90 Jimmy build thread

[brooks294x4]

figured i would get a thread started on my rig. its been a long process gettin it to where its at and just a few more things to go and its done.

Specs:
1990 GMC Jimmy
TBI 350/465/205
dana 60, 14 bolt 4.10s
44 TSL's

heres how she sits now.

[brooks294x4]

this is what i traded for it in august of '08.

[brooks294x4]

when i got the jimmy, it had a 10 bolt front, 700r4, 241 tcase, and some recut 42 tsl's.
after goin through about 5 front axle shafts, it was time for a 60. went and got a 60 and completely redid it with new GM hub/rotors, warn hubs, calipers, pads, hardware, all seals, and a rockcrusher diff cover.
also went and got 2wd steering box and ORD crossover steering.
700r4 shifted hard and broke a front driveshaft that spun around and put a softball sized hole in my tcase. bought a 78 k10 for $250 and took the 465/205, shifters, pedals, linkages, crossmember, and driveshafts. scrapped it and paid for itself.
got a High Angle Driveline 205 output flange and a custom 1350 CV shaft made at Fayette welding.
guy that wheels where i do had some 25% 44" tsl's for $500, picked them up and sold the 42's for $225
got a freebie set of hedman headers from a friend.

thats where she sits right now, to come in the next month or so:
52" front springs with a DIY4X b52 kit, already have all of this
tube doors are on order
rust free '78 Jimmy High Sierra body i got from Cali, its painted and ready to swap just need bushings
exhaust needs done, open headers now.

may be a lil slow for now, but let me know what ya think or if ya have any questions.

[DMFH]

u really traded that nice jeep for that, guess each his own rite

[justin'sbig7]

sweet! i have a soft spot for the k5's, had one as my first street driven vehicle.

[ridgerunner97]

I always loved a big built K5 and I am not a chevy fan LOL I like the rig. Does it mainly see Mud and the derby pulls or does it hit the woods?

[brooks294x4]

it will see woods, derby pulls, a little street, anything really. i havent ran it in a year and a half since the tranny swap. im not a big "lets find the deepest mud we can" kinda guy. i just wanted to build a reliable, capable, simple trail rig, i think i did an alright job so far.

and that jeep wasnt a nice as it looked. specs on it were 80 cj7 304/727/d300, spring over with 4" HD shackles, stock axles, 38 tsl's. body was all putty, frame rotten and cracked in 2 places, body mounts fallin through, leaked oil pretty bad. it needed alot of work.

[Davidmichael]

Very nice. I love fullsize chevy rigs. Now what you need to do is get your friend drunk again to change your camera back to color

[brooks294x4]

i got it changed back to color. headin to detroit for work for a few days, will get a color pic when i get back but it doesnt look much different since its flat black.

[brooks294x4]

B52 brackets from DIY4X. 52" springs are in the back of the blazer, and will be goin in this coming week.

[brooks294x4]

B52 brackets are in. 2 hours of cutting, torching, and air chiseling frame rivets can kiss my ass for sure. along with my busted up hands and a stoved thumb they went in well.

[brooks294x4]

after the B52 spring swap. as you can see its not level right now, i did not have the right bushing for the springs, so i rigged a set to temporarily work to get it in and out of the shop.

i ordered all new spring bushings with greaseable bolts, an EZ inch with longer centering pins , and need to take my degree shims off my old packs to get my pinion angle back up. once i see where that puts my front end, it will stay as is or i will ditch the 2" block in the back and level it with a different length shackle.

[brooks294x4]

these came in the mail last week, look pretty good and there stout too. gotta get them painted, the nets riveted on, and mount mirrors on them. these will go on when i do the body swap, which should be soon unless i buy the twin'd cummins im lookin at, that might set me back a little to play with it.

[Davidmichael]

sweet. looks good so far.

[YZEATER]

nice blazer and heavy duty parts.

[Davidmichael]

What shackle length did you go with for the B52 swap?

[brooks294x4]

i went with a 7.25" shackle, which is the longest they recommend for the B52 kit. some people dont like going that long with them, but i figured i wanted as much lift, adjustability, and flex as i could get. if i need to i will cut them down and redrill the bottom hole to my desired length.

yzeater, thanks for the comment. i bought a 205 case and a steering box off of you a while back. i pm'd ya about 6 or 7 months ago about a 14 bolt with 4.56's you had, still happen to have it?

[YZEATER]

i have one left, but might need it.

just watch your pinion angles withe the b52 setup. you may need a higher angle front driveshaft to deal with the flex you'll have. if you need some help, i can show you how to make one using d60 yokes.

[brooks294x4]

ok i dont need it right now, but my buddy wants to put tons under his soon, so if i can find one with 4.56's im gonna sell him mine with 4.10's and regear.

i am aware that my pinion and driveshaft angles are gonna be steep. my two reasons for doing the B52 swap was to 1. get rid of my 8" lift springs up front and get a softer/flexier ride and 2. push my front axle forward to get a better angle. in total im gonna lose about an 1.75" of lift up front which is fine since my front sat a lil high anyways. i have a shaft right now thats long enough but i havent got to flex it out yet to see if it pulls apart at full droop. if it isnt long enough i will let ya know and maybe ill try the d60 yokes method, i think i read about it on pirate one day but didnt look into it alot. if all else fails, im gonna have a long slip cv shaft made and put a 1410 yoke on my 60.

[brooks294x4]

with the EZ inch and shims installed. it leveled out pretty nice, so im gonna run it as is for a while, hopefully til i put 56" springs in the back. i forgot about the Dana 60 needing 3 shims, so i will be takin it back apart when i get new shims. im gave my buddy my 8" lift springs and got a new poly body mount kit for the body swap. gonna try to get the exhaust finished up then get the tarp off my body if it ever quits raining.

edit: i think im gonna do a little more sawzall work for fender clearance with the flexy springs. probably another 1.5" on the backside and cut almost level with the side marker lens. ill take any opinions on cutting the fenders, ideas on body lines, or makin it look a litte better instead of sending Ray Charles in with a sawzall.

[Davidmichael]

IMO I would use a cut off wheel if you care about looks at all. You will have more control and you can get the curved lines easier and cleaner.

[brooks294x4]

i probably will, ill tape it off and draw some lines on it and see what i like. i really want the body on soon so i can get the top off and the tube doors on.

[brooks294x4]

new poly body mounts and a stainless starter shield. shield doesnt wanna fit around the starter with my headers so that goes on the back burner for now. body mount kit is sweet and is pretty much the last thing i needed to do the body swap.

[brooks294x4]

got my exhaust pretty much finished up. i need to weld one joint, put another clamp on, and at the ends of the mufflers where the mechanics wire is holding it up, put the turn downs on and hang the last 2 clamps/hangers. im also gonna straighten the right side muffler so there even.

[brooks294x4]

a preview of the body swap. 78 GMC Jimmy High Sierra body, shipped here from Cali in late '09. guy couldnt use it so i got it for a good price, 99% rust free with a spotless frame. getting a coat of rustoleum on the inside and a new drivers front floor this week. body swap is scheduled for 6/18. if all goes well, she'll be road worthy and ready to roll by the 4th of july. wiil keep ya updated with progress.