A couple s-10's

NICE! Congrats.

^ Thanks. I was pretty hyped on the deal.

I was able to get a bit done today.

I finally got around to mocking up the the new wheels. I thought they would be close but after doing a few calculations they are almost perfect. I'll need to run a 1/4" spacer or just under to get them to sit perfectly flush with the fender. I think I mentioned it but they are 10.5x18's with 7.25" BS.


They move freely without hitting anything from lock to lock. I will probably have an issue with the Sway bar.



Stripped the frame down to nothing,





I also weighed a few things just out of curiousity






That's 42 lbs in just the control arms and a spindle! I couldn't believe the lowers weighed over 20lbs each. I'll be running the same stock bearing so there is no weight savings to be had there so I didn't bother weighing them. I can't wait to start buying some parts and see the weight savings I am gaining.

I also weighed the frame while I was at. I was really surprised at how heavy it actually is. 400lbs right on the money. I do have 10 or so bolts still on it as well as a couple lbs of mud/grease but it's not anything significant.

I started cleaning up the frame a bit on Sunday. I'm really pleased with how clean the frame is,




This is just so it's not as dirty to handle. I'll end up getting it blasted when I'm ready,


Went to another event on Tuesday, here are some pictures.
A lot of great cars at this event,











This Mini was so sick. CRV awd drivetrain. Was lifting the rear wheel all the time,



crazy fast subaru


second fastest car there,


The Lotus was the quickest car at the event. I think he ran a best of 1:19. I was running high 1:20's with a low of 1:26. I was doing better then a lot of the stripped out civics and even out running a couple of the mustangs. So I was pleased with that. It might be a testament more to the drivers of the cars then the cars themselves though.



That lotus may kill me on the track but lets see it do this!


and 2 quick videos,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAvd3xzvIrM

cone kill at the end,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFOnmTkxZy0


I was having issues again. I need to get the aluminum rad/e-fans hooked up. The little steel 2.8 rad and clutch fan just can't keep the engine cool when I'm consistently spinning 4k+ rpm. I'm also having an issue with sputtering in the lower rpms. I'm not sure if it's because it's running to rich or there may be something in the carb, because it's not consistent at all.

I had my first official spin out that night as well. I was coming into a corner doing around 100km/h roughly 60mph. I broke to late/hard and the ass end came around on me. Spun around a few times and ended up in the grass. It was my first time truly losing control of the truck.

Other then that another really great event,

Nice, congrats! Can't wait to get my truck to the point I would trust it around a track.

Nice!  If you spin out it means you're driving it like you should!  I'm sure I beat a pile of fast cars just because they weren't willing to push it.

GM, it sounds like you have a little too much rear brake.

Have you looked into a two master cylinder brake system? Wilwood has them for a very reasonable price, and there are pedal kits that have a brake bias adjustment where one pedal pushes two master cylinder push rods. the adjustment is made by physically moving the pivot point via a flex drive cable to a treaded rod.
Another really low buck and simple option is using an adjustable proportioning valve for the rears only.  but with the two master setup, you have a redundancy built into it. If you lose front brakes, the rear is a totally separate master and lines. Or vice versa.

Based on what I've read in your thread, you are probably well aware both of these options.

I'm in Minnesota,(almost Canada) and I've also been working on an AWD ZR2. Mine's a Blazer. Actually I have two ZR2 blazers. one is my project, and the other is my DD, but I am AWD in both already. Any luck with front wheel bearings? i have lifetime warranty, but still replace them once a year.

Thanks artos, I look forward to seeing that day for you two.

Rentedmule the spin was because of a couple of factors. I don't know if you want to call it inexperience or over confidence lol.


SCHLAKER Yes brake bias is not evenly balanced. The front rotors are 10.510 and the rears are now 11.640, explaining the premature rear lock up with the stock proportioning block. At the time of the blazer rear disc upgrade I was also planning on doing the dual piston fronts but after some research it just seemed like a lot of work for very little gain. Modifying the spindle, trying to find a new rotor with the right offset and diameter, making brackets for the calipers. My dad likes to help me as much as he can but I couldn't ask him to help me with something like this when the gain would have been fairly minimal. For another $300 or less I could just get used 2101 spindles and bolt bigger brakes up more easily. In the meantime I plan to do as you suggested and get an adjustable proportioning valve.  Honestly that was the first time I've read about running 2 masters I really quite like that idea. To much rear brake is one of the contributing factors to why I spun out. As soon as the rears locked slightly the ass end came right around. 

I would love to see some pics of your zr2's. I love the look of the big fender flares. Hubs/bearings has been kicking around in the back of my head. GMR is now making corvette hubs maybe they'll make a 4wd version soon considering their roots?



I've been working a lot so progress is more or less nil,

I did save up a bit of money and made this purchase,


Now I can get to work on the frame,

Also purchased these spindles,


Coming in at 7lbs lighter then stock,


Only major issue I can foresee at the moment is steering arm bracket clearance with the front axle. It will take a bit of massaging or most likely new pieces but it shouldn't be to difficult (knocks on wood)


At the moment the frame is just laying there begging for some attention,


I've got a bit of a riddle* for you guys, if you will.

I've been fighting with an overheating issue. I thought at first it was a lean issue, not the case. I then thought I had to rich of a mix of antifreeze, not the case. I then thought the rad/fan was just to small for the power the motor is making now, definitely not the case. I'll give you a hint it has to do with putting a 86+ waterpump on it with a reverse spin* and it's not that the water pump is spinning the wrong way.

I know there were four water pumps right around that era on the RWD 60° engines, let me see if I can find the info again. There are three or four front covers and I believe four water pumps, and you can only interchange certain ones with one another. Or is that a close enough explication?

I don't want you to go to Far out of your wAy, so I'll give you some more iNfo. It's one of those things that's right in front of you but you look past it.

If the water pump spins in a reverse rotation, what else would be spinning backwards?

the fan!

^ haha yes!,
Ever since we did the blower the clutch fan has been spinning in reverse sucking all the hot ehaust air back through the rad. It was ok when it was cooler out but in the heat up here now it gets hot fast. So the e-fan conversion has become a pretty big priority.

Couldn't you just undo the fan from the clutch and flip it around the other way?

That was my first instinct but my dad was very quick and eager to correct me. Well after a solid 10 min debate he grabbed a fan and told me to flip it around. He was right... It won't work. The problem is the way the fan blades are bent, flip it around and they are still bent the same way. If you are like me you are calling bullshit, just grab a fan and try it.

Anyway, got the rad/e-fan installed today,





Just need to wire up the fan controller and shorten a bit of the hardware and it's done.

Next up is finishing the air intake,
made this up last week,


I need to get some 3" thick foam a larger air cleaner and I should get a true cowl intake.

I've been having this issue of missing. It would always happen from 1800-3k. At WOT it ran beautiful but just peddling it to maintain speed, like shit. When I first fired it up it ran great, but as it got up to operating temp it got worse and worse. I've been chasing this issue around for 2 months off an on. Well I finally figured it out last week with the help of a fellow from the pro-touring forum.

The MSD box fires multiple times per detonation from 0-3000rpm. So up around 2000-3000 my coil was struggling to keep up and failing. This is why it would cut out and stutter and run like shit. I'm going to have to run a better coil. For the meantime I've just disconnected the MSD.


Anyway picking up from last weekend. Finished up the install of the e-fan/rad. What a difference. I don't know if it's because the shroud is gone or the clutch fan just made a ton of noise but the motor runs so much quieter and sounds so crisp now.


Since it was finally running well for the first time in a while I went for a good long drive and snapped some pictures.



as I snapped the above picture a trio of aston martin's rolled up on me.


I was a good 30 km's off the beaten trail so I was really surprised to see them. Turns out the got pretty lost.


Since it was the first time I was able to drive the '84 in a couple weeks I was being quite spirited*


a little to spirited....


This weekend I got started on the frame,





Still got a lot to do but the main rails are in place,


Brought it in 5 1/2" on both sides. So in theory I'll be able to get away with a 17"ish tire in the rear if I ever wanted to.

Nice - I love the mirror pic of the red and blues!

^ Thanks, I'm just glad it was only $50.

I've been keeping busy, more busy enjoying the '84 then doing any work but I have got some work done.

I went to another lapping day, here some pics and vids,



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq74sD7RNRw

One of the guys I met at a couple other events just bought a brand new 2012 302, what a beautiful car. He was kind enough to take me out around the track a couple of times. For almost 2 tons it does very well.



I was really trying to work on my breaking that day. I didn't let the rear end settle down enough one time and this was the result. I was telling the guys attending I just wanted to remind the '84 it's still a truck.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_Uyv5V4Zpw


The day after that I went to an arm drop drag event at an old military airport. Which was tons of fun. Here are some pics from that event,
























Went down the track a couples of times as well,




















Still collecting parts. Picked up a dry sump kit. One of the hurdles with an ls awd is the pan to front diff clearance. I shouldn't have any clearance issues at all now. Also the gains of a dry sump system is a plus.





Started to get back to the frame a bit yesterday,







Got all of my tie-ins done and tacked the rear cross member in place. I'm undecided on my gas tank positioning. So until then it's temporary.


Wire-wheeled and painted the frame just to cover it and reduce the surface rust. Eventual plan is to blast/paint it.


Next step I need to do the 2 rear bed supports,

Please don't say you lost to a lime green convertible donk!!!

Looks like fun

^ I did  

To his credit he was bagged so it wasn't permanently like that. I was slow off the line and spun. I started to catch up to him at the end but he beat me by a length or so. I was happy considering he was running a 350/auto.

edit* almost forgot, new goodies.



Sometime before Christmas I'm going to try and get my hands on the control arms.

I'm really not sure about how I want to do the steering linkage. The thought of converting to rack and pinion has crossed my mind a few times now. I just don't know if it would be possible to get it an ideal position with moving the motor back a whole bunch.

You & your dad do nice work & cant wait to get some more updates on the AWD !!

definitely go R&P, i KNOW you and your dad could figure it out