2007 Trailblazer Build - Bartonmd

[Bartonmd]

2007 Chevrolet Trailblazer SWB

Drivetrain Specs: 5.3L, 4WD, 3.42, G80

Suspension Modifications:
- 1" rear lift blocks
- Airlift 1000 rear airbags
- MarkMC front 1/2" top spacers
- "87" front springs
- Bilsteins all around

Wheels / Tires: BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A, in LT245/70-17 Load Range E. Stock wheels with no spacers/adaptors

Exterior Modifications:

- GM fiberglass fuel tank / T-case shield

- "Wife-Resistant Running Boards" for the wife (Previously her DD / field work vehicle)... 2" x 6" x 3/16" boxed sliders, mounted on 2" x 2" x 1/4" legs, that are welded to load spreading plates, welded to the frame.

- One each of my (MDB Fabrication LLC, AKA "MTA") bumpers, radiator skids, and oil pan skids:


- Got rid of the stock resonator, and welded in a piece of 2-3/4" pipe and welded that to a 3" chromed tail pipe.


Engine Modifications: 5.3L V8... None needed

Interior Modifications: Hooked into rear seat cig. lighter wiring and added a 2-pin SAE connector to plug in inverter. This frees up the rear lighter port, is a more secure connection than a lighter port, and allows the use of said port while rear seats are down.

Recovery Equipment:

- 48" Hi-Lift jack - http://www.hi-lift.com/hi-lift-jacks/all-cast.html
- Off-Road Base - http://www.hi-lift.com/accessories/off-road-base.html
- Lift-Mate wheel lift hooks - http://www.hi-lift.com/accessories/lift-mate.html
- Off-Road Kit for Hi-Lift - http://www.hi-lift.com/accessories/off-road-kit.html
- Jack repair kit - http://www.hi-lift.com/accessories/fix-it-kit.html

- Smittybilt XRC-10 winch
- Snatch block
- (2) 6' "tree saver" straps
- 20' of 3/8" Grade 70 transport chain
- 2" x 20' static "tow" strap
- 2" x 30' dynamic "extraction" strap
- (2) 3" x 30' dynamic "extraction" strap
- 3" x 20' dynamic "extraction" strap
- 2" receiver shackle mount for rear and front (plus shackle mounts on bumper)
- A bunch of 3/4" shackle mounts
- 4' of 3/8" grade 70 transport chain with hooks on both ends (for wrapping around frames of vehicles without shackle points)
- Extra hitch pins


Electrical Modifications:

- Driving lights - In the bumper, Pro Comp 55W "spot" beam lights. When they're turned on, they turn on and off with the HIGH beams.

- Fog Lights - Also in the bumper, turned on and off by themselves

- Cobra C75-WXST CB Radio, and associated antenna (seen below)

- Tekonsha P3 brake controller (install here: http://www.offroadtb.com/articles/how-to-guides/trailer-brake-controller-install/ )

- Scangauge II

 

[Bartonmd]

I went from the 83 springs to the 87 springs and Bilstein HD dampers (now Bilsteins all the way around), and with the extra bumper/skid weight, picked up 1.5" of front height.

Also made myself a winch mount for my new Smittybilt XRC10 winch, and wired it into the new Diehard Platinum (Odyssey) P-4 battery using Anderson Powerpole 175A quick disconnects and 4ga wire.

The hole in my grill for the connection to go through (with obligatory self-reflection in the grill):

Wheeling the new setup:

 

[Bartonmd]

Wheels / Tires: BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A, in LT245/70-17 Load Range E. Stock wheels with no spacers/adaptors

1/4" of ball joint clearance:

 

[Bartonmd]

- "Wife-Resistant Running Boards" for the wife (her DD)... 2" x 6" x 3/16" boxed sliders, mounted on 2" x 2" x 1/4" legs, that are welded to load spreading plates, welded to the frame.

Yes, they do hold the vehicle's weight:

 

[Bartonmd]

One each of my (MDB Fabrication LLC, AKA "MTA") bumpers, radiator skids, and oil pan skids:
http://forums.offroadtb.com/viewforum.php?f=35"

Got rid of the stock resonator, and welded in a piece of 2-3/4" pipe and welded that to a 3" chromed tail pipe. Idle is a little louder and more pronounced "V8" sound outside the vehicle, but sounds the same at all times, inside, with the windows up. Masked off the chrome tip, and painted the pipe and welds with header paint, to stop rust.

 

[Bartonmd]

- Cobra C75-WXST CB Radio, and associated antenna (seen below).

I made a bracket out of 12ga 304 stainless steel, and cut it to fit. I drilled (2) 1/4" holes in it, then transferred them to the body, as shown. There is no good way to get nuts on the inside of that spot, so I removed the tail light and drilled a 7/8" hole in the bottom sheet metal. I slathered everything in between the mount and body with silicone, then put the 1/4-20 bolts through the holes and put the Nylock nuts on the inside, through the 7/8" hole. I then put some silicone on a 7/8" Heyco plug, and snapped it in the hole. I ran the antenna wire in with the tail light wiring, and used a round file to file off a little bit of the top of the tail light, so the cable could pass through.

 

[Bartonmd]

Current: Put on a new rev of the front bumper with 2 sets of lights frenched in, and powdercoated the bumper, radiator skid, and winch mount.

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Nice work!

 

[4x4x4doors]

Yep. What he said.
2x6 on the sliders. Hmmm. I had a ZR2 Blazer and ran a very similar setup except used 2x4. Did you feel you need the 2x6 to get the necessary coverage?

 

[Bartonmd]

Yep. What he said.
2x6 on the sliders. Hmmm. I had a ZR2 Blazer and ran a very similar setup except used 2x4. Did you feel you need the 2x6 to get the necessary coverage?

Eh... yes and no... I really did these because, until we picked up the Cruze (ECO 6MT) this last summer, this was my wife's driver. She's an Environmental Scientist (stream/wetland), and this was a field vehicle for her (and mild toy for me). That's actually why I didn't go bigger on the tires and lift. It's still under powertrain warranty for another couple months, and before we got the car, it was getting 20k/year. I'm not going to trade 5mpg for doing a little better on the trails. It will get 20mpg how it sits, right now.

Anyway, she had a habit of ripping the running boards off of rental full-size SUVs in CO/MT/SD, and I was staying ahead of the curve by putting something on ours. She had seen the tube sliders I welded on Kyle's (Hardtrailz), and didn't like the look. She wanted "running boards" that were "wife resistant" (nothing is wife-proof, by the way). There is much more offset between the rocker and the outer part of the door on the TB than on the S-10, so a 2"x4" wouldn't have been able to both be under the rocker and our far enough to pivot around trees. Plus, the 2x6 functions very well as a step, which she needs because she has a bad back. I do give up some ground clearance away from the vehicle with them being flat instead of angled up, but like I said when I installed them: When/if I want to change, I'll just cut them off and bend up and weld on some tube sliders...

Mike

 

[onelow1ton]

Looking good

 

[Bartonmd]

Thanks!

I'll post up pics in a week or so (after I receive them), but I've got the first pair of Trailblazer Radflo front coilovers coming...

Mike

 

[Bartonmd]

Added Radflo coilovers with 600#/in springs

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Update on Radflo performance?

 

[Bartonmd]

I love them! After a couple weeks of break-in, they are very compliant but also control the 10-plies very well. I.e. like a good damper should be, they are good and digressively damped.

Mike