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Hey...I hear ya. There is no point to argue here. You are right. I view it as any convertible of this vintage...though candidly with a higher center of gravity...and though anything can happen, this truck will never be off road...and probably not on highway either. She'll make a 4 mile round trip from home to work and probably not break 50 mph...but by doing a basically factory resto I'm also in serious trouble with a side, rear and front impact. It's a flexy body, no head rests, thin body, no reinforcement, no top, and all hard interior surfaces. It's an old truck designed in the sixties. It is definitely safer with a roll bar.

Re: 70 Blazer Frame Off
 

Super rainy here today...just some piddling progress and tying up loose ends. After Mike's(72K5CSTDarkOlive) issue with the Wilwood dual piston calipers hitting his rim, I got cold feet and sent mine back. Went back with stock single pistons and got them installed today after Eric hit them with a coat of high temp clear.

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Seemed to run out of end play on the driver's side axle and couldn't quite get the outer snap ring into the axle groove (as pictured) when originally putting things back together. I had left it and moved on to other things until today. Made a makeshift puller with some angle iron and an end bolt on the axle...just about a turn and a half and the snap ring popped right into place.

Re: 70 Blazer Frame Off
 

Also addressed another lingering pain. Toe in was easily persuaded with a pipe wrench...I had to concede the scratches to and repaint of the connecting rod. Once through the binding threads it was easily adjustable by hand. After repaint and re-install of the rod, we lightly installed the steering stabilizer. Gonna paint the u-bolts/hardware black after front end alignment.

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Shims replaced, body bolts torqued and reinforcement bars removed. Clean bits saran wrapped and back to metal prep. Panel and door re-fitment, holes for AC and trim forthcoming.

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Damn.. You work fast! I'm still messing with the Wilwood Calipers.. I found a wheel spacer 1/4" that will give me the clearance, but now I need to find wheel studs that are 1/4" longer to compensate for the spacer...:metal:actually that's me banging my head against the wall... I'm determined to find a solution to make these Willwood calipers work. I let you know what I come up with

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forgot to mention... Awesome work and attention to detail!

What powder coating did you go with? is that 40% or 60% gloss black?

I'm taking my frame and front axle in this week along with some other parts to get powder coated

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I'm glad you think so...there's enough waiting involved to make it seem like it's going slow...waiting for powder coat, waiting for transmission guy, waiting for chrome, waiting for interior, waiting for O'reillys, AutoZone, or Advance to hire anyone who knows anything about anything ever.

But I have been missing your posts. I have enjoyed working on mine the same time as you. As they say misery loves company.

...one more note on the D52s (good for you for making it work BTW), mine seemed to clear when I dry fit them unloaded (after your post). I was just so scared I was going to scratch them, that I chickened out and boxed em back up and sent them back. Those bad boys aren't cheap.

Thanks Mike....I didn't specify finish on the black and they didn't ask. Basically semi-gloss was the extent of our conversation on it. He had a bunch of other black stuff out for a Chevelle or something when I was there that looked good, and I was basically like "that'll work." I was too concerned that he was going to lose all my bits or get the colors wrong. I asked him for five different colors. We didn't lose anything, but came close...and one thing did get shot wrong. All of my black stuff is the same finish. My air cleaner, core support, frame, radiator hose, brackets, spare tire carrier, you name it...it's the same "semi-gloss". I don't know if it's 60% or what though.

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This is got to be one of the cleanest K5 stock looking restoration I have seen, Big prop's to you. Cant wait to see it all finished.

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Thank you very much. It's been fun. I've had a lot of help. I can't wait to see it finished too.

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Bought two sets of repro hinges, before caving and rebuilding originals. Dash stripped..ready for A/C holes.

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I can't say thank you enough to member ChipFlyer(Jeff) for his help, advice, and indulgence on the SPID. He spent a lot of time listening to me rationalize and argue both sides of how "wrong" I was going to be...how much was too much and ridiculous and how much was too little and pointless. In the end he very politely got us to what I think is the best 1970 SPID representation of what we've built...and definitely the most St.Louis-y.

Thanks again Jeff.

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Nice!! And when we nail down the birthdate he can do the door VIN decal!

Re: 70 Blazer Frame Off
 

Well we definitely need more info. I made an executive decision and got one going, just in case the threads have petered out. I guess they're probably due for a TTT...I figured if I got a smoking gun...and I'd guessed wrong, I just get Jeff to make me another. Same thing I plan to do if I run up on a skid plate or tow hooks that I just cannot resist.

...who am I kidding, I'm not touching that frame except with a diaper;)

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Doors back on with the rebuilt OEM hinges. Everything going back on rock solid and square, with minimal fuss. Remarkably so...hope the trend continues with the top. Makes me think those GM engineers knew what they were doing after all ;) ....It's really sobering looking at these pictures and seeing how little red is actually left on this tub. Firewall, windshield frame, dash, "parts" of the floor board, 30% or so of the rear deck, and the inner half of the passenger door are all that's left of the original St. Louis sheet metal.

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Just a beautiful job Brad, very nice work.

Guys I finally posted a request for door label pics on the main board, been meaning to do it for a long time and just never got to it. Hopefully we can collect enough pics of real labels with dates to make future requests about build dates a little easier.
If you have any post them!

Jeff

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Thanks for the kind words Jeff and all your help. The build label pic thread is a great idea. I hope it's as quickly populated as the SPID threads.

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Top back on once more for the penultimate fitment...ideally it should only come off and go back on one more time...which is good, because it gets lighter every time ;) It didn't monkey up the gaps too much at all really....though there's definitely some fine tuning to be done and hood to get on. The driver's side window gap is still the thing that's gonna need significant massaging. For as much metal work as has been done, I still think the discrepancy is in the top. It's a little asymmetric or wonky.

...not too satisfied with the two paper patterns I pulled from the salvage yard to make our AC dash cuts...I went back and got some metal ones.

Edit: Don't cry too much for the dash cuts. That cab had been in a fire...then basically outside in GA for most of it's life...so that was kind of all she had left to offer.

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Getting closer!

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Yep. The light is looking more like the end of a tunnel and less like a train.

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Mocking up all the trim and emblems. Still gotta drill the "350" badge holes since the fenders came off of a 72....in fact the list of holes left to drill is remarkably long.

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Very nice build, glad it s coming along so quickly

I could use some help on the warn locking hubs, i can t locate a spanner/hub tool to remove the inner threaded collar. Warn sent me to a dealer which told me to buy a Lisle #27250, after calling their tech line, he said a #27400 should work, brought the tool home last night and it is nowhere near close to work

Any help in this matter would be great, as i m at a standstill on my hub

https://www.flickr.com/photos/97391199@N06/15617985463/

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OK Jim,

I looked at your picture...and I hope I'm on the same page with you. What I see is the retaining washer, which you should be able to just pick off. Two spindle or lock nuts should be on either side of that. One of those nuts should have a small dowel that engages the holes in the retaining washer. The Lisle part numbers you have look like 4WD spindle nut sockets...you definitely need one of those to break these down (and what I would assume you had to use to take the first lock nut off if it was assembled in the correct order). I got my socket off the rack for $20 from AutoZone (OEM brand, part #25072A), but everybody's got them I think. That socket engages the lock nuts, not that retaining washer.

Here's a good hub breakdown link...it's a Jeep Dana 44...but the sequence is the same:

http://www.pavementsucks.com/tech-article-14.html

If you're talking about the locking hub assembly themselves...I didn't have to do any breakdown there...I slid the old Warns out and the new Warns in.

I hope this helps.

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Great looking resto!! You done a fine job put this truck. Wondering how you placed the emblems and moldings on the new sheet metal. Did you make templates from the original panels??
Eric

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Thanks Eric.

Popped a line for the lower belt molding. Brothers' actually has a helpful video on YouTube for this. I got the fenders off a truck and the holes for the truck badging match up with the holes for the K/5 Blazer emblem. The 4 Wheel Drive badge matches up with the later engine badge location. We will have to drill holes for the engine badge under the K/5 emblem, but will pull that template off the old fenders. It's been raining here all week and they were just outside and wet.

The Assembly Manual shows where to put the CST door badge, but I just pulled a pattern off a truck at the salvage yard.

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Thanks, ok, you were on the right page, i was not! In fact i had the right tool, just didn t remove the retaining washer, picked that off, and now at the next retaining nut. PO didn t assemble with all the pieces. Luckily, i have a 4X4 shop around the corner, and he has all the OEM parts that were missing, but first, i believe i have a cross threaded nut:waah:
Starts to spin freely, then binds

Good link, thanks for sharing, and your time. God knows you have your hands full

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Wow your PO was ridiculous! ;) Glad you're moving forward. Those bottlenecks where progress grinds to a halt drive me crazy. Hope you can get the threads squared up...these trucks are funny...they don't always respond or reciprocate to the love you're giving them.

...and thanks for your kind words...I have been following and referencing your build thread since the first time I clicked on this site. It is a "Pillar" thread for the Blazer/Jimmy build forum.

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Also, check your threads on the spindles. One of mine was pretty chewed up but I was lucky enough to save it. I used a small file and with little fitness and patience I was able to clean it up enough for the spindle nut to go back on smoothly.

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You are being kind to my PO, i ve used worse words than that in my work shop. I thought i was done with him, but his hand keeps popping up....he didn t use a second locking nut, so possibly the tang on the ring has boggered up some of the thread

Thanks for following along w/ my thread, i tend to gear it to the 16 year old who doesn t have a father to guide him, not the long time gearheads on this forum

I think the stock builds are great, keeping original is often difficult. As you can see my build tends to morph:lol:

Dark Olive, i have a thread file with a 16 tpi side, hoping that will work, but now i have to disassemble the hub to get at it

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A few more piercings and associated jewelry. Started on the tailgate trim and one of the strips came out of the box bent....at least one thing could be like, I don't know, easy?

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The real difference between a base K5 and a CST: 119 holes.

Console, glove box emblem, rear panel brackets and trim, door badges, belt molding, tailgate trim and molding...

....you spend all this time trying to fix holes just to turn it into Swiss cheese.

Edit: That glove box door was literally the first part I bought for this truck after the truck itself. Got it from member teeitup. Perfectly straight and no holes...until today. It's also got a helluva SPID on it...will be kind of sad to take it off.

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....Well sir I see you've selected the top of the line CST package...nice choice, nice choice...Did you know that package means 119 extra holes in your truck...What a deal!...but you know Brad, can I call you Brad?, great, what'll really set you apart from the neighbors...and isn't that what it's really all about right?, exactly...wrap your mind around this....let me cut 3 more holes in your dash and bigger ones in your firewall...I can see it now...you'll be the talk of the town...Less for more they'll say! Why it's as American as apple pie!

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LMAO! Looks great!

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Thanks Pete...the only thing better than an unstamped repop tailgate is one dressed with the heretical and dreaded BLACK TAILGATE BAND! ....which now that I type that would be a good name for an actual band.

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ROTFLMAO......your not a used car salesman by any chance? Chervrolet, at one time had OK Used cars

https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8659/...7debcef7_c.jpg
Screenshot_2015-01-16-00-48-03

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I'm not sure if you are going for a totally correct 1970 fully loaded Blazer, or just correct-looking, but those mirrors were not offered until the 71's came out.

I do like that you put the 8-350 emblem under the K/5 emblem. That's where mine is from the factory. I guess that was an early '70 thing, because I have seen other '70 Blazers with the engine size under the marker light.

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No...but my wife thinks this whole thing is a good idea...so....

No...there are a lot of "not" 70 things on this truck that I took a little license on. I just have never liked the 70 and earlier mirrors at all. My brother had a 70 SWB when I was a kid and even then I thought that truck was perfect except for the mirrors. It's also got (or gonna have) a single wall top, disk brakes, tilt, a cup holder console, AM/FM, a black tailgate band, a vintage air set up, silver paint...and I don't think I'm gonna black out the headlight bezels. I drool over perfect "Bloomington Gold" level restorations. But that's not what this is. I love searching and finding and learning what's correct...fussing over it for fun where it makes sense...but I'm comfortable with it just being a well done "period" correct resto....Hey here's a term for ya: "Period-Mod"...I haven't heard that one at Barrett Jackson.

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"Period-Mod" :haha: I Love it! I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to start using that one. When you do hear it on B-J you'll be able to say that you coined the term.

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That's the real reason I had such a hard time constructing my SPID and why Jeff was so helpful. There are things on the truck that you just couldn't get in 1970...but I still wanted a new SPID that reflected what the truck is. Jeff was awesome helping me sort through it. A lot of thought went into that SPID and there's a lot going on in it. I'd be willing to bet some of you RPO aficionados were already way ahead of me.

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The hood came off of a 72 truck. The driver's door came off of a 71 truck. Both of those things required sorting.