[OLNOLAN]

Hey Man, My best to you & your wife. Didn't know this was still going on. Ya'll are in our prayers. olnolan

[57halfton]

Valej
What are you wanting to do to your 57 / Is it all stock now ? Is the Blazer 4x4 ? Are you going 4x4 ?
Anyway I did a 57 4x4 years ago and the rear axle was from a 72 Chevy 1/2 ton which I believe is the same as the Blazer your looking at, you'll just have to relocate the spring pads like DD said. Still could be to wide if your looking to lower your truck then an average size tire and wheel won't fit.
In the 57 I have now I used a 10 bolt out of a 67 Chevelle. It's lowered with 8 1/2 inch American mags and 265 60 BFG's , it's a tight fit about 3/4 of an inch inside and outside (perfect)
I have a friend that did the pro street thing with his 56 (fat tires) he used an S10 rearend and didn't have to narrow it, but he did narrow the frame and tub the bed.
Soooo tell us a little more about what ya want to do to it ?????????
Gene

[57halfton]

DD
Be strong for your wife and stand with her. My wife ,Mary and I went through the cancer thing with her about 12 years ago and all is well now.
Hang in there your wife and you are in our hearts and our prayers.
Gene & Mary Gregory

[VALEJ]

for those of you that dealing with or know someone who is battling the big c, i recommend a book i read sometime back. its titled A world without cancer by G. Edward Griffin. very informative. hope you all the best.

as for my plans i am working on a journal as we speak and hopefully be up by the end of the week. i removed the cab today and pressure washed the frame. hopefully i will be spraying it next week. im also gonna order my monoleaf springs and other parts i need tommorrow. now that i think of it, i still have not decided which way im going v8 or v6, i read that the 305 v8's are not too dependable. anyone running one? any problems?

[DOUBLEDICK]

I have a 98 Chevy truck with the vortec 305 it gets 17mpg and I have a 97 Chevy van with the vortec v6 it gets 24mpg.The van gets better mileage and seams to have more power than the truck.The truck won't hold overdrive above 60mph when I pull my 16 foot flatbed even when it is empty and it is a fairly light trailer.I have never pulled a trailer with the van but I take the seats out and bring back allot of weight so often I had to put coil-over shocks and a rear sway bar on it.As long as I keep the van under 75 it holds overdrive just fine on the up hill drive through the mountains from Vegas to Ely.The v6 has 200hp which is more than a stock small block 400(190hp) in the 68 suburban I drove for 10 years.You can pick up late 90's astro vans for 2 grand and use the electronics(www.ronfrancis.com) as well as the engine and trans combo.

[VALEJ]

DD is your Vans rear axle a 6 or 5 lug, and could it possibly fit under the truck? I might go check one out today. Sorry to keep buggin with this question it's just that I would rather find a perfect donor( if one exists) than a part here and there, then have compatibility issues later on when I go to run it. If I'm going that route then Im gonna do the rear from a k5 and what do u think about a v6 from a blazer, I would prefer a 5 speed trans. No 4x4 yet. Maybe next build.(I know i know I'm not even done with this one!)

[VALEJ]

An s10 blazer...

[57halfton]

I wouldn't recomend the mono leaf springs!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had mono leaf springs in the rear of my 57 and they lowered the rear fine but I didn't like the way they the truck rode with them. With your typical shock when you hit a bump it would bounce down but then the rebound would be twice as much, it felt like when after you hit a bump someone kicked you it the butt when it would rebound. I tried several sets of shocks and finally went with QA1 adjustable shocks, they were pricey seems like $125.00 each. Then I changed to No Limit Fat Bar system with air bags and don't really care for that either.
Kimbridge Enterprises ( Used to be RB Obsolete) Has a rear spring kit that I would like to try if I was going to do this againhttp://www.kimbridgeent.com/194755chevypickup.htm
Gene

[Oldtimer59]

Originally Posted by DOUBLEDICK

My name is Richard Johnson and I am building my second Apache truck.I drive this truck every day and am doing everything I can to make it a pleasure to drive and still be a good work truck.I like modern drive trains and stock body and interiors.I am looking for other guys that have and drive these trucks to talk to and share Ideas and designs for custom made parts with.I have sent private messages to a few people on this board and only one person responded.At his request I sent him pictures of my custom sway bar mounts so he could make some for his truck.Without sway-bars these trucks are no fun to drive.I am curious to see what others have done and share ideas.

Just signed on to this site and ran acroossed your post. Name is Tom and59( Apache is the toy that I just bought. Looking forward to getting to know you and exchange ideas.

[VALEJ]

57 halfton, you just saved me $650.thanks. i might try that kimbridge setup. i am also considering just rebuilding my stock suspension even though i really want it lowered at least a couple inches. i saw some 2" lowering shackles( but they look kind of flimsy) ive called a couple spring shops and one told me they do not recommend rearching the leafs as they lose some of their integrity. another recommended to remove a leaf. i also read somewhere that powdercoating the leafs is actually better than the teflon and grease. what does the community who actually drives these trucks say?

[AntnyL]

If you drive it often, I recommend a Camaro or Nova clip, or better yet a MII IFS kit. That stock bump-steer setup is downright scary, and dangerous! Just my opinion though.

[DOUBLEDICK]

Originally Posted by VALEJ

DD is your Vans rear axle a 6 or 5 lug, and could it possibly fit under the truck? I might go check one out today. Sorry to keep buggin with this question it's just that I would rather find a perfect donor( if one exists) than a part here and there, then have compatibility issues later on when I go to run it. If I'm going that route then Im gonna do the rear from a k5 and what do u think about a v6 from a blazer, I would prefer a 5 speed trans. No 4x4 yet. Maybe next build.(I know i know I'm not even done with this one!)

My van is a 6 lug.I run a 6 lug 87 gmc truck rear end with 4.56 gears and a power trax-locker and stock offset rims.It is only 1/2 inch wider than stock.If you run a 97 rearend you will have a different offset on the front rim than on the back

[DOUBLEDICK]

Originally Posted by Oldtimer59

Just signed on to this site and ran acroossed your post. Name is Tom and59( Apache is the toy that I just bought. Looking forward to getting to know you and exchange ideas.

jump in and join the fun.Glad to have you aboard.

[57halfton]

ValeJ
My truck was an old stocker when I started , the first thing I did was do a Fat Man Mustang II front end and the Chevelle rearend. If I did this again I would go with the 2nd generation Camaro clip. When I first did the front end it dropped about 6 inches from stock and it felt like I was going to fall through the windshield, first I tried the longer shackles , that did do anything then I tried removing leafs from my stock springs , thats not a good idea either , I took so many out they bowed backwards and the frame layed on the axle housing so I put some back in , still to high out back so I through some sand bags in the bed against the tail gate for awhile till I figured out what I was going to do. Then I bought the mono leafs, they dropped the rear to low the frame was laying on the axle housing again so I made some 1 1/2 inch blocks for between the springs amd the rearend. At this point I had not notched the frame for axle housing clearance yet. Didn't like the ride so then I did the No Limit Fat Bar system with air bags not real crazy about the ride with this either but I don't have the oakwood bed in it so it's about 100 lbs lighter and no fancy air compressors and goodies for the air bags , I just air it up where I want it to sit and it stays no air leaks.
Maybe the 4 bar and coilovers would have been better ???????
???Gene???

[J.Vale]

i just got a journal going so you guys can check out my progress.