So the 10-bolt in the back of my 89 Blazer crapped out back in June. I have had axles and just about everything for my SAS swap laying out in my back yard for about 10 years. Perfect time to get after it! Get the junk out of the back yard, give the wife less to *%$@#* about (though I gotta admit she was right to do so), get my truck safe and the way I want it. Win/win/win/win!~!
I've got the rear axle rebuilt and mounted under the truck, springover, just have to figure out a way to drop the rear brake softline so I don't have to buy an expensive drop line (and to keep as much stock as possible when time comes to work on it), and likewise with the parking brake cables.
Have another set of the rear springs to use up front- I may end up going to Dakotas as folks that have done this before me say the stock rears are too soft for the front, but I have these on hand.
Likewise a drop pitman from an XJ (Jeep Cherokee, FYI) if I need it. May well end up going to the XJ steering box if I have steering concerns. I'll also change out the steering rag joint to a YJ steering shaft to get rid of the stupid slop in the steering- the truck is downright DANGEROUS now, it wanders so (now being, before I started this- the suspension is, near as I can tell, untouched over the last 22 years). As I've found on the S-10 forums, even with brand new (stock) components, the steering is VERY sloppy. I aim to fix that.
I have 33" Cooper STs on the rear now- and the truck is honestly a tad taller than I want it. This will be my daily driver, mind. My short ass (5'6") may need a stirrup to mount up. Hey, that's funny right there... all the more reason to do it!
Today.. well, Not as much as I'd like to have achieved this weekend- but we are well and truly NOT going back to stock. Yes, I am kinda afraid, here..
Removed all the "small stuff" on driver's side. Shock, brakeline, upper a-arm bolts, and then got waylaid on the wife's jeep (brakelight kept coming on- broken adjuster in LR drum brake at fault), and changing the spare tire mount on the rear bumper on the Blaze from the stock pattern to 6X5.5 for the proper spare tire. (As an aside- Kennesaw Mountain Accessories couldn't even drill the *%$@#* mount holes 5.5" apart or whatever stock size was, properly. No, not either one of these patterns! I paid WAY too much for that bumper!)
on the driver's side, all I have to disconnect is the tie rod, lower control arms (2 bolts), and bolts for the swaybar (got 1 off, 2 others seized and soaking in PB Blaster now).
Oh yeah, got the Hilift that sat in my back yard for 7 years out in the weather behind my shed cleaned up (lubed, not painted, though the only thing showing rust is the base plate) working properly, shortened the handle, and mounted it to my rear bumper. Granted, the mount was already there, but I spent about 30 minutes working on it.
Not bad work for the weekend of a large Hurricane, eh? Granted, it only skirted us, but still- way it was blowing and raining Friday, I thought we'd have a problem so I spent the afternoon sterilizing and filling water cans and doing misc preps.
Bloody hell it was HOT today! FYI, a 16 ounce tumbler half-full of lemonade and topped off with Bud Light is damned tasty in such a situation.
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