Jeep Trailblazer SS

[gottattooz]

I cut out the wiper cowl and the inner rocker panels on the Jeep. With the body back on the trailblazer, I marked the dash pad with a sharpie where I'll need to make clearance for the windshield frame. It needs to go down about 6 inches for the rockers to match up, but I'll thinking about going 3 or 4 and then using the trailblazer rockers I took off to fill In the gap too the Jeep rockers.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

Here are the interior and exterior pictures of how she's sitting currently. I'm really liking how it feels on the inside. I'm 6'5", so losing 6 more inches of headroom isn't ideal for me. I'll start at 3 inches and adjust from there.

-Josh

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

Why not get some rolled sheet metal, and make all new rockers?

This way you can set the height to what you need, and hide the sins under a new full length body panel.

Also as a tall guy your supposed to buy small vehicles, and wedge yourself in. Your breaking the rules.

[gottattooz]

Originally Posted by Ziegelsteinfaust

Why not get some rolled sheet metal, and make all new rockers?

This way you can set the height to what you need, and hide the sins under a new full length body panel.

Also as a tall guy your supposed to buy small vehicles, and wedge yourself in. Your breaking the rules.

I'll trying to work with what I have before buying materials.

Originally, I was going to pinch the rockers to the floor pans and close the gap. Now I'm thinking about pulling the rockers out an inch or two to clear the wheels in the fender wells. It's all still in the thinking stage.

-Josh

[Madkidd007]

This is only making me want to cut mine up too since it is an ideal drivetrain and all for the crew

[67ChevyRedneck]

Tack it down and do some donuts.

[gottattooz]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

Tack it down and do some donuts.

It's all-wheel drive. Maybe in the winter I'll find an icy parking lot and try it.

-Josh

[HAULIN' IT]

Just me, but those wheels do NOTHING for that vehicle & appear to be making your track width worse...maybe it just the style the way the center is compared to the wheel lip?

I think 4 of the Trailblazer steel wheels painted off-white & either those stock hubcaps or some a little smaller from another jeep would look killer. Even the stock Trailblazer wheels look somewhat like Jeeps used over the years & kinda "fit" to me.

Also it may be worth looking at the firewall & see if you could take it loose from the floor & drop it down an inch of so. Likewise I know you said you are a tall guy, maybe the seat mounts have an inch before everything starts "crashing" into the framework?

In projects like that...several areas of small amounts are quite often the way to get best results. Yes it can be more work, but in the end...you got where you need/want to be.

Should make for a really neat piece when you're done!

My Two Cents, Lorne

[Madkidd007]

What’s really nice is when you lower the body the rest of the way, the dash will be above the window like and your defrost vents will hit the side windows like designed.

[gottattooz]

I cut the dash pad and trimmed the pillar posts and lowered the front at the windshield 3 inches.

With the front where I wanted it, I figured out the height I wanted for the rear. I decided to keep the floor pan flush. The problem was that I cut out the entire rear floor. I took the old floor and welded in a 6 inch section to set on top of the trailblazer floor and butt up to the factory carpet edge.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

With the body back on, I rolled it outside to get an uncluttered view of my progress. Then I remembered the trailblazer ss has adjustable rear air suspension. With it all the way down, the top of the tire rubbed the lip of the fender. With it adjusted up, there's about 4 inches of clearance.

Then I took the trailblazer bumper cover holder with the integrated hitch and I cut away the framework and kept the hitch receiver. Now I have to make bumper brackets to mount the factory Jeep bumper, but I'm excited to new able to keep the factory tow package.

-Josh

[Palf70Step]

The one picture with it aired up reminds me of the 70's with our air shocked rides. It is looking good.

[gottattooz]

I cut 10 inches off the front of the frame, drilled new holes to mount the radiator core support and actually used the trailblazer mount pads. With the front clip bolted in place I know I'll need 2 inch strut spacers to lift the front end for better fender clearance.

I want to drive it down the road so badly! I'm entertaining the idea of side pipe exhaust to hide the trailblazer rockers below the Jeep rockers.

-Josh

[Ol Blue K20]

It's looking good!! Keep plugging away, I think you got it nailed.

[makman1297]

Josh,

Nice work, those old jeeps are pretty cool, but will be even better with a newer drivetrain.

I saw some cars at a car show in Sevierville, we had to evacuate Beaufort SC because of hurricane Dorian, anyways there were a few there with the side pipes like you are saying. I haven't seen those in a quite some time.

Keep up the good work!

[gottattooz]

The good and bad of living close to a summit racing store. . the good is the side pipes i wanted were in stock and they offer a military discount on top of a $20 off coupon code. The bad is that I just impulse bought exhaust pipes when that's so far down the road in the build. I held the heat shield up and it's more than enough to cover the excess rocker hanging down. I'm still excited with my purchase.

-Josh

[Madkidd007]

Originally Posted by gottattooz

The good and bad of living close to a summit racing store. . the good is the side pipes i wanted were in stock and they offer a military discount on top of a $20 off coupon code. The bad is that I just impulse bought exhaust pipes when that's so far down the road in the build. I held the heat shield up and it's more than enough to cover the excess rocker hanging down. I'm still excited with my purchase.

-Josh

How about that made me just realize you live in Hampton. You think you have it bad, I worked there back before they went to the single counter. Talk about way too easy to spend money then. Getting close and should be fun to launch on a poor little mustang and make them rethink life choices.

[gottattooz]

Well the 2 inch leveling kit turned intro a front suspension rebuild. All the bushings, ball joints and tie rods were wasted. I ordered a 16-piece kit that camewith new upper and lower control arms, struts and springs, tie rod ends and sway bar end links.

I pulled it out for a picture and I think the stance is perfect. It definitely needs an alignment, but I'm happy with the progress and results.

-Josh

[Madkidd007]

Originally Posted by gottattooz

Well the 2 inch leveling kit turned intro a front suspension rebuild. All the bushings, ball joints and tie rods were wasted. I ordered a 16-piece kit that camewith new upper and lower control arms, struts and springs, tie rod ends and sway bar end links.

I pulled it out for a picture and I think the stance is perfect. It definitely needs an alignment, but I'm happy with the progress and results.

-Josh

Now I get why you didn’t lower the body more. One piece of advice while you’re there, the upper control arm bolts like to back out. I know from experience, most use red loc-rite but I put a jamb nut inside the strut pocket. Just thought you’d like to know that.

[gottattooz]

I'm working on the rocker support and spacer bar to keep the body panels aligned.

Also, I'm using pvc to reroute the defrost to the shortened dash where it should blow on the Jeep windshield.

-Josh

[gottattooz]

Well the defrost is taking a lot longer than I thought. I've redesigned and re-imagined it several times, lifting and lowering the body onto the chassis several times. Spent all day Sunday running around gathering parts only too find out when I got home the parts I got were the wrong size.

To be continued.......

-Josh

[dug224]

Shaping up....you are almost there. Cool project.

[Ol Blue K20]

Iike the new stance. You're making great headway. Keep up the good work.

[gottattooz]

After several trips back and forth to home depot, the defrost is finished. I had to use a "t" fitting for the middle and passenger side vents, so they blow half a hard as the driver's side vent, but it all works. I used a partial "L" bracket to hold the Feed tube onto the air box.

Then I picked up my shorty headers from summit racing.

-Josh

[Overdriven]

If you’re not sold on the side exhaust, how about some sort of tube step bar? Paint the SS rocker black and the tube step bar will be the first thing you’d eye is drawn to just like the exhaust. Something I was thinking as I was catching up on the thread.