stopping in to say hello, im new, and might be a new case

[cpufreak101]

So by a new case i mean i am 14 going onto 15 this month, i know i'll be getting a license soon but i am a fan of off roading and was hoping to convert the car i will be receiving, my mom's 2006 checy trailblazer LS model, into an off roader . After many vids and not seeig a single off road Trailblazer, i thought it was a fantasy or id be on my own,but then i found this site, i might as well start asking now to find what i need to save up for, find out whats best for me, and generally get any questions i might have while researching answered, but my first main question is, where do i start? (and no, im not the type of 14 going on 15 year old that spends 14 hours a day on social media and thinks cars run on unicorn farts or think a $300 laptop could play crysis maxed and so on, im actually quite smart and studying some automotive engineering along with computer engineering, but that wont be needed here, just the automotive engineering, now i still don't know everything so don't get mad if i ask what something is)

[DirtyBacon04]

Wow! a 14 y/o member... that's new.
Well, first, I might start with some Parental Advisory... Yes, we use harsh language, but that's not what I'm referring to. The Parental Advisory is that this hobby quickly gets expensive... The more lift and bigger tires = shorter lifespan for other parts. A set of new 33" tires alone will run a minimum of $800. Armor, which is mandatory off-road equipment, is reasonably priced OR you'll have to fabricate some yourself. The lift though, is the beginning of the end for some of the existing suspension parts. You'll quickly lose your CV grease because the increased angle in your tripod will cause the stiff boot to slip off. Your upper ball joint won't be far behind if the UCAs don't get flipped.
Depending on what tire size you go and what gear ratio you have, you'll be adding a lot of stress to the xmsn, which is a $2500 rebuild. Some serious thought must go in to your plans. READ A LOT!! I can't emphasize this enough. MANY MANY MANY questions you might have have already been answered here several times. So read through, develop a plan, then carry out the plan. Make sure your parents are on board with it and don't hide from them the risks I've noted thus far.

As much as I love recruiting new off-roaders, I recommend you keep yours stock for a while. Learn to do the simple maintenance; brakes, fluid changes, throttle body cleaning, etc. Read a whole lot, work, earn money, build up a safety net, then start saving on top of that for mods. We're here to help as long as you put forth your effort. We don't take kindly to spoon feeding people here.

Welcome!

[navigator]

welcome aboard Justin, update your location when you get a chance so we'll all know where you are from. Wheeling for some is rock climbing, while for others it is beach sand and for others it is slinging mud. For many it might be a mixture of all three. Your mission will define your needs. We don't spoon feed here (too much) so do your homework, search and read. Most everything you need has already been written up.
Also, if your xfercase fluid wasn't changed at 50k miles, make sure it is changed ASAP. A lot of folks neglect to get that changed because it is a relatively short interval.

[Cable810]

Welcome!!

[Trail X]

Did you read this thread in its entirety?

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=3060

That's where you need to begin.

[cpufreak101]

thanks for the welcome, and i knew there was no spoon feeding when i got here because Trail X i read that thread in its entirity, and found to start at lift, and DirtyBacon04 my moms boyfriend is a mechanic, he lets me watch in and he explains whenever he fixes something on it, so im already learning up, but thanks for telling me to keep it stock for a bit, i still need to get to school and work and ETC once i get it, also thanks for parental warnings, but it cant be worse then some of my friends, and cash, thanks for telling me how to save it, and to upgrade once i feel i have enough capitol, along with the risks id have to keep some cash for if anything went wrong. and navigator im not 100% sure if my stepfather changes the transfer case fluid, we only use 4WD during winter, my mom is paranoid of getting stuck so the worst terrain it ever encounters is a bumpy road, but i do hope to get it for hopefully a mix so i can go on any trail or join in any event i feel up to, and the sand is because we have alot of beaches around here, and now i guess i'll start my homework, step 1, update my location and step 2 is to get any info i need from the trailblazer.

[TBYODA]

Welcome, Justin what part of NY you in Long Island?

[DirtyBacon04]

Not sure how many miles are on your truck, but it'll be a good maintenance action and also really good learning opportunity to take off your splined disconnect, disassemble, see how it works, clean, re-grease, and put back in.

[cpufreak101]

TBYODA, no,complete opposite side of new york, im closer to buffalo, in a small rural community (technically rural) called angola, and dirtybacon, ill talk to my moms BF, the car is his current daily driver bui I'll have him do it next time he takes it in (with me of course lol).

[Trail X]

Ask him about the transfer case fluid. It spins all the time, regardless of 4wd mode, so no matter what it needs fluid replacement.