HARDTRAILZ's build - 2006 Chevrolet Trailblazer

[HARDTRAILZ]

Bought it in January or February of 2009.
2006 LS 4x4

Suspension Modifications:
Radflo Coilover's up front
SkyJacker CR25 Tahoe lift springs and Nitro Shock out back
suicidedoors.com Adjustable Panhard Bar
1/2 inch longer rear tubular control arms
Rear swaybar delete
Front swaybar quicker disco's


Exterior Modifications:
MarkMC 3 inch Body Lift
Cut fender wells
Cut Front Fenders
MDB Fab front and rear bumpers
Custom Ramp Roof rack on Thule bars
Hella lights on rack
PIAA Lights
Decals--they add HP
TrailGear Rock rails--THANKS BARTONMD for the install
Oil Pan Skidplate MDB
Radiator SkidplateMDB
Transfer Case Skid MDB

Engine Modifications:
Green Re-usable Air Filter
Gutted Air Box
Hooker Aero-chamber Muffler and aluminized piping w 3.5 in tip
PCMforless tune
Scanguage for monitoring

Interior Modifications:
Lights- LED
Stereo-Cd, subs
Cobra 75 WX CB
GM Custom Fit Black Leather Seat Covers
Husky liners
Divider Wall
Maglite n mount

Recovery Equipment:
Bag of straps
emergency supplies, first aid, food, water
tools- Shovel, hatchet, large knife
hi-lift
shackles
Not recovery, but for safety there is always a firearm

Electrical Mods:
Just the lights mentioned above


Drivetrain Mods:
4.10 Gears
SS front diff
Rebuilt Disconnect
14 bolt rear diff
Lockright locker
Shortened rear steel driveshaft
1.5 Inch 6x5.5 Adaptors 14mm studs

Roller Mods:
35x12.50x17 Fierce Attitude MT
17x9 Black Rhino Spinreels

[HARDTRAILZ]

Stock--well close



MarkMC Lift On




Stock Rims width w BrushGuard


Silent Armor 265-70-17 on 17x8 Eagle Offroad Alloys with 1.3 adapters for 6x5.5 pattern

Clearance

Tires and rims- couple views




Front and Rear Brushguards--

[HARDTRAILZ]

Bumper Removed



Somewhere in this gap of Pics, will try to locate them, I painted the roof rack, and part of front and rear bumper covers with some liquor and lots of leftover paint my neighbor had. I also removed the front and rear brushguards. Hated the front one and the body lift made the rear not fit.

Also added bug shield, Oh yeah forgot..windows tinted-vent visors in first week, and got some new wheels and tires at Carlisle. Also painted some mesh and threw it on the grill since the fiance liked the idea. added a stereo and leds everywhere, but that does help it wheel just is for street fun since it goes to work everyday and you got to enjoy the daily driver. I also added Suicidedoors adjustable panhard bar. I did Bilstiens front and rear with the initial lift. Roofrack is a Thule, I think. I will just go with pics and the little description thing I threw in the window at the Jamboree. If you have questions, Ask.

With the Zone 2 inch Body lift on...got pics of install somewhere



At the National 4x4 Jamboree

[HARDTRAILZ]

The change from 2-3 inch body for more clearance. Got the rubber to meet the steel inner fender crossing a dtich line by a field so I had to go up. i wont let the tires rub, again forgot to had a hacked 2 inches or so off the rear of the front fenders after the 305-65-17 MTs.


Here is a shot of the Hooker exhaust setup I went with and really like. Not too noisy but a little sound and seems to runs better. Also in this shot is my whiskey and coke and the body lift/mount

Bumpers off for the extra height




great before shot but cant find the extra with the added inch


Blocks and bolts went in good and the front bumper stuff did too, but the rear needed some adjustment since it was a prototype MarkMC hooked me up with.


But it got on and fit better than stock

[HARDTRAILZ]

Got the body lift all on and put it in the National 4x4 Jamboree and got an absolute ton of attention. I was the tallest functioning Trailblazer there. I never really entered a show, so I decided to put some stuff about the build and I had a ton of people asking how, what, wow, where can i get one?






I know it is show and not wheeling but it was pretty cool leading in 4 JK's and then having more attention paid to mine than theirs.

FYI I will get my pics from work and everywhere else and try to make this more coherrent, but I was kinda pushed to make a thread. I have pics of most installs and know I forgot stuff. I will properly edit 1st post with a list of the whole setup tomorrow, but I got a start now.

[HARDTRAILZ]

Oh Yeah..New mod coming soon







PICS OF THE INSTALL...THANKS TO BARTONMD

[HARDTRAILZ]

Some pics...

[HARDTRAILZ]

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=276 --Slider thread

Stinger bumper fun



Cutting Frame a bit

[HARDTRAILZ]

Test of Stinger bumper. Will be edone at some point, hopefully soon, but is stronger than the stock bumper and mounted better as well. I fugure it is better than just removing the front bumper cover and it added a bar in front of the lower radiator and will provide a nice mount place for a radiatior skid.

[HARDTRAILZ]

BARTONMD First STEEL SKIDPLATE--Thanks

[HARDTRAILZ]

New Radiator Skid thanks to BartonMD

BEFORE---


THE SKID---


TRIMMING OIL SKID----


TEST FIT---



ITS ON---





ALSO GOT REAR BRUSHGUARD MODIFIED AND BACK ON TO WORK WITH BODY LIFT---





Couple shots of the total package cleaned up a bit.





FYI: 67 inch Trailgear slides

[HARDTRAILZ]

Update:

Running the 88 spring's in the front with MarkMC full 2.75 kit and Bilstein HD's.

Running z71 springs, with markmc blocks and bds shock rear. Also have suicidedoors.com panhard bar.

Have Mike's radiator and oil skids in steel. Also have Mike's prototype bumper. Also have custom mounted rear brushguard.

I have a Zone/MarkMC 3 inch body lift as well.

Two sets of tires and wheels..34x10.50x17 swamper ltb on 17x7.5 chevy 1/2 ton steelies and the pro comp set-up.

Will try and update this better in a couple weeks when life settles down and i decide which way to go with the truck.

[HARDTRAILZ]

Been wanting to try some 35s, so I had these Yota rims i got awhile back...Anyone know what they are called or info so i can find centers?... 15x8. I found some 35x12.50x15 KM1s well used but siped and some tread left to play with and do a couple months of test fit without big expenditure.

It is cold but decided that I could use the LP heater to warm the beads and some whiskey to warm me and figred I would mount them myself. Only took about and hour and a half and a drink and a half to mount all four.



Went white letter out due to wear patterns and to complete what think of as old school look on these tires and wheels. 15 yrs ago I had the BFG MT with letters out on some similar wheels on my frst lifted blazer, so the look brought some good ole memories out.




Stance is better than the 33s and it looks like they should clear, but the firewall may need some massaging went turned and tucked.

[HARDTRAILZ]

Need to update this w some pics but it is back on the pro comp setup. Has the 2 inch japanese rear coils w marks spacers. New barton bumper. New piaa lights. Got a better spare. Hid headlights. Drilled n slotted rotors. Ceramic pads.

Have MarkMC new 3 inch front one piece lift now. Works well even with the 88s.

[HARDTRAILZ]

As it sits 9-24-2011

[HARDTRAILZ]

Added a 12,500 lb winch on a custom mount by Mr Barton.




To be added once I get a hawse fairlead

[HARDTRAILZ]

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 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...no 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






Help

[HARDTRAILZ]

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..






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.

[HARDTRAILZ]

Too tired for pics, 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.

But here is a before shot of some 8.0 rears.




Here is an after shot of the 14 bolt




Some Detail's and Thoughts...
The u joints are different and requires a Precision #447 from Napa.

The driveshaft may be too long now even with the lift and longer rear control arms.

The locker is not silent when turning, but is awesome when on the gas on loose stuff.

The SOB is heavy to move around

My BDS shocks are complete junk and have stayed compressed when off the truck. Not too hard to just pull the shaft in and out.

The performance is good. Truck feels more solid. It is not a race truck and the gear ratio is not a big step, so who know if it is quicker. Not the goal of this.

With the big tires,, it does not drop lockup as easy as before.

My Scanguage indicates better cruising fuel economy.

The traction when punching the throttle of loose stuff is far and above the g80.

Sensors all worked first try.

SS rear brakes and standard rear brakes are the same. I am using my rotors and calipers even thought the rear came with the SS ones.

Need to check clearance to pangard bar. Seems close.

Anything longer than 26 inch extended shocks will necessitate me extending brake lines, but if I do...my spacer and spring combo wont be loose until about 28 inches.

Has drain plug on bottom and easy access fill plug. A huge improvement from the 8.0.

My speedo is off by 5 mph at 40 and 8 mph at 65. Should be better once 35s are on, but may send it to pcmforless for update.

Would I do it again...Hell yeah. Should have done sooner. I cant wait to have it all broke in a bit more and be able to beat on it some.

Really cant wait for sunday's front diff install now.

[HARDTRAILZ]

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