Lauron’s Build - 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer LT

[Lauron]

2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer LT SWB

Drivetrain Specs: 4.2 l I6, 4x4 w/3.73 G80

Suspension Modifications:
Mark Mc 3” Suspension Lift
Mark Mc 3” Body Lift
Flipped UCA
Bilstein 24-103336 Front Shocks
Bilstein 33-1855552 Rear Shocks
Stock Springs all around
Custom Panyard Bar Extension
Front wheel well liner extensions
Trimmed front fenders
Flattened wheel well foot projection - cut and welded
Custom Tie Rod

Exterior Modifications:
V-Tec Offroad Aluminium Wheels 17” x 8” 18 mm offset
Mark Mc 1 ½" Wheel Adapters
Falken Wildpeak 315 -70 17" Tires
Removed wind deflector
Removed running boards
Built and Installed Aluminium Rear Bumper and Tire Carrier
Added Rear Tow hooks and D Rings

Engine Modifications:
Removed resonator

Interior Modifications:
none yet

Recovery Equipment:
none yet

Electrical Modifications:
Added satellite radio

Future mods:
Rear License Plate Mount and Light
Front Bumper

[Lauron]

Panhard Bar Extension - rather than extending the panhard bar I chose to build an extension to lower the mount.

Attached is a pic of the mount installed and the disassembled components.

The mount is 3" x 4" x 3/16" tube. The 3" width fits the frame mount snug.
I used 16 mm hardware through out.

I had an aluminium heavy wall tube I used as a spacer for the stock mount location. A smaller solid spacer would be more appropriate but this worked.

In my case with Mark's 3" suspension kit, the rear was raised 2" so I lowered the mount hole by 2". The mount is angled so the mount hole is 1/2" off set to the outside.

The panhard bar is close to horizontal.

[Lauron]

Front Wheel Well Mod

[Lauron]

Bump steer measurement and tie rod components

[Lauron]

Installed Tie rod

[Lauron]

This build has taken way too long but now that it is done, all except for a license plat mount and light, I am pretty happy with it. Too many details to show in one post so it will take a few.

Bumper:

6" x 2" x 1/4" channel on Bottom - 2" angle welded and bolted to bottom of channel is bolted inside the frame tube
two rows of 4" x 2"x 3/16" channel on top - an additional 2" angle is bolted to the channel flange back to the inside of the frame( picture to follow)

The channels bolted together with 1/2" Grade 8 Bolts on the flanges


Tire Carrier:

3" x 2" Tube 1/4" wall end pieces, centre tube is 3/16" wall

1" by 2" x 3/16" wall Frame

Tire Mount:
1" x 2" Tube cut out to accept 1/2" Bolt
Long hex Bolt with hexed locking plate
Tapered washer for bolt head in wheel stud hole
Opening Spring: gas spring 100 lb load ( I could have gone lower. This spring will whip the carrier open fast!)

Hinge and latch coming next

[Lauron]

The Hinge is a 1 3/4" aluminium bar drilled with a 9/16" hole to accept a 1/2" Grade 8 Bolt. I folded the sides of the cut out 3" tube and welded the tube to he bar. The bar and tube was then machined to accept 1/2" thrust ball bearings for a wheel barrow. The top mounting plated is slotted to adjust the height of the carrier to the latch.

The latch is composed of an extra handle from a Jeep build. I had to build the tapered spacer and the centre pivot to hold the dual sealed bearings. The bearings rotate onto dual ramps on to vertical notch to hold the carrier closed. The handle is vertical for the bearings to pass through the vertical slot in the latch plate.

[Lauron]

The Tow Hook: 1" x 2" bar drilled for 3/4" bolt holes and D ring

The Frame Cut out was from the Mark McMaster bumper mount. The slot was filled with the angle. The aluminium angle attached with a free non-rotating nut inside the frame.

[Lauron]

The bumper extends to the wheel well but is only 8" tall so the body would hang bellow the bumper. So I decided to cut them down. The passenger side pic shows the end result. The drivers side has the interior air vent which required the vent to be cut down also. The lower half of the vent was removed and the cut out modified and sealed. I pop riveted the sides and used body sealer inside and out and then painted. The vent is held in with double sided sticky foam tape.