BC Canada checking in

[BC backroader]

I'm a recent buyer of an '05 TB EXT LT, not my first off roader, but my first on this platform, and I'm liking it so far. I see there's another recent member from my town, Abbotsford,too, so maybe we'll meet up sometime soon. I see a lot of TrailBlazers and Envoys around town, but have yet to see one that looks really set up for offroad/backroad adventure. There is one seriously slammed one, but that's not my thing

My vision for the truck is to make it a reliable, capable vehicle for outdoor adventures, as I'm now semi-retired, with a bit more time, but limited budget, to persue my hunting, fishing, prospecting, exploring old towns, Sasquatch seeking interests. I have an '04 GMC Sierra 3500 4x4, but recently made it a dedicared work vehicle, as my old '89 GMC became a little too expensive to keep going after 1.25 million km (a little under 800,000 miles to you in the US of A), so with the 3500 now a workhorse, I needed a more fuel efficient rig to haul me and a few buddies out in the mountains, and came across a TB that looked a bit tacky, but had low milage (127,000 km or about 85,000miles), and runs great, at a good price, so here I am.

This won't be a rock crawlin', mud boggin' monster, but needs to handle mountain logging roads, fire trails, and oilpatch exploration trails with up to 4 guys and our gear, with a possibility of hauling a utility trailer full of moose/elk/deer/bison on occasion, or a flatbed carrying a Polaris crew ATV that I have access to.

To make it ready for the above, I'll start with the basics, change all fluids, then tires, mild lift, then follow with power tweaks like K&N. I've already damaged the front bumper fascia on a trail run, so I'm looking to get a front bumper fabbed, including a winch mount. The 3rd row seats are coming out, and I'll try to build a gear box from the footwell behind the 2nd row, to the liftgate, maybe afoot deep, to hold all the trail gear that you don't want banging around loose in the back, and still have lots of room for backpacks, rifles, camera gear, and the like.

OK, that's a bit long winded for an intro, but I'm like that, so you're officially warned

Brad

[Cable810]

Welcome!!

[TBYODA]

Welcome, make sure you read through the intro thread, check out the build threads ideas.

viewtopic.php?t=3060

Tech doc's
http://www.offroadtb.com/articles/tech-docs/

Gear ratio calculator for max tire size vs gears
http://www.offroadtb.com/articles/tech- ... alculator/

Again welcome

[BC backroader]

Thanks for the welcome, guys, and yes, I did read the intro thread, and the tire size/gearing thread. I've done a lot of trail running in the last 50+ years, so I'm not new to those concepts, just to the GM 360 vehicles, so I'm soaking up the details on mods and equipment upgrades. My TB has the G80 diff, which is great, and the GU6 gearing, not so great, but I'll live with it, and stay at 32" max for tires. Since it's an EXT, it also has the larger 8.6" rear end, so I think it's a good base to start from.

[DirtyBacon04]

you're off to a good start.
my advice is that when it comes to armor, start at the bottom, and work up. Ex: Oil pan, radiator, then bumpers. If you get super hardcore like The Roadie, you can fab up a big ol' gas tank skid plate.
Welcome, Neighbor-to-the-North!

[TBYODA]

Hey Brad I did not mean anything by my post, like you are newbie or something. Just some quit important links on the 360 platform. I agree with Bacon.

[BC backroader]

DirtyBacon04, my EXT already has the factory option skid plate package. I haven't been under it on a hoist yet, so I don't know how good that is, but I've already dragged it over a few rocks, so I'm thinking the lift will be the first big buck item to get done, even before tires, since it came with near new Hankook ATs, and I'd hate to have to give them away for next to nothing with all that tread on them! (Did I mention that I'm a penny pinching pensioner?)

TBYODA, no problem, I was just mentioning that I AM a newbie to the truck, but not to trails. So far, I'm very impressed with the power train, and the highway manners, as well as the traction on gravel logging roads, but I've already scraped it over some rocks, and damaged the front bumper skin, so the lift is going to be #1 on the list. I tried to post some trail picks from Labour Day, but this site has a tiny 216 KB size limit, and my jpgs are all around 1.5 MB, so I'll have to edit them down. I hate that kind of stuff, I'm not a techy type!

[TBYODA]

If you are talking about the factor gas tank skid yea that one is pretty tough. IIRC MDB jacked up his TB by it by mistake, if it is the oil skid not so much. FYI a recently new member went trail riding with out a oil skid and damaged the oil pan needing replacement. The oil drain plug is pretty low. Needless to say he sold it.

[Trail X]

I agree, lift first, then tires. You don't want to swap the tires, then lift, then realize your tires are too small and want to change again.

I think you'll fit in well around here. Glad to have you!

[BC backroader]

TBYODA, I just crawled under the truck with a flashlight, and found that I have skid plates under the engine, transfer case, and fuel tank, but nothing under the rad area right up front. These plates seem to be made of some type of hard heavy duty composite material. There is a cut out in the oilpan plate to access the drain, which as you say is pretty low, even with the bottom of the plate. There is a plastic air dam that appears to be clipped to the lower edge of the bumper skin; can this be removed without adversely affecting on-road fuel mileage? That's the part that caught the rock when I backed down the big berm, pulling the bumper skin loose.

I managed to resize a few pics of my first trail run, here they are:

[BC backroader]

Well, that didn't work, all I got was a corner of each photo to show up. Sorry about that, I'll have to upgrade my Paint skills, obviously.

There we go - got it done

[Trail X]

Brad, I updated the file size limitations. That was a carryover from before we were on a private server.

Also, the air dam can be removed. The effects on mileage are negligible.

Beware of the stock oil pan skid plate. Its really just a stick guard. It will not protect your drain plug from being snapped off if you land it on a rock.

[BC backroader]

Thanks Trail X, for the size increase, and the info. When I crawled under the truck last night, I could see the drain plug sticking through the skid plate access hole, and made a mental note to avoid pranging that

The air dam is coming off on Sunday (road trip tomorrow, so no time for it), as it's actually low enough to catch on the curbs in some parking lots Eventual plans include a fabbed bumper/winch mount, and a skid plate from that under the rad and oil pan. I can't lift this rig too high, as my wife also drives it daily, and she's small, and has back problems, so can't climb into anything too tall, even my stock height Sierra 3500 is more than she can do without a step stool.

[v7guy]

You should be served well by the basic 3" lift that most of us do, coupled with some 32s you should have a pretty reliable and capable vehicle for exactly what you want to do. It also won't be so high that it's difficult to get in and out of.
I'll mirror what the other guys said about picking up/making an oil pan skid plate, the plastic one doesn't do much. If you leave the front bumper cover on I wouldn't worry a ton about the radiator skid, just know that if you're hitting the actual bumper cover (not just the air dam) the plastic cap of the radiator is just a little higher up and that'll strand you with a quickness if you hit it.

[0RESET0]

Welcome to ORTB. Check out my build thread, link in my signature, to see what your truck would look like with the "standard" lift and tires.

[BC backroader]

ORESETO, you cloned my truck!!! Your '06 is exactly the same as my '05, colour and all. Thanks for the link to your build, that really motivates me to get going on mine, I'm just waiting on the "build fund" to get big enough to start. I shouldn't have to worry about clearing the garage door, my underground parking door is tall enough to clear by an inch my '04 GMC 3500 with a raised roof canopy on it.

Does the resonator delete do anything for perfomance on our trucks, or just make it louder? The spare under the rear deck seems like a good bumper to protect that area from lumps and bumps in the trail, though it is awkward to get at, what is your reason for moving it?

I won't be doing too much of the work myself, as I have trouble getting back up off the garage floor, once I've been down there for a while: it has something to do with my being as old as dirt, I aint as limber as I once was

ETA: I just went out with my tape measure and found that the stock height of the highest point of the rack is 73", and the garage door is 83", so no problem there with going up 3 or 4". Measuring my wheel well arches at the same point as yours, with the stock setup, I'm at 33" front and 34" rear.

[Trail X]

The resonator delete is more of a clearance thing, and so is the rear tire removal. Both will hang you up pretty easily if you get a rock under there. They don't work as "bumpers", just anchors.

[BC backroader]

OK, thanks Trail X. My mission for the rig is not quite as extreme as some here, so I think my resonator and spare will stay where they are, at least for now. I don't plan to run the Rubicon, or even the "BC Hammers" in the TB, just make it a competent logging road runner.

The totally stock truck has only touched ground at the extreme ends, and the centre of the frame and running boards on the trails I've used. The air dam is now removed, so there's a bit more room there, the draw bar reciever is the rear contact point, and I think the lift and 31" tires will take care of that and the high centre issues for the places I want to go. The really gnarly stuff can be tackled with either of 2 Polaris side by side atvs that I have access to, a 6 man 4x4 crew model, and a 3 man 6x6.