Wondering how hard to make my '86 2wd a 4wd

[bigdnew]

I have a totalled '73 4wd blazer. I just bought a '86 2wd silverado in amazing shape. When I say no rust, I mean no rust. How difficult would it be to convert the '86 into a 4wd.

My thought process is that the rims on the blazer are new. Just before Christmas I picked up a brand new 4 inch suspsension lift. I hate letting all that go.

[Matt Man]

i want to do the same thing to my c30. Get axle, 4wd tranny transfer case leafspring hangars. only thing if the crossmember you will have to custom fab. At least thats what's going to have to happen on my c30. I dont know if stuff from the blazer will bolt up to your truck tho.

[old Rusty C10]

people do it all the time on here so im thinking its not that hard. You will prolly need a different set of driveshafts or at least have some made

[SMiller]

Google B52 kit, that is the route that I am going to go. It seems that is what everyone does, using rear leaf springs for front gives a lot better ride and more wheel travel, oh and much stouter leaf mount!

[b454rat]

I used the B52 kit, but using stock style front springs. Mounted in the rearwardmost hole, they are still 3-4" forward of stock.

Depending how bad the parts truck was wrecked, you could use just about all of it for parts to swap over. It's not really hard, but it is time consuming.....

[SMiller]

Why are they forward? I thought it was stock placement unless you reversed it or something? Does the B52 kit always move the axle forward? Thats not cool...

[FLEET72]

Originally Posted by SMiller

Why are they forward? I thought it was stock placement unless you reversed it or something? Does the B52 kit always move the axle forward? Thats not cool...

The B52 kit is to allow you to use 52" rear springs on the front. Hence the name.
http://diy4x.com/cart/index.php?rout...product_id=121

[bigdnew]

Originally Posted by b454rat

I used the B52 kit, but using stock style front springs. Mounted in the rearwardmost hole, they are still 3-4" forward of stock.

Depending how bad the parts truck was wrecked, you could use just about all of it for parts to swap over. It's not really hard, but it is time consuming.....

Absolutely, my goal was to use as much of the blazer as possible. As I stated I have a brand new 4 inch leaf spring suspension lift, still in boxes. I am looking at what I have to do to make look like a factory set up.

[SMiller]

I know that the B52 kit uses rear 1\2ton springs, what I don't understand is why the front axle is moved forward. From the info I have gained on this kit is that the some guys liked it moved forward to lengthen wheel base for wheelin'. So does this kit move the front axle forward or is it stock location???

[b454rat]

The kit IS designed to use 52" springs, but when I talked to Kurt @DIY4X he said that you can still use stock style 48" springs, just that the axle will be farther forward than stock. This isn't really a bad thing, you want the axle farther forward to keep the tire from hitting the firewall when compressed.

I had the 4" 48" long springs, so used what I had. I might go bigger with the truck, so either going with 8" 48" or 4" 52s, whatever I can find.

Also, these aren't stock replacements.....

[bigdnew]

bump

[konajoe]

Remove and reuse these parts from the Blazer

Front Spring Hangers front/rear
Axles
Tranny/Transfer case
Front driveshaft
Tranny/Transfer case crossmember
steering box/draglink
sway bar
frame mounted upper front shock bracket

You'll also have a 3" difference in the rear spring hangers going from a 2wd to 4wd which you could make up with a shackle flip/block or source 4wd pickup rear spring hangers, since the K5 hangers are not the same as a pickup.

The 4wd engine crossmember is not a direct fit into the 2wd frame (too tall)so you'll have to do some fabrication/modifications.