Hello, my name is Steven, and I’m planning to start a project truck for the next few years. I want an off/roading/ rock-crawler rig, but I’m not going with the typical jeep. I want a 1973-79 Chevy K5 Blazer(I’ll get it on OfferUp for cheap as a project, I’ve found a handful for ~$2,500). Anyways, I want to lift it about 6”-8”, better/longer leaf springs, do a front axle swap with a Dana 60, put some 37” tires on it maybe, a custom bolt on roll cage, and as for the power plant I was thinking a 1973-88 Chevy inline 6 motor. Either the 250 ci or the 292 ci. I was thinking this for less power as to not break any of the 4wd parts, and the low end torque that Straight 6 motors offer. It’s not gonna haul ***, just want to take it to places like Moab.

so my questions:
1) is the Chevy Inline 6 a good idea? Or should I just leave whatever v8 comes with the truck I get?
2) would 52” leaf springs in front and 56” in the back work? I want the lift but I don’t want the rigidity, so my thought is longer springs will keep it loose so it’s more flexible over rocks and obstacles.
3) do I need a Dana 60? Or could I pull of a Dana 44? I know the blazers a heaven truck so I’m thinking the 1 ton axles
4) if I go with the Inline 6, I would want to put either a four barrel carb or try a TBI like in my 91’ Silverado. Would that work? Or just stick with the carb

If you have any knowledge, I’d love to talk and hear others opinions.
thank you


these pictures are just ideas I liked

 

Years back I had a 73 K5 Blazer that I did this to. I had a TBI V8 which is way better than any carb when at extreme angles on the trails and over rocks. I did a 6" lift with springs but forget what brand. I ran 38" tires, Super Swampers if I remember right. I had to do some fender trimming but was no problem. I had a full roll cage. I had sway bar completely removed. I had 4.56 gears with Detroit lockers front and rear. I had a Dana 60 at the front and a full float 14 bolt at the rear. I ran extra strength axle u-joints at the front. I had ram assist steering and reinforced bracket at the steering gear mount at the frame. I had a 4 core all aluminum radiator with electric fans. It was nicknamed "Brutus" because I could take it anywhere when I needed to pull someone out. I took it to MOAB and after being on the trails all day I did climb Potato Salad Hill with it. It was tough but I did it and a person that lived there said he had never seen a full size rig climb that hill. I built it that way so I would not break things. Put the money in it for that instead of cheaping out. I am sure there are way more stronger parts available now than what I had 20 years ago.

 

That’s awesome, thank you very much! I expect some fender trimming. And I guess Ill have to go with a TBI conversion too. I thought sway bars were important? I mean, I’ve heard of people running their rigs without them and then there’s people who put on those four point mount ones.

 

You can get sway bars for either end that help with street handling but for off road, they limit axle travel. You can get disconnect kits that allow you to disconnect and move sway bar up and lock in place at the frame. TBI is definitely the way to go. Lots of kits out there. For the 1 ton brake system I had to get a large vacuum booster and mount it and plumbed in a vacuum pump that I could turn on and off when I wanted if the engine vacuum was not enough to help boost the brakes. I trailered mine everywhere I went because here in Oregon it was not street legal. I had front and rear brake line locks on mine too. That would allow me to help with tight turns if I needed to lock wheels while I turned hard and acceled to scoot the front or rear in a certain direction. I ran a dual battery set up where I also had a front and rear receiver that I could mount my WARN winch to and plug in the battery cables as needed. I ran the then new fiber line off the winch.

 

Use the TBI conversion paint it competition yellow, install some Goodyear wranglers, put a LS based small-block engine, get a transmission from Chevrolet performance, get rims from Mickey Thompson, buy a steering wheel from MOMO, and a shifter from Sparco and your good to go

 

Hi, V8 is preferable based on my experience it seems you don't need any other modifications and it's easier to maintain. If you go with inline 6, for me it's still short of power and you would want to mod it as you go along and it will take time and money to do so. So with V8, yes for easier maintenance. I also had 6' lift with springs and never had any issues. I think that's the only answer I have for your questions. I'm not sure if I am helpful enough but somewhere along your build you will definitely need a winch for that. I will suggest you to have a peek at this site . There are comprehensive reviews that will help you choose that will fit your budget. Hope it helps and good luck on your build.