47-55.1 blazer rear end

[Marty68]

who has used a blazer rear? what size wheels? spacers or no spacers? do it again or build an 8.8?
i have 3.42 rear and a t5 with .86 OD. engine is and will remain early 283. cruiser not a rod.

[mongocanfly]

I've seen both used before on many builds here...it comes down to availability....
8.8 is almost a 9in...
blazer is smaller..8.5 I think..
8.8 with disc brakes and lockers are common..
not sure on the 8.8 ratios..
a zr2 rear has 3.73s and locker with disc and is 3in wider than a standard s10
Just for cruising either would be fine..it just comes down to what you can find...
Also think about the ratios...tire size,trans with od,gear ratios all play into making a good cruiser...
Use this calculator.... http://www.csgnetwork.com/multirpmcalc.html
I use the fill in the blank at the bottom and itll show what you will get..

[b-mac]

I think WHEELS are another concern too.

5 x 4.5 vs 5 x 4.75

You can find wheels that are multi-fit, but it's limited.

You can have the axles redrilled, but you would have to have the rotors re-drilled as well, every time you change them.

Although, I am watching this Youtube video right now...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkwjw2_1bZs

FYI, I have an 8.8...

[jweb]

I used an Explorer 8.8 with 1" wheel adapters and it fits perfect. A ZR2 axle would have been too wide.

It really depends on what wheels you're planning and what rear ends are available near you. If you plan to run a 15" wheel that's available in several offsets and widths that may give you more options on the axle. If there's a certain wheel you want with limited offsets available that may determine which rear works.

Also the Explorer axles have an offset housing which can be a problem if you plan to run a triangulated 4 link.

[Marty68]

My math showed blazer is 3 inches narrower. Existing chrome smoothies have 4"bs. The same wheel at summit has 5 x 4.75. With 2.5" bs mathematically putting tires exactly where they are now.. next sort trans options out. I have 05 s10 t5. Supposedly World Class.. but had ford bellhousing pattern... sourced nwc v8 Camaro mech speedo trans.. too long..

[mr48chev]

Width wise 2wd 54.5"
4wd 59"
ZR2 63"

59 is going to take being careful with backspacing.

Strength wise, how hard do you plan on hammering on it and how often? I know guys who have no problem with early Ford Banjo style rears or small ring gear rears as they never drive hard. They might drive fast but not hammer on it from every stop light. On the other hand I have one buddy who can tear up steel balls with a rubber hammer in the middle of a sand pile. There isn't a rear end made that he can't break. He likes horse power and he likes to drop the clutch at high rpm and do big burn outs.

For most of us a Blazer rear is going to last as long as we drive the rig and longer yet without an issue as long as it is taken care of and serviced.

It still comes down to correct width for the wheels we want to run. correct gear ratio for the engine and trans combo we have and the driving we plan to do most of the time. The guy who never gets more than 100 miles from home and thinks that is a Looong trip will be happy with lower gears than the guy who wants to hit the long roads and see the country and travel to far flung places and maybe far flung events.

[Marty68]

Mr48. My plan is a cruiser. No need for repeated smokey 2 tire burnouts. I believe I have sorted reR end out.. now on to trans.. I wish I knew a t5 guru.

[MiraclePieCo]

Originally Posted by Marty68

I wish I knew a t5 guru.

Everything you ever want to know about a T5 conversion:

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=607402

When I did mine, all I remember is that I had to trim a little off both the input shaft and the throw-out bearing tube to make it bolt up, and ream the mounting holes out a hair to accommodate US bolts. But then it worked super. Here's a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHlWgtjS9NY&t=22s

[Marty68]

i have been in contact phone and e-mail with Lugnuts65. he gave me the contact info for Vintage metal works. turns out the transmission i have is in fact a world class but has a ford bolt pattern. it also has .76 overdrive. Vintage Metal Works makes an adapter to bolt the ford pattern to the bell housing i have. i can reuse the existing throw out bearing flywheel bushing and linkage. he also is sending a clutch disk with it.
i scheduled a local rod shop to do a triangulated 4 link. and install all of it.
i will post before and after pictures. next fall will be MII and dual master cylindr power stearing? power brakes?

[mr48chev]

Cool beans, it looks like you have it covered.

A few years ago before scrap went up I went out in the dark and hooked my tow bar to an S-10 no title Blazer to get the gas tank and rear axle. In the day light no gas tank as it was gone. Pulled the axle out and pulled the cover and a few teeth were missing on the pinion gear and a lot from the ring gear. Ended up giving the rear to the hubby of a former student that had an S-10 Blazer with a bent axle tube.