My first 'dedicated' offroader project begins...

"Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu" (Haddy) 10/07/2015 at 13:31 • Filed to: None

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My new TrailTroll, an 06 trailblazer I picked up for 2200 dollars at auction. 180,000 miles, needs a lot of maintenance, but overall rust free and solid. new struts, springs, ball joints, and upgraded brakes are sitting in my garage for it as I type this up, may need CVs up front. Hugely underrated, these trucks. The GM Atlas 4.2L straight 6 makes 270+hp, and they have the ultra common 4l60E transmission. Plenty of shops know how to build these things! The transfer case is a decent NP8, but could be swapped. Though you can get the tcase for 100 bucks at most picking yards, they are shockingly tough compared to their host vehicles.

The rear axle from the factory is a solid rear suspension 8 inch, which I am already swapping with an 8.6 from the v8 equipped SS (which I paid 129 bucks for at Pull-A-part). You just need to either get a custom driveshaft made, or (this is the plan for lazy me!) use an adapter ujoint. Ordered a rear ARB locker and 4.10s for the axles, and will use the space from the removed rear tire to house an air compressor and tank setup, along with 2 ‘house’ batteries for my electrical load. Already fabricated the plate and box that will hold it all between the framerails. Added 1/4th inch armor to the bottom of the box, cause its gonna get whacked a few times.

Also sitting on my workbench are some steel sheets and grade 8 hardware to make belly armor for the radiator, transfer case, and fuel tank, since they hang quite low.

Future possibility is doing a SAS (Solid Axle Swap) for the front. I have done it with a ford van, pretty sure I could easily do the TrailTroll. Depends on how fast I break the front diff on this thing, and admittedly, that front diff is a bit of a weenie. In order not to make the front diff into a blown up party favor, I’m sticking with (relatively) mild sized 265/70R17’s for now, MAYBE as large as 32s if I can squeeze them in there after the gear swap. Without the SAS front, I am forced to use either new wheels with deeper offset, or spacers, because of the balljoints. Since the pattern is... unique (literally only used on these trucks) I would need an adapter anyway to replace the wheels, so will probably just have some spacers fabricated.

I’m penciling up a spare tire carrier (Will probably start with one for another vehicle) and front bumper options. This thing is gonna be fun on a bun.

Except that front axle. Totally going to break that my first time out.

Jcarr > Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu 10/07/2015 at 13:39

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Just out of curiosity, how would you do a solid axle swap on the front since it runs through the oil pan?

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu 10/07/2015 at 13:39

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Given the hilarious expedition vehicle overkill of your vans, I’m kind of curious just how extreme a Hadaken dedicated offroader will get.

DoYouEvenShift > Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu 10/07/2015 at 13:40

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I love TBs! Im not into the offroad thing, but I would totally do this to one if I were.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu 10/07/2015 at 13:42

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I love these things, but is a Trailblazer really a good choice of offroader?

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > DoYouEvenShift 10/07/2015 at 13:43

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It looks oddly like a Cherokee(? right jeep?) in that pic.

Viggen > Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu 10/07/2015 at 13:47

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Is the front diff really that weak? I’ve got 33s all around of my XJ. Stock axles and gearing, granted it’s 4.10 already. Go with the 32s, cut the fenders! You know you want to.

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu 10/07/2015 at 14:09

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Good luck. I know many people who have a ton of problems with these, and they only keep these on the road. Can’t say I’ve ever seen or heard anyone that was dedicated/crazy enough to turn one of these into a trail truck. I’ll be interested to see how this project progresses

DoYouEvenShift > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 10/07/2015 at 14:13

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It does doesnt it haha. About the same lenght and similar head light design

functionoverfashion > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 10/07/2015 at 14:20

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Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > DoYouEvenShift 10/07/2015 at 14:22

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I was thinking more:

Lumpy rear lights

Same proportions between body/tires

Sort-of-square wheel wells

Bull bar

Anyway, I was wrong, I was thinking of the Liberty.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > functionoverfashion 10/07/2015 at 14:23

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See my reply to DoYouEvenShift. I thought I had the wrong Jeep, now I think I was right both ways.

Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu > Jcarr 10/07/2015 at 14:54

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Same way I SAS’d my 2wd twin traction beam vans. Custom made hangars, frame extension up front, beefy leaf springs and fuck-near 6 or 8 inches of lift. Just run the axle UNDER the oil pan, and the whole truck.

Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 10/07/2015 at 15:00

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They are most likely fretting about little things like trashed wheel bearings, or struts, or shocks, or a transmission that is slipping. They are DDs, not a project where parts will be proactively replaced. These are not of concern to me because I am going nuclear on the drive train. I just won an auction at copart for 300 bucks to get a wrecked one with 55,000 miles, so I have a full set of spare mechanicals. New suspension is already going in, along with brakes, ball joints, bearings, front end accessories (idler, tensioner, belt) etc. I called my local performance shop, and they are waiting for me to deliver the 4l60E to build it up to 4l65e specs. The ECU on these trucks works with hptuners software, so i just paid 50 bucks to get 2 more credits so I can program every feature on the ECU, which is standard GM. I already disabled the fan clutch in the ECU, adjusted the gear ratios, and shift points, and I will be installing electric fans.

There is a difference between a daily driver driven by someone who’s car maintenance schedule is ‘when it breaks down and i just got paid,’ and a well funded, carefully planned off roader build.

Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 10/07/2015 at 15:01

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Things don’t get serious until I extend the frame and swap a GM corporate 14 bolt under that rear and a Dana Super 60 off a one ton up front!

Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu > Viggen 10/07/2015 at 15:02

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The front diff is an uncommon (read, only used here) 8 inch unit. I cant even get a locker for it. The only reason I can get gears for it is because Chevrolet made 3 different ratios from the factory. I am already looking at 31.5’s and cutting the frame a bit!

Jcarr > Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu 10/07/2015 at 15:09

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Do you have to fab up a new pan then, or are there aftermarket ones?

Jcarr > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 10/07/2015 at 15:10

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We have an ‘04 Envoy that just passed 100K miles this summer and it’s been super solid. Other than the interior being crap, we really haven’t had to do anything to it that wasn’t normal wear and tear.

Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 10/07/2015 at 15:15

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2 speed part time transfer case, 275hp straight six, 8 inches of ground clearance (only 2 less than a wrangler rubicon..) ~4100lbs (How much mine is, according to the scale, vs a wrangler is 3800) and CHEEEAAAAAP. Not to mention 6000lb towing capacity, with a full body-on-frame design. What’s not to like? it took me 20 minutes to figure out how to lift it another 3 inches of suspension lift AND travel, front and back. (88 series springs up front, and Z71 springs and shocks from a yukon in the back.) For ~320 dollars I replaced all the shocks and struts, AND gained another 3 inches, putting my ground clearance at 11.2 measured to the tcase. I’m putting on 3 inch larger tires, so the truck will end up with around 12.5-13 inches of ground clearance, to start with.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu 10/07/2015 at 15:17

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Fair enough, it just looks low and not particularly off-roady. Looks like it would get hung up all the time.

Appearances are decieving I guess

Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu > Jcarr 10/07/2015 at 15:18

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I can just leave the pan as is. Or I can get the pan from a 2wd envoy/trailblazer if I don’t want a hole there.

Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 10/07/2015 at 15:20

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It’s the IFS that makes it look short. Here is one that is lifted to ABOUT where mine will end up (until I break that front diff and replace the entire front axle with a solid setup) A lot of room under there!

Jcarr > Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu 10/07/2015 at 15:31

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Duh, for some reason I was thinking it wouldn’t be sealed that way. Look forward to pics of the build. I have an ‘04 Envoy and really love it.

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu 10/07/2015 at 17:52

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That's a Tahoe though.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 10/07/2015 at 18:17

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I took our stock TB through some pretty deep shit and it took it well, and that was on Nexen Roadian HTs.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! 10/07/2015 at 18:19

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I hate (almost) all things GM, and I have to say that other than the shitty fucking piece of fucking shit 4L60E, ours was pretty mechanically faultless. I actually kind of want another GMT360.

Kit 'Haddy' Iwamatsu > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 10/07/2015 at 18:37

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You’re right, I’m a dork and wasnt paying close enough attention. I’ll just have to update with images of mine when I am done :P