Progress Pics

[jdurant]

I know I have been posting alot of pics lately, I hope you aren't tired of looking at my Blazer.
So, I've got the grill done. Changed that terrible cracked chrome weatherstriping. Painted my rallies and mounted new tires. I really couldn't tell for sure with the 20s on there if the truck had been lowered like the PO said--but now I'm pretty sure it's been lowered like 2/2. I am happy with the way everything turned out except the tires. They are too low profile (but I really didn't have any other option). I have been planning on lowering it about 4/4 anyway but now I'm in a hurry. I just hope that fixes it. But overall I definately think it looks better than when I drove it home.
All that is left aesthetically is to lower it and I'm gonna respray the bottom white section and put new beltmolding on. Oh and I've been thinking of modifying an earlier model roof rack to put on top.
Tell me what you think.

Good angle first:
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]
[IMG][/IMG]

[IMG][/IMG]

[N2TRUX]

Drop it a bit more and drive it. I don't see the roof rack improving it any.

[68Timber]

Looks great, I love the rally's. What size tires are they? And where did you get the beauty rings and how wide are they? I had to send a set back today, just didn't look right.

I'd skip the roof rack. It'd be hard to make it clean looking and I'd really hate to drill a good top. I guess it wouldn't be a hard repair if you changed your mind later tho. Good looking truck!

[Square84]

that truck looks tons better than when you got it the 10" rallys in the back and the paint matched grill set it off, very nice. imo i would leave the roof rack off the truck is to clean to stick extras like that on.

[babyJay]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Drop it a bit more and drive it. I don't see the roof rack improving it any.

I agree on the roof rack, but hey, if you like it then go for it. About the tires, if you fill the wheel wells with taller tires, it will (optical illusion) make it look lower. Try it out if you have a few layin around.

[jdurant]

Don't worry, I'm not sure about the roof rack yet. I will probably piece one together over the next little while, then modify it to how I have in mind. Then place it up there and see if I like it. I will post pics before I bolt it down. I am also tossing the idea around to paint all the white on the truck tan to match the interior or maybe chocolate brown--I doubt it though--I check with the photoshop guys soon. I don't know why they left the bottom section when it was repainted.

Oh and Blazin79,
They are 295/50/15 rear on a 10in. wide rim. The fronts are 235/60/15 on an 8" wheel. The reason I say I didn't really have a choice is the only other choice I had was to use a 275/60/15 which would only be like 3millimeters taller sidewall(which is noticeable). I just was thinking a 275 was too skinny for a 10in wheel. And if you keep the ratio the same (which I always try to in order to keep the tires uniform) your stuck with a 225 on the front-which is really too narrow for a 8" rim. I hope you like the way it looks, because I have been following your build and was gonna pm you some pics if you hadn't posted here to show you what you are in store for. I couldn't find anything as wide or wider than a 295 that was taller--tire selection sucks now for 15in wheels. And all of the new stuff except the rear wheels came from a local junkyard and my buddy's dad's burban that has been sitting behind their tools shed for years. It all looked pretty rough. I haven't spent much at all on all of this. As best I can tell these trim rings were oe on all of the early nineties astros and safaris--I think they look the best of all the styles because they butt up right next to the step on the rim hoops.

[Lusso22]

Wow! I love the look of that Blazer, very classy/sporty

[trixter99]

That's one clean body you have there I wish we had rust free bodies like that up her in the north. Leave the rack off and drop it some more and drive it till you get bored with it then go all out.

[SCOTI]

Nice ride w/some tasteful mods thus far.

Originally Posted by jdurant

....They are 295/50/15 rear on a 10in. wide rim. The fronts are 235/60/15 on an 8" wheel. The reason I say I didn't really have a choice is the only other choice I had was to use a 275/60/15 which would only be like 3millimeters taller sidewall(which is noticeable). I just was thinking a 275 was too skinny for a 10in wheel. And if you keep the ratio the same (which I always try to in order to keep the tires uniform) your stuck with a 225 on the front-which is really too narrow for a 8" rim. I hope you like the way it looks, because I have been following your build and was gonna pm you some pics if you hadn't posted here to show you what you are in store for. I couldn't find anything as wide or wider than a 295 that was taller--tire selection sucks now for 15in wheels. And all of the new stuff except the rear wheels came from a local junkyard and my buddy's dad's burban that has been sitting behind their tools shed for years. It all looked pretty rough. I haven't spent much at all on all of this. As best I can tell these trim rings were oe on all of the early nineties astros and safaris--I think they look the best of all the styles because they butt up right next to the step on the rim hoops.

Are you dead set on the wider 10's out back? If you're open to suggestion (& compromise), swap the 10's for some van ralleys @ your 'friendly' yard.

Use the van ralleys up front w/some 215/70-15's. Get some 255/70-15's for the 8" wheels & move them to the back. Re-use the same late model GM trim rings as they work on the skinnier van wheels too. Add some spindles & do the flip kit.

[68Timber]

Originally Posted by jdurant

Don't worry, I'm not sure about the roof rack yet. I will probably piece one together over the next little while, then modify it to how I have in mind. Then place it up there and see if I like it. I will post pics before I bolt it down. I am also tossing the idea around to paint all the white on the truck tan to match the interior or maybe chocolate brown--I doubt it though--I check with the photoshop guys soon. I don't know why they left the bottom section when it was repainted.

Oh and Blazin79,
They are 295/50/15 rear on a 10in. wide rim. The fronts are 235/60/15 on an 8" wheel. The reason I say I didn't really have a choice is the only other choice I had was to use a 275/60/15 which would only be like 3millimeters taller sidewall(which is noticeable). I just was thinking a 275 was too skinny for a 10in wheel. And if you keep the ratio the same (which I always try to in order to keep the tires uniform) your stuck with a 225 on the front-which is really too narrow for a 8" rim. I hope you like the way it looks, because I have been following your build and was gonna pm you some pics if you hadn't posted here to show you what you are in store for. I couldn't find anything as wide or wider than a 295 that was taller--tire selection sucks now for 15in wheels. And all of the new stuff except the rear wheels came from a local junkyard and my buddy's dad's burban that has been sitting behind their tools shed for years. It all looked pretty rough. I haven't spent much at all on all of this. As best I can tell these trim rings were oe on all of the early nineties astros and safaris--I think they look the best of all the styles because they butt up right next to the step on the rim hoops.

Thanks for the details, Joseph. My biggest fear is trial and error (read $$$) getting mine level. So I'm reading all I can on similar builds. I almost had new powdercoated 15x10's and new BFG 275/60's on my truck Friday. But for some reason known only to God, they let the receptionist "match" it to GM Rally Silver. They were about 5 shades too dark. They're redoing them now, just another setback - no biggie. That paint job is nice and I like the color matched rallys. The 295's look just right.

[jdurant]

I had problems actually finding any of these, but here are your options for 295/60s:
mine-cooper cobra radial gts
firestone indy 500s
and a brand named Multimile radial gts

[andresco50]

Looks better with the rallys

[jdurant]

Scoti,
I have seen your truck and have been thinking about that. Maybe not those exact tire sizes, but seems like I would have better tire options. With the 7s in front and the 8s in back, do they fix the trackwidth problem? I definately want to see what my setup looks like dropped the way I want to, though, because I do like how fat the tire is in back. Plus, I really wish you would take some better pics, those are very very unflattering.

[boxrodz]

Joseph,

It's looking sharp.

You're right... fat is where's it at. I took the liberty of using one of your 3/4 front shots for a p'chop. It's a bit lower than you wanted, but I figured since it was on the dirt, it might as well be in the dirt. You can ignore some of the other changes, I was just experimenting.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by jdurant

Scoti,
I have seen your truck and have been thinking about that. Maybe not those exact tire sizes, but seems like I would have better tire options. With the 7s in front and the 8s in back, do they fix the trackwidth problem? I definately want to see what my setup looks like dropped the way I want to, though, because I do like how fat the tire is in back. Plus, I really wish you would take some better pics, those are very very unflattering.

I took those pics after finishing up w/the c-notch, homemade air-over-leaf set-up, & the ECE 'hidden hitch'. It was getting dark but I didn't think I would have the wheels on there for long.

I had noticed a few guys asking about the van ralleys & the late model trim rings on these trucks. With these sizes, the fronts are tucked (as are the rears), but the rears do have the wider track width. The wheel/tire combo is actually still on the truck. The old school look started growing on me & has a clean, classic appearance that still works.

As far as the sizing..... With the 6.5's up front, a 205 is just about optimum but the 215's are more common (and I already had them). Calculating the increased width for the rears while maintaining the symmetry of the wheel/tire as a package, requires the compromise. Since I used 215's, I did the math:

215/25.4 = 8.464/6.5 = 1.30" of tire/every inch of wheel
1.30 x 8 = 10.41 x 25.4 = 264mm of tread needed to be consistent w/the fronts

So 275's would be the closest size for the rears but I wanted a taller tire than the 275-60 @ 28" (255-70's are 29" tall). Like I said, I wanted it to be as close as possible so I had to compromise a little. If I keep these on, I'll swap to some 205's up front (these like to buzz my inner wheel wells a little more than the 245-45/18's that have been on there).

I'll see about getting some better pics w/this set-up. I like the 15's you've installed better than the 20's that were on it.

[jdurant]

I see you've done some r&d on this. It's something that I am gonna be thinking about. Because, worst case scenario-these tires will look great on another project which needs tires.

Boxrodz, why do you keep doing that to me?

Thanks for the chop. I have a thread in the chop section. I would love to see the lower: gold or chocolate brown. I'm thinking lately that no matter what I do with the lower, the top should stay white. And put the air deflector back on there. I like them to have a little bit of rake (which looks like alot of rake at that angle). I'm set if you do that.

[72BlckButy]

That is one beautiful Blazer!

Just my $.02 don't install the roof rack, that would completely take away from what the Blazer is and will be.

[N2TRUX]

Ok, since you threw it out there I am going to offer my opinion. If you want a color change, I would paint the bottom (white) to match the rest of the truck. If you ant some tan on the outside consider painting the roof to match the interiors. Tan on top and solid brown on bottom would rock.

I think a combo of what you have vs. what Scoti is suggesting would be the best of both worlds. Leave the 10 on back and get a "little" taller tire. Run a bit taller and narrower tire up front with the 6.5's like Scoti has....

[f.monroe]

One thing to think about with the lower body white is that it visually makes the truck look higher than it really is . If you painted the lower portion to match the copper , it would visually draw the truck closer to the ground and make it seem lower . I think I would leave the top white , paint the lower portion to match the copper , and definitely keep the belt molding . I like the tire/wheel combo . Where did you get the rear wheels and what backspace did you order ? That is a nice blazer the way it is . It was nice when you got it and you have made some real nice choices and have only improved it . A+.
Frank

[tvblazer78]

Originally Posted by N2TRUX

Ok, since you threw it out there I am going to offer my opinion. If you want a color change, I would paint the bottom (white) to match the rest of the truck. If you ant some tan on the outside consider painting the roof to match the interiors. Tan on top and solid brown on bottom would rock.

I think a combo of what you have vs. what Scoti is suggesting would be the best of both worlds. Leave the 10 on back and get a "little" taller tire. Run a bit taller and narrower tire up front with the 6.5's like Scoti has....

Yep, that's what I would do.. Then just drive the S**&^ out of it..

[1974k5blazer]

nice blazer, love the grille and the rims!

[boxrodz]

Alright, Joseph -

I changed the chop to a bit more to your specs. (I posted here to avoid cross-posting.) The drop is around a 6-4 to level out the rake. (The previous chop was with a straight drop, but the camera angle and with it closer to the ground makes the rake more pronouced.) And, to muddy the water for you , I colored the top gold or, at least, tried to color the roof gold. Forgive the bad color changes, but you get the idea. I gotta get the bigger set of Crayolas.
Matching the bowtie (or a nice complementary color), would make the top pop.

[jdurant]

Thanks for all the positive feedback. Yall have given me alot to consider. My first thoughts on paint were to do the bottom bronze too, but I'm worried about it matching. In person the paint I sprayed is just a bit darker than the rest. Then with the wheels that color might be overkill. Maybe then I would paint the wheels black. First things first though, this thing needs an altitude adjustment. That will give me time to think about colors. Maybe I'll get some editing software, so I can quite bothering Longhair and Boxrodz. Oh, and I do drive the $#!+ out of it. I have only driven the mustang to work twice and my truck once since I bought the Blazer.

Boxrodz,
Thanks for the chops, I really appreciate it. And you're really good at it. Are you using photoshop or that new software I read about here-don't remember the name.

f.monroe,
They are made by wheel vintiques. I ordered them through summit. They have them in stock with the correct backspacing to fix the trackwidth problem. IIRC 5" of Backspacing. On my Blazer the rear was 3" shorter track than the front.

N2TRUX,
I would love to find a taller tire for the back, but none are really available for the 10" wheel. 275/60 is the closest, and I think would be too narrow and I would only gain like 3 millimeters in height. I could have found a more appropriate tire for the front, but I couldn't have it taller in the front than on the rear. Tire selection sucks for 15" wheels these days.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by jdurant

N2TRUX,
I would love to find a taller tire for the back, but none are really available for the 10" wheel. 275/60 is the closest, and I think would be too narrow and I would only gain like 3 millimeters in height. I could have found a more appropriate tire for the front, but I couldn't have it taller in the front than on the rear. Tire selection sucks for 15" wheels these days.

I don't know if you checked into them but Hoosier makes a 'Pro-Street' radial that comes in a 29x12.5 which would definitely fit the requirements. Not sure they can match the front tread pattern though for those that might be anal like that.... (that would be guys like me ).

[jdurant]

Those are expensive and would wear horribly on my daily driver. They are a soft compound. MT makes a radial like that too, but just couldn't afford to keep them on there.