New guy from MT!

[scorpio1]

Hey there fellow off-road inclined people! The names James K., Im a Montana born country boy turned automotive nerd, who loves, his wifey, 2 kids, video games, stereos, all things that have an engine, beer, and good home cooked food.

Anyways, enough about me...

I bought my White 04 LS Trailblazer with 120k on the clock this February, and after doing a ton of stereo work to it, full system from front to back, and driving around town to work and such, I've finally got the bug to pursue more than street driving with it.

My new goal for the truck is keep it mildly built on a budget, but give it some clearance for the back roads and easy-medium difficulty trails up in the mountains. I wont be doing any hardcore off-roading or rock climbing but will be taking the TB way up in the sticks on old unmaintained logging roads, through some fun mud holes, and up some trails to some secluded spots most people never see in their daily drivers. The big focus will be on traction and clearance since most of my area of MT is clay or gravel, and pebble to semi- large rock-bed roads with a splash of mud basins here and there.

I'm already shopping for a 2.5" or 3" suspension lift, and will be upgrading to new wheels and maybe some 30.4" tires in the next few years to compliment the lift. beyond that I haven't done much research yet, but that what I signed up here to do, learn.

Thanks for having me, and nice to meet all you folks.

[navigator]

welcome James!

[Trail X]

Welcome to the community.

30.5" tires sounds good now, but believe me... you won't stay in that mindset for long.

[Cable810]

Welcome!!

[87chevy]

Welcome

[djthumper]

Welcome

[v7guy]

after some reading you'll see a lot of people go straight to a 32, it fits easily with the lift and gets you headed in the right direction.

[mikekey]

Yeah after the lift those 30.4 inch tires look silly. I ran that on a 2inch lift and it was noticeable.

[JorDaneeKey]

Lifts look better with 33s, or 35s, but that's my personal opinion.

[v7guy]

Lifts look better with 33s, or 35s, but that's my personal opinion.

I whole heartedly agree, but gearing should be done if you're using 3:42s, plus not everyone wants to start cutting fenders. Moots has 3:73s, and with his 32s he was seeing the trans temp creep up over 200 on hill climbs. Plus there's a lot of talk about the converter not locking up and the gas mileage degrading significantly.

Hell, I think more people should just do the radflos, 35s, hack up the front fender and toss in a rear spring of their choosing, after they regear to 4:10s or 4:56s, in a better rear, with longer brake lines, and toss the swaybars in the trash.
But that's just what I wish I had done from the get go.

If we tell all the new people this they'll mostly run away...

Maybe that should be the new advice?

[scorpio1]

Well considering I'll be riding around on stock size tire with stock 16" wheels for a while after I lift it this summer, I'll probably start to hate the look of it quickly, and I may be ready for those 32s soon there after. Looks like I'll add some spacers to my "must buy" list.

Thanks for the advice guys.

v7guy- I'm not new to the modding vehicles game, so things that boil down to, "you gotta pay to play" don't scare me. hahaha

[JorDaneeKey]

Lifts look better with 33s, or 35s, but that's my personal opinion.

I whole heartedly agree, but gearing should be done if you're using 3:42s, plus not everyone wants to start cutting fenders. Moots has 3:73s, and with his 32s he was seeing the trans temp creep up over 200 on hill climbs. Plus there's a lot of talk about the converter not locking up and the gas mileage degrading significantly.

Hell, I think more people should just do the radflos, 35s, hack up the front fender and toss in a rear spring of their choosing, after they regear to 4:10s or 4:56s, in a better rear, with longer brake lines, and toss the swaybars in the trash.
But that's just what I wish I had done from the get go.

If we tell all the new people this they'll mostly run away...

Maybe that should be the new advice?

Hahaha, that'd be a total dissuasion to many people.

I have discovered that running ethanol free allows the torque converter to lock up more often and more easily and hold better during hill climbs. Course, in Florida there is no such thing as a "hill climb", more like going up over the bridges, but I digress. Looks like we'll be running ethanol free until we regear, or I get a different daily driver for the baby (an SS maybe).

[mikekey]

Honey, what would gas have to do with the torque converter?

[Moots1288]

Lifts look better with 33s, or 35s, but that's my personal opinion.

I whole heartedly agree, but gearing should be done if you're using 3:42s, plus not everyone wants to start cutting fenders. Moots has 3:73s, and with his 33s he was seeing the trans temp creep up over 200 on hill climbs. Plus there's a lot of talk about the converter not locking up and the gas mileage degrading significantly.

Hell, I think more people should just do the radflos, 35s, hack up the front fender and toss in a rear spring of their choosing, after they regear to 4:10s or 4:56s, in a better rear, with longer brake lines, and toss the swaybars in the trash.
But that's just what I wish I had done from the get go.

If we tell all the new people this they'll mostly run away...

Maybe that should be the new advice?

Fixed

[Diacom]

Welcome to the Site.

Get your loc posted so I know if I should be calling you neighbor or not.

[Blazintrails03]

Yeah after the lift those 30.4 inch tires look silly. I ran that on a 2inch lift and it was noticeable.

Come on now. I'm still on factory size with my lift and I don't think it looks too bad

[scorpio1]

Welcome to the Site.

Get your loc posted so I know if I should be calling you neighbor or not.

Done, Im in Missoula btw, so I guess were long distance neighbors. HAHA

[mikekey]

Yeah after the lift those 30.4 inch tires look silly. I ran that on a 2inch lift and it was noticeable.

Come on now. I'm still on factory size with my lift and I don't think it looks too bad

Go hang around some people with bigger tires, then you'll notice. We didn't realize notice till we went up in size how silly it was before hand.

[Diacom]

Well, just over the mountains then. Now if there wasn't so many closed roads in those mountains....

[scorpio1]

Well, just over the mountains then. Now if there wasn't so many closed roads in those mountains....

A big Amen to that, sad how one of the most backwater states in the NW can be so closed minded about the wilderness areas.