Offroad Trailblazers and Envoys

What did you do to your GMT today?

Trailblazer and Envoy related, but not off-road related...

by KingBird » Mon Nov 09, 2015 1:15 am

I installed a set of regular Tahoe springs and stock Tahoe Z-71 shocks.

Now my rear is almost an inch higher than my front, so I guess my upper strut spacer plates are going back in.

I have a slightly firmer ride in the rear but nothing serious. I had the post-spring install clunk. Flexed her up real good crossing a barditch took good care of that.

Then I got stuck, for the first time. Some a-hole put a bunch of dry loose dirt on top of a mudhole, so the instant I hit it, I sank to the frame. I phoned a friend with a Z-71 sitting on an 8 inch lift and 37" tires. He showed up and snatched me right out.

I can't blame the a-hole for putting the loose dirt there, I would have done the same thing.
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by TBYODA » Thu Nov 12, 2015 9:57 pm

I had a small project that I have been working on and off for the last couple weeks. I picked up this Surco S5060 50 x 60 Safari Rack for dirt cheap ($70) off CL. :happy whip:
BTW the distance between the two inter screws mounted on the channel on the inside of the basket is exactly the width of your stock rails. Thank you Roadie and Alex G when google searching . :thumright:
basket1.JPG

I bought a qt of Rust-oleum Hammered black and went to town on the basket. I figured if I brushed it on it would be a thicker coat. We will see how it holds up.
basket2.JPG

I also decided to mount my hi-lift to the basket and made some brackets out of aluminum flat stock. To mount the Hi-lift I used 1/2" galvanized hardware.
flat bar.JPG

braket.JPG

braket2.JPG

IMG_2886.JPG

IMG_2885.JPG

IMG_2889.JPG
2008 TB Radflo coil overs, Z71 rear springs, 2" spacer, skyjacker N8030 shocks, LT285/75R16E Goodyear MTR

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by KingBird » Sat Nov 14, 2015 3:29 pm

That's a nice basket!
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by jdmser » Sat Nov 14, 2015 4:28 pm

Picked up a SS rearend for pretty good deal today. Now I need to decide what I'm doing with the front end.

Image
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by AA1PR » Sat Nov 14, 2015 11:30 pm

jdmser wrote:Picked up a SS rearend for pretty good deal today. Now I need to decide what I'm doing with the front end.

Image


I know nothing about TB's but it appears you have the makings for the front SAS
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by KingBird » Sun Nov 15, 2015 1:23 am

Steering?
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by JD8181 » Sun Nov 15, 2015 10:31 pm

I had a muffler shop cut off my resonator (as it was starting to rattle. And had them install this 4" stainless steel tip. I think it looks pretty good. It also made it have a little sound. $60 for everything installed. $40 for tip and $20 for labor.
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by KingBird » Mon Nov 16, 2015 1:33 am

I've been thinking of getting rid of mine, but I don't like the way it sounds, maybe I should get rid of mine and then put in a long glasspack, maybe that would quieten it down enough...
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by HARDTRAILZ » Mon Nov 16, 2015 9:49 am

AA1PR wrote:
jdmser wrote:Picked up a SS rearend for pretty good deal today. Now I need to decide what I'm doing with the front end.

Image


I know nothing about TB's but it appears you have the makings for the front SAS


That is a non-steering rear axle.
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by Aries » Mon Nov 16, 2015 1:25 pm

HARDTRAILZ wrote:That is a non-steering rear axle.

You Think! Image
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by mason10198 » Tue Nov 17, 2015 1:34 pm

Rotated my tires when I installed the lift a while ago, and started hearing a hum in the front end. Figured it was just tires since I rotated without balancing so I've just been driving it ever since. It got progressively worse, and yesterday I realized just how bad it was when I rode in the passenger seat. Was vibrating all the way up through the floor and into my legs. :facepalm:

Figured it was either wheel bearings or something with the CVs I replaced or the disconnect I rebuilt, so first things first, I stuck my gopro on the UCA mount and drove down the road to get a view under there, switching it to the other side on the way back. Video didn't show anything shaky with the CVs, so I jacked it up and pushed on the tire (grabbing top & bottom of tire and pushing/pulling in & out), and sure enough there was quite a disturbing amount of play in the hub assy. Made for a $150 trip to AutoZone and a fun night spent in the garage. :coffee2:
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by Trail X » Tue Nov 17, 2015 8:39 pm

You spend enough time running around with the hubs underwater, that's virtually guaranteed.
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by KingBird » Tue Nov 17, 2015 11:01 pm

I keep a spare at all times.

In fact, now that I think about it, I have too many spares. I have a spare alternator, water pump, thermostat, ECM, front diff, half shafts, hub, disconnect, encoder motors, CPAS, throttle body...

I just need a spare frame and body to put it all in! Lol
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by v7guy » Wed Nov 18, 2015 12:47 am

if it makes you feel any better Brian, I think Moots has 3 spare alternators... lol

I don't even wanna think about my spares
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by ErikSS » Wed Nov 18, 2015 1:35 am

Brian, I have the front section of a frame off a 2002 and a block with a large hole in it! Just sayin, you mentioned a frame. lol
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by KingBird » Wed Nov 18, 2015 2:01 am

You know... We could probably build a complete TB, minus interior with spare parts. If y'all came across yours as cheaply as I came across mine, it would cost next to nothing. We could then exo it, lock the diffs, and throw a Marlin TC in it and have the first TB crawler...
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by mason10198 » Wed Nov 18, 2015 9:10 am

you are suggesting the greatest Frankenstein build of all time :coffee2:
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by navigator » Wed Nov 18, 2015 10:17 am

KingBird wrote:.... and have the first TB crawler...
if you haven't seen it before, look up chevycrew's build, not to mention fishsticks and hardtrailz, they have been in some pretty tough terrain as I am sure others I am forgetting.
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by HARDTRAILZ » Wed Nov 18, 2015 10:32 am

If building a crawler I certainly would not be using a TB front diff set-up. I got spare parts for my spare parts, but when I get to build a crawler it will use none of them and prolly be the ford axles under the s-10 I have sitting int the woods.

There are a few 360/370 based crawlers now. This one is the beast of them imo...

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by KingBird » Wed Nov 18, 2015 2:00 pm

Something a lot like that actually...

The Marlin triple low case would be the kicker though.
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