2006 Trailblazer Build Thread
- Thread starter HARDTRAILZ
- Start date
HARDTRAILZ
Certified
Some pics with the bumper and the folding hitch spare and trasharoo setup.
HARDTRAILZ
Certified
Got some more mods to do soon.
Remount roof rack now that I have figured out good locations for most things.
Got new wheels under warranty from ProComp.
Got a 4.10 geared front diff.
Got 4.10 geared rear end off an SS Trailblazer.
Picked up a set of New 315-70-17 BFG AT, but am looking to sell them for something more aggresive.
Started planning for a rear bumper, with dual swings for jerry cans and tire. Also planning for some tubular front fender protection.
Remount roof rack now that I have figured out good locations for most things.
Got new wheels under warranty from ProComp.
Got a 4.10 geared front diff.
Got 4.10 geared rear end off an SS Trailblazer.
Picked up a set of New 315-70-17 BFG AT, but am looking to sell them for something more aggresive.
Started planning for a rear bumper, with dual swings for jerry cans and tire. Also planning for some tubular front fender protection.
HARDTRAILZ
Certified
Couple weeks ago at Badlands...
hillbillyjake
Explorer
post #19, 4th pic down. whats the deal with your tires? looks like some tierod issues to me. did you break anything right there?
HARDTRAILZ
Certified
Yup. Snapped a tierod. Was quite the ordeal to get it up and over the roots that hung me and winch it to freedom, but had great people with me and we got it fixed on the trail. About every pic is after the fix since it happened on the first trail.
HARDTRAILZ
Certified
As of now I have some parts to hopefully get some upgrades done this month.
New 315-70-17 Treadwright Guard Dogs
New 17x9 Pro Comp 6032 wheels
New Lug Nuts and Locks
30,000 mile 4.10 geared front diff from SS
20,000 mile 4.10 geared 14 bolt from SS
Used Open carrier for 14 bolt w new timken bearings and shim kit
New LockRight for 14 bolt
New CV shaft to replace one w torn boot
3/4 ton tie rods ends w full replacement set for spares
New 150 Watt KC Daylighters
New 4x6 yellow fog lights for camp lights
New decals from HighVoltage and various companies
Used Viking 7/16th Synthetic winchline with thimble and hook
New locking hitch pins to keep stuff from running off
Took some time to take all the cut off parts off the rear and get it ready for carrier and locker. My one avenue fell through, so I may try the install myself, but the thing is far easier to handle with everything stripped off.
Everything cut and hanging off it
The pile of extras
Rotors are good, panhard and swaybar are good, caliper are good and pads look great
Ready for carrier and locker, plus some cleanup and paint I think.
New 315-70-17 Treadwright Guard Dogs
New 17x9 Pro Comp 6032 wheels
New Lug Nuts and Locks
30,000 mile 4.10 geared front diff from SS
20,000 mile 4.10 geared 14 bolt from SS
Used Open carrier for 14 bolt w new timken bearings and shim kit
New LockRight for 14 bolt
New CV shaft to replace one w torn boot
3/4 ton tie rods ends w full replacement set for spares
New 150 Watt KC Daylighters
New 4x6 yellow fog lights for camp lights
New decals from HighVoltage and various companies
Used Viking 7/16th Synthetic winchline with thimble and hook
New locking hitch pins to keep stuff from running off
Took some time to take all the cut off parts off the rear and get it ready for carrier and locker. My one avenue fell through, so I may try the install myself, but the thing is far easier to handle with everything stripped off.
Everything cut and hanging off it
The pile of extras
Rotors are good, panhard and swaybar are good, caliper are good and pads look great
Ready for carrier and locker, plus some cleanup and paint I think.
HARDTRAILZ
Certified
I am not doing a SAS right now. Just beefing it up with the IFS for awhile. I have 91 Burban with big axles, but this is more DD and exploration based. I wont say it will never happen, but I would like more armor...EXO...first. Plus it has proven itself quite capable as is.
Anyway...
My truck came with a G80 3.73 equipped 8.0 rearend. While it has done alright with my big tires and multitude of modifications, I have always wanted more strength and reliability than the G80 8.0 offered. I have the sensors out on the end of the axle tubes requiring an 06 or newer rear and never found a 8.6 for a decent price. I got it in my head to swap to a lower gear set as well with the 35s going on as a permanent fixture soon. The front diff was the real sticky part in the gear change, but I found a decent price on a unit from an SS offering 4.10 gearing and the guy happened to have a 4.10 SS rearend as well. Bought them both as a good package price. The SS rear has 4.10s and a G86 limited slip rear differential. While the gears were to my liking, the LS was not going to meet my needs. I found a new in box LockRight lunchbox locker and snapped it up, but to facilitate its use I needed an open carrier. I sourced a used open carrier from WFO Concepts and got them to press on some new Timken bearing before shipping it and a super shim kit to me.
So now I had all the parts to step up from the 8.0 3.73 G80 rear to a locked 9.5 4.10 rear. The SS rear is a semi-float 14 bolt often found in 3/4 ton truck and in all SS TB's. It boasts a 9.5 inch ring gear, 33 spline shafts of good diameter. The general consensus is that this is about the equivalent of a Dana 60. Much stronger than my original setup was.
I thought of attempting the carrier swap myself, but decided that enlisting some help from experienced friends would be much better. Even though I really was only concerned with backlash and pattern, I am glad I did not go it alone, but would not hesitate to do it again. Had the rear came with an open locker, this would have been a couple hour drop in job, but since I had to swap carriers...not quite so easy.
How about pics....
The Donor...08 SS
Junk stripped off
Ready to get to swapping
The help and axle on the sawhorses- Started about 8 Friday night
The locker
The motivation
Sticker in locker box
Cover off- Actually really clean with no metal clunks
Dirty inside
Cleaned up inside
The LS carrier had no gussets for strength
The open carier did...
Work
After several attempts with following the crappy directions, we sat down and thought it throough and figured it out. Wasted a bunch of time trying different things thinking that was the "way" it was to be done and had too many chiefs, but once we topped and talked we thought it through and Bazinga..
Anyway...
My truck came with a G80 3.73 equipped 8.0 rearend. While it has done alright with my big tires and multitude of modifications, I have always wanted more strength and reliability than the G80 8.0 offered. I have the sensors out on the end of the axle tubes requiring an 06 or newer rear and never found a 8.6 for a decent price. I got it in my head to swap to a lower gear set as well with the 35s going on as a permanent fixture soon. The front diff was the real sticky part in the gear change, but I found a decent price on a unit from an SS offering 4.10 gearing and the guy happened to have a 4.10 SS rearend as well. Bought them both as a good package price. The SS rear has 4.10s and a G86 limited slip rear differential. While the gears were to my liking, the LS was not going to meet my needs. I found a new in box LockRight lunchbox locker and snapped it up, but to facilitate its use I needed an open carrier. I sourced a used open carrier from WFO Concepts and got them to press on some new Timken bearing before shipping it and a super shim kit to me.
So now I had all the parts to step up from the 8.0 3.73 G80 rear to a locked 9.5 4.10 rear. The SS rear is a semi-float 14 bolt often found in 3/4 ton truck and in all SS TB's. It boasts a 9.5 inch ring gear, 33 spline shafts of good diameter. The general consensus is that this is about the equivalent of a Dana 60. Much stronger than my original setup was.
I thought of attempting the carrier swap myself, but decided that enlisting some help from experienced friends would be much better. Even though I really was only concerned with backlash and pattern, I am glad I did not go it alone, but would not hesitate to do it again. Had the rear came with an open locker, this would have been a couple hour drop in job, but since I had to swap carriers...not quite so easy.
How about pics....
The Donor...08 SS
Junk stripped off
Ready to get to swapping
The help and axle on the sawhorses- Started about 8 Friday night
The locker
The motivation
Sticker in locker box
Cover off- Actually really clean with no metal clunks
Dirty inside
Cleaned up inside
The LS carrier had no gussets for strength
The open carier did...
Work
After several attempts with following the crappy directions, we sat down and thought it throough and figured it out. Wasted a bunch of time trying different things thinking that was the "way" it was to be done and had too many chiefs, but once we topped and talked we thought it through and Bazinga..
HARDTRAILZ
Certified
The SF 14 has shims on only one side and this snazzy adjuntment collar on the other.
With stock shim and used carrier and gears, plus new bearings, the backlash came to .0008 and the gear pattern looked good. In fact my buddy, the actual certified mechanic that worked for Cummins and several other auto places, said it was one of the best patterns he had seen and he fully expected it to be off and have to redo it.
Buttoned it all back up about 330 am Sat and loaded it to head home for 3 hrs sleep then to get it in.
Too tired for pics of actual install, but my dad helped me by fetching tools and I got the rearend under truck in about 6 hours with much time wasted trying to find a replacement c clip for the u joint. It was a basic bolt in due to being off a Trailblazer SS.
But here is a before shot of some 8.0 rears.
Here is an after shot of the 14 bolt
With stock shim and used carrier and gears, plus new bearings, the backlash came to .0008 and the gear pattern looked good. In fact my buddy, the actual certified mechanic that worked for Cummins and several other auto places, said it was one of the best patterns he had seen and he fully expected it to be off and have to redo it.
Buttoned it all back up about 330 am Sat and loaded it to head home for 3 hrs sleep then to get it in.
Too tired for pics of actual install, but my dad helped me by fetching tools and I got the rearend under truck in about 6 hours with much time wasted trying to find a replacement c clip for the u joint. It was a basic bolt in due to being off a Trailblazer SS.
But here is a before shot of some 8.0 rears.
Here is an after shot of the 14 bolt
HARDTRAILZ
Certified
New Wheels and Tires
Finally got some good 35's to run and some new rims to replace my ones with some issues.
The new set-up is a set of 315-70-17 TreadWright Guard Dogs. Basically the old MTR tread on a BFG AT Carcass. These carcasses have the 3 ply sidewall. The unmounted height is right at 35 inches. The weight was about 76 lbs a piece. Actual tread measures about 11 inches wide. Which is interesting since the previous 305's were wider, but 315 and 11 inches seems to be standard.
The wheel are the Pro Comp 6032 in the new HD Chrome. There are a bit over 20 lbs and the size is 17x9. I like that the plastic center caps are bolt on. These wheels are light and the finish really is incredible. I think black rims look like cheap ghetto crap, so I knew with the discontinuation of the Knight Chrome I had to go with full chrome. My chrome wheels always get me home and dont look like spares doing it.
The combo gained me about 1.5 inches of ground clearance. The tires being a bit skinnier makes the truck seem taller and narrower, not a bad thing. The wheelwells are filled out better, but may have additional rubbing, although I doubt it is anything of consequence. My rear extended control arms do not appear to center the tires in the wells. Looks like an extention of more than 1/2 inch would be more appropriate, but Fishsticks said his 1 inch was too much.
I only drove around the neighborhood, under 30 mph, and these tires make more noise than the worn pro comp xtreme mt did. They do feel solid and smooth. Truck feels taller, but is very planted and not unstable feeling. Time will tell.
But what people want to see....pictures....
The rims and tires..
Old in front of new
Old
New
Some Measurements
Old Height
New Height
Old rear
New rear
Clearance to cut front old
Clearance to cut front new
Tire to fender clearance old
Tire to fender clearance new
And just some pics of the stance and such
Finally got some good 35's to run and some new rims to replace my ones with some issues.
The new set-up is a set of 315-70-17 TreadWright Guard Dogs. Basically the old MTR tread on a BFG AT Carcass. These carcasses have the 3 ply sidewall. The unmounted height is right at 35 inches. The weight was about 76 lbs a piece. Actual tread measures about 11 inches wide. Which is interesting since the previous 305's were wider, but 315 and 11 inches seems to be standard.
The wheel are the Pro Comp 6032 in the new HD Chrome. There are a bit over 20 lbs and the size is 17x9. I like that the plastic center caps are bolt on. These wheels are light and the finish really is incredible. I think black rims look like cheap ghetto crap, so I knew with the discontinuation of the Knight Chrome I had to go with full chrome. My chrome wheels always get me home and dont look like spares doing it.
The combo gained me about 1.5 inches of ground clearance. The tires being a bit skinnier makes the truck seem taller and narrower, not a bad thing. The wheelwells are filled out better, but may have additional rubbing, although I doubt it is anything of consequence. My rear extended control arms do not appear to center the tires in the wells. Looks like an extention of more than 1/2 inch would be more appropriate, but Fishsticks said his 1 inch was too much.
I only drove around the neighborhood, under 30 mph, and these tires make more noise than the worn pro comp xtreme mt did. They do feel solid and smooth. Truck feels taller, but is very planted and not unstable feeling. Time will tell.
But what people want to see....pictures....
The rims and tires..
Old in front of new
Old
New
Some Measurements
Old Height
New Height
Old rear
New rear
Clearance to cut front old
Clearance to cut front new
Tire to fender clearance old
Tire to fender clearance new
And just some pics of the stance and such
onelow1ton
Adventurer
Looking good the new tires look great on there I love mine
JamesDowning
Explorer
I didn't know you got the new rear end in already. Looks good! How do you like the locker?
Done the front diff swap yet? I didn't see that in your posts. That will be a fun one.
Done the front diff swap yet? I didn't see that in your posts. That will be a fun one.
HARDTRAILZ
Certified
Love the rear end but driveshaft needs shortened. The locker clicks on tight turns but swapping to synthetic oil in couple thousand miles. The instant engagement is great compared to the g80. Drove in sleet and nothing odd happened and the traction kinda inspired confidence.
Front diff goes in tomorrow. Bartons friend has a lift ans experience w them so he is guiding me through it.
Front diff goes in tomorrow. Bartons friend has a lift ans experience w them so he is guiding me through it.
