Building a MONSTER K5 Blazer!

Despite appearances this truck was not in a fire. It was just painted to look that way. My friend Brian has had this Blazer since HS much like me and it has been neglected far too long.
He convinced me to drag it out of his driveway and bring it down to my shop. What was I thinking?
Check out my Patreon Account. I post behind the scenes, early uploads, Q and A and more. Help me keep the lights on and buying more shop and camera gear!
/ merricksgarage
Gear, merch, and parts all over on www.merricksgarage.com
If there is some item or product you saw in this video, it is more than likely to be found in either my Amazon Store or if it is a Milwaukee Tool over on Acme Tools
www.amazon.com/shop/jwmerrick
shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=636038...
Daily updates on the Instagram:
bit.ly/MerricksGarageInstagram
Link to the seat bracket mounts for late model GM third row for your Blazer!
www.merricksgarage.com/new-pr...

[@christophersanders5007]

My favorite part of Lt. Dan is the custom valve covers.

[@denniscasey986]

Save it. Looks to have good parts for a really fine off road truck.

[@jimmyjohnson4932]

It's most definitely worth saving. Great bones right parts rad rig!!

[@MerricksGarage]

Yea I love this build!

[@jonnysprojects6549]

Bro that looks better than my daily you gotta save it 💪

[@MerricksGarage]

Lol.

[@romualdlucas1982]

nice job , as usual .congratulations from France !

[@MerricksGarage]

Thanks man. I always appreciate the support.

[@keving126]

There all worth saving!

[@blackbeard308]

LT Dan looks badass 🥷🥷🥷

[@MerricksGarage]

Dude for REAL though. I wasn’t feeling the wheels and offset at first but for this truck it looks right.

[@wr3ncher]

The second it hit slo mo... "It was at this moment he Knew... He fucked up."

[@jumper5029]

Iron bull almost bucked him off

[@calholli]

I would definitely add some gussets between the pumpkin and the top of that truss, on the rear axle. It's not welded much at all at the bottom of your truss, and the amount of leverage those top links have-- I think it could rip that truss off of your axle too easily. But if you just get it welded in at the top, it would be 4x stronger. (and maybe you were already planning on doing all that-- I do recognize that it's unfinished. :)-

[@MerricksGarage]

The pumpkin is cast and the truss is not. Also the rear top links are probably the least stressed factor in the four link. Especially if anti squat balanced well.

[@calholli]

@@MerricksGarage The top links still do get loaded when you're on the side of a hill - that's the only thing keeping the axle from sliding side to side since there is no panhard bar. One thing you could do is just make a custom 1/2" plate that can straddle around your back axle cover and bolt to the top 4 bolts of your pumpkin (you'll have to get some longer bolts obviously)-- and then make it bolt to your truss. At least that would tie it together at the top... Just my 2cents. I'd either get it tig welded or brazed to the cast-- or at least get something bolted on. Cheers.

[@MerricksGarage]

A triangulated four link won’t collapse on itself. Take away the top links the bottom links are still equal and opposed

[@nickg7827]

Ice cream lieutenant Daaaannn!

[@ghostofhobs]

Never ever ever ever drop a vehicle off a trailer that isn't connected to the truck

[@dakotarobson5572]

So does the rear dana 70 still have the dually drums or is it a single rear wheel drum? I’m running military beadlocks on my k5 also but they are too narrow with the Dana 60 single wheel front and 14 bolt rear

[@robkowalski8816]

What spring rates are you running top/bottom front/rear?

[@kylewest100]

Would you ever get a stock frame and do all the upgrades and reinforcements and ship it? Just curious because I’m building a suburban and I’m in the process of building the 14b and doing the axle swap.

[@MerricksGarage]

Perhaps. Email me [e-mail]

[@kevinmtoyota]

That single shear panhard mount on front axle makes me very nervous

[@MerricksGarage]

nah, its a 7/8th bolt. It aint goin nowhere. I broke my mount and it never budged.

[@zachwrench]

James have you thought about building out a gmt 400 sas three linked or radius arm front with a sd60 front axle. With the prices climbing on the square bodies there no longer a cheap wheeler to build like they use to be. I know there’s other companies that offer sas kits for them for leaf springs I don’t know of any that offer a sd60 link kit. I think barns has a sd kit for the jeeps seems like no love for the gmt 400 out there and in my area they are cheapish depending on condition.

[@MerricksGarage]

I have been looking at the GMT 400s a lot and actually my buddy Duke who had the solid axle Cateye Chevy is just wrapping up a GMT build…. It’s rad

[@MerricksGarage]

And 💯 on the SD60. I have several GM Dana 60’s but always have me eyes out for a good deal on AAM 14 bolts and SD60.

[@zachwrench]

@@MerricksGarage I just checked my local yard has a few SD60 front axles from $355-$620 depending on mileage and ratio

[@313DonDon]

Can’t get my bbc to sit in my 78 k5 any tips on installing the motor

[@danielfiske9849]

That down load off the trailer was definitely scary.

[@calholli]

Not really. It was a nicely controlled crash. It doesn't have rear wheels, so it wasn't going to go very far.

[@MerricksGarage]

This 💯

[@MarkJones-sk6vk]

Truck looks great. How much harder is it to go from 4 link rear to a trophy truck rear?

[@MerricksGarage]

Trophy truck is trailing arm which locates the shocks into the trailing arm

[@thruitallauto2538]

I don’t believe I would have even showed that on U Tube

[@MerricksGarage]

I know right?

[@hugorivas2877]

Where did you get that hoodie @4:24’

[@MerricksGarage]

Www.merricksgarage.com

[@jacobfulton5106]

I like how you didn’t use the winch you’ve got mounted to your trailer for that😂

[@MerricksGarage]

Lol it was a soup sandwich. We used the winch plenty, loading and unloading but the no rear axle made it next time I near impossible.

[@adamformanack318]

is it a fedral truck or california truck hows it smog ??????🤐🤐🤐🤐🤨😐

[@MerricksGarage]

🤷🏼‍♂️ I think it’s registered in AZ

[@ahmedfawzy1741]

Is it a big deal to have a crack in my k5 frame ?

[@jamesrock1327]

Yo what's up with the black truck

[@MerricksGarage]

It’s for sale

[@jamesrock1327]

@@MerricksGarage what is it is there a video out on it

[@MerricksGarage]

take a look...

[@user-lj8lb4ij2j]

Do you want to sell the black dually one .if u do how can I communicate with you

[@MerricksGarage]

Email me. [e-mail]

[@thomashansen3932]

I think OSHA is on their way. That was just reckless and irresponsible. Laugh now that no one got hurt

[@MerricksGarage]

Relax, it wasn’t as bad as it looked. The tilt bed had jammed and it was already angled so this was inevitable. You should have seen the soup sandwich it was dragging LT Dan up his narrow driveway and onto my trailer! Now that was reckless and irresponsible. I should have filmed that…

[@thomashansen3932]

@@MerricksGarage Call me next time. I'm fairly close and love that stuff. Next time start off by saying, " hey ,watch this!!" I wrench for a living

[@northernlits425]

(drops truck, next frame, drives forklift....) wtf dude, you shoulda had that thing under the rear in the first place. instead of playing dominos with a k5 and trailer.

[@MerricksGarage]

The forklift couldn’t reach. Trust me we tried.

[@northernlits425]

Need you some fork extendos, brohaghm.