help on 4-wheel drive to 2 wheeler

[cheyenne10]

I've searched quite a bit and cannot find any old conversations about conversions from 4x4 blazer to 2x4 blazer. Any help? To start I seem to remember doing rear leaf flip kit on rear axle and maybe swapping in a 2 wheel drive cross member. Am I getting warm? How about info on swaping into rear trailing arms (aren't they same as pickup long or short).

Better yet a 2 wheel frame in NW?


I've bot the bug thanks to bouncytruck and want to spend a few days exploring this.

[krue]

I haven't read anything on this, but would it be easier to chop a 2wd swb frame?

I believe Fuelcellguy may be working on converting a 4wd, he may be able to answer some of your questions.

[bouncytruck]

Bob, from what I have heard, you can bolt the rear trailing arms off a 2wd swb frame onto a 4wd blazer frame. You just need to get accurate measurements to drill the right holes. I think you probably have enough examples in your garage to take some measurements

I think it is FuelCellGuy who did a trailing arm swap for his conversion.

[cheyenne10]

I looked up fuelcellguy and it looks like he found a 2 wheel drive frame. I have contacted Livrat who has done a few of these and I plan to call him to discuss. Will keep you posted on his advise. Others please chime in, It takes a village to build a good truck!!

I like the idea of trialing arms.

[LUV2XCLR8]

What are the Plans for it in the end?

Driver - Everyday Beater
Cruiser - Mild custom / some shows
Pro Touring - Built everything

ECE, has new tubular trailing arms, and I want em badly,
if I had the extra $ right now I'd sell you my old ones 4
a really, really good price & buy the new ones, my $.02

I also think you need the front crossmember the trailing
arms bolt to, I don't believe that 4wd's have that piece.

[cheyenne10]

If I build one it would go from pile-o-parts to beater to driver to hopefully final paint. Then my wife will ride in it!! I usually prefer close to stock appearance, with creature comforts and factory options.

Not really interested in custom tailing arms, etc. If I remember right the trailing arms are supposed to be same as pickup. Probably best to buy old rolling frame coil srping 1/2 ton 68-72 lwb and swap over parts if this works.

[bouncytruck]

Just buy the red one in Canada.

http://
www.rrclassiccars.com/1970blazer.html

They said it has been repainted the original color but not been modified or altered in any way...

I sure wish I could afford that ride. But then I'd need a bigger garage so I could park them both inside. Of course, that red one being so nice and stock, I'd also need to buy another one that I could slam and bag. Then I'd need another one... It's just a never ending cycle!

[LUV2XCLR8]

Originally Posted by bouncytruck

It's just a never ending cycle!

[smbrouss70]

The 4x4 frame doesn't kick out over where the coils should be, so if you swap the trailing arms over you may have to build a bracket that would hold the top of the coil. I was thinking about doing this, but I decided that a 4-link would be a little easier, and leave more room under the Blazer for exhaust and stuff.

If you want to keep it simple, the flip kit on the stock rear leaves would work, but if you want to go lower than that, I would get the 2wd leaves and hangers off of a GMC truck and bolt them on, then flip it, if you like.

[cheyenne10]

Is it possible for anyone with some decent pictures to show us the frame differences? Probably need post from frame off 4x4 as well as frame off 2x4.

[smbrouss70]

The first pic is my 2wd coil rear truck frame when I put my c-notch in. The coils are out in that pic but the arrow shows where they go. As you can see the frame rails curve outward to hold the top of the coil.

The next 2 pics are of my 4x4 Blazer frame. The front differential is gone in the pic but if you look above the rear differential the frame rails are straight.

Hope this helps explain it a little better.

[cheyenne10]

Does this mean that all the talk about converting leaf spring trucks to coil spring trucks is wrong or can't be down easily? To get clear in my head the 1st pic you posted was of a coil spring pickup or is it a coil blazer?

I was also hoping to attempt swap from leaf to coil on 2 wheel drive pickup one of these days too.

[smbrouss70]

The first pic is of a truck, but the blazer and truck frames are the same with exception of body mounts and the blazer frame has a shorter wheelbase.

I found out the hard way that the 2wd leaf frame IS in fact curved just like the 2wd coil frames. Only the 4x4 frames have straight rails in the back.

[LUV2XCLR8]

Sounds like you need a 2wd donor frame to back half

[smbrouss70]

Luv, if you're taking to me, I'm fine with using a 4x4 frame. The straight rails make it easier to put my step notch and 4-link in.

[LUV2XCLR8]

Originally Posted by smbrouss70

Luv, if you're taking to me, I'm fine with using a 4x4 frame. The straight rails
make it easier to put my step notch and 4-link in.

Nah, I was trying to make it easier on Cheyene

[smbrouss70]

If you want to make it real easy for him, sell him your 2wd cheap

[LUV2XCLR8]

Originally Posted by smbrouss70

If you want to make it real easy for him, sell him your 2wd cheap

Hmmmmmm, NOT

[cheyenne10]

But, But But,.......I'm a nice guy and Christmas is coming. Please have Santa drop it off so there won't be any shipping costs too!!

[LUV2XCLR8]

Originally Posted by cheyenne10

But, But But,.......I'm a nice guy and Christmas is coming. Please have Santa
drop it off so there won't be any shipping costs too!!

Sorry, no can do, I'll sell ya a 4wd

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Bob just flip the rear axle on top of the springs also how in the qworld are you gonna talk the wife into another truck for the yard????

[cheyenne10]

French, 1st things 1st!! I need to get vision of what it could be in my mind and then try to sell it to her. That red one bouncy posted the other day would be a good place to start by showing her what it could be. Maybe it could be the family of 4, Christmas tree getter for next year or better yet the summer evening cruiser. I always wanted to involve all the family in cars and cruise type fun. Might be hard to do in a pickup anymore, the kids are growing fast!!

[smbrouss70]

Sounds familiar, I convinced my wife that I needed a blazer because when we have kids they wouldn't fit in my truck.

[bigbluthng]

i've done this swap and not everything bolted up. for starters i have a 72 and i used the front crossmember off a 73. only a few holes lines up. all the others i had to drill. for the rear i removed the leaf springs and all the hardware that attatches them to the frame and bolted in a trailing arm crossmember with trailing arms and rear end attatched. i centered the wheels in the wheelwell, made sure the crossmember was square in the frame and was equal distance from referance points i took off the frame, drilled the holes and attatched it with grade 8 bolts. the coils will not bolt to the frame at all. i realized this but did this swap anyway because i am going to bag the blazer and will notch the frame anyways, so i can place the upper bag mounts where i please. im sure it can be done with coil springs as well. any questions feel free to ask.

[hotrodhomi]

Originally Posted by bigbluthng

i've done this swap and not everything bolted up. for starters i have a 72 and i used the front crossmember off a 73. only a few holes lines up. all the others i had to drill. for the rear i removed the leaf springs and all the hardware that attatches them to the frame and bolted in a trailing arm crossmember with trailing arms and rear end attatched. i centered the wheels in the wheelwell, made sure the crossmember was square in the frame and was equal distance from referance points i took off the frame, drilled the holes and attatched it with grade 8 bolts. the coils will not bolt to the frame at all. i realized this but did this swap anyway because i am going to bag the blazer and will notch the frame anyways, so i can place the upper bag mounts where i please. im sure it can be done with coil springs as well. any questions feel free to ask.

So is this Blazer on the road?