used to run dual 4' Firestiks on a cophase coax cable to a Cobra 29LTD on the knee bolster. With this setup, I drilled the mount(s) right into the sheet metal. Bad idea, because a few months later the screw stripped out and it was holding on by a thread. Once I got a free day, I took the time to remove the trim panels and attach a securing mount to it.




The other side is similar, but moved forward slightly to clear the gas neck and door.

Now however, I have the two Firesticks attached to my roof basket via side mirror clamps and co-phase running up the rear left door. With the custom roof rack bars I have, it's grounded out through the body naturally. For piece of mind though, I also grounded them out through the ground wire for the LED lights.



I have one whip on the old Jeep mount still but it's disconnected and regarded as a backup item, with the wiring still in place.

Economy

My gas mileage is typical. I have gotten as high as 24MPG (!!!) on the highway, and 18MPG city stock. With just the suspension lift and stock tires, I've got 18 highway/14 city. With the setup I have now, I usually get about 14 highway/11city. Feel free to compare your numbers to mine, and to discuss the topic with me-- I track this very meticulously via ScanGauge II and odometer.

[drburke]

THE FUTURE
Honestly, I can't say I'm sure what the fate of the TB will be. I've debated selling it multiple times, I've tried selling it multiple times, debated engine swap, SAS, almost everything under the moon. In November, I decided to pick up another vehicle. I found an '01 Z28 6 speed for a steal, so I picked that up.



Had fun with this for a little while but quickly realized cars weren't my thing anymore. I like space, dammit! So I traded it straight for a '05 2500HD ECLB with the 6.0.



This thing is a monster. Mainly did the trade because I won on the value difference, and I'm moving across the state vertically and the TB just didn't cut it the first time around. I like not using trailers for menial things.





Jet ski, two full barrels, piping and an exhaust-- that's better. Anyway, the future will probably be bleak for this Blazer for a little while. Since it's completed for the moment, I'll probably get a trailer and take it off the insurance to use it as a toy permanently. Once I'm done with school and get a bigger and steady income rolling, I'll look into a V8 swap and SAS unless I really get the bug sooner. Or I may sell the pickup, redeem those sweet $$$s, and figure it out from there. Who knows what the future holds.

Finally decided to sell it, and on Sept 5th it was gone. I ended up with a fully-loaded 2007 Toyota Tundra Limited Double Cab. Was a great journey and I hope to get back into this platform up the road-- for real.