The Dude Abides Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 Heres why. I dont drive it anymore, and i hate having things just sit around. Its a good offroader but not the greatest to maximize its potential. I have the opportunity to trade it in for a k5 blazer. Though i love my subaru the opportunity to have a offroader with 31inch tires standard and solid axels is pretty tempting. Its one of those one or the other things. I like how my car is unique but in order to make it better i need to install the dual range tranny and solidify the rear end. I probally need more lift also but again i just dont know. Just curious as to what you folks think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rpholz Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 (edited) go with what you really want. whats the specs on the k5? 350? turbo350 trans? diesel? rusty? just consider the drop in mpgs! EDIT: on the same note ive been thinking about finding a Toyota p/u or 4runner with a 22re in it because the XTs absolutely suck for my surfing addiction. lol Edited July 18, 2010 by rpholz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 If you have never done the solid-axle offroad thing - go for it. It can be a lot of fun. But remember - the more capable the rig - the worse you will get stuck and the bigger the failure's will be. It's that simple. I know somoene that got a D9 cat stuck once. Burried the tracks - the ground was solid enough to walk on but the D9 was just too heavy...... Took a D7 and another D9 to get it unstuck. Subaru's are fun because they are light and small - sort of halfway between a truck and an ATV. Which is the reason I dislike the wagon body and especially the EA82 and newer wagon bodies - too long and too heavy. Light, small, and nimble is the name of the game. The K5 is none of these so it's a totally different kind of machine. What you will find with the K5 is that while it can turn big tires - it's a performance and modification black hole - bigger tires means you need more HP - more HP and torque means upgrading the transmission and axles.... etc, etc. The type of people you have to run with in case of fail or stuck is different as well - and you have to deal with the personalities that this entails. A K5 blazer is a whole different world of off-roading. It's like going from an ATV to a Subaru. They are both fun in different ways and under different conditions. Personally I would rather avoid having to wear hip-waders and dealing with the type of personalities that often own those machines..... those are considerations you will have to make for yourself. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Abides Posted July 18, 2010 Author Share Posted July 18, 2010 Yea i can see what your saying GD. I wouldnt run tires larger then 35 inch. Its just that also, ever since i lifted my subaru just 2 inch and put the tires on it handles totally different. The motor in it is so doggy because of this its kinda of a pain to drive. Which wants me to ej it, and if i do that i might as well put the dual range in it then. Which all takes time and money, or i could get a larger stock rig with a motor i can work on easier then the subaru motor. Some place i can go anywhere and get parts for. Ive only hit the cusp of the off road thing. I had a 91 suburban once and that was a blast to drive but the mpg was a joke. I dont know just sittin around thinkin about this stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 I know what you mean - I have a '69 GMC with a 350 SBC and a 4 barrel. It's not even 4WD and it sucks the gas down pretty hard. I do secretly enjoy driving it and working on it though - it's quite simple and it's just a total beast with it's 1 ton suspention and V8 torque. People get the hell out of the way - no one wants to tangle with "big green" since it's obvious that I could care less what it looks like - rust, dents, and all that . One more civic stuck in my grill wouldn't bother me in the slightest. I wouldn't want to take it off-road though. What a monster! I can't imagine having to unstick it if it were 4WD and I burried it to the frame . No thanks. I did all that in the Army. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLoyale Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 Ben, how can your EA82 be such a dog being a 5-spd? Mines a 3AT as we all know with a 2" lift and 26-27" tires and it turns over pretty well on the interstate, gets up to 75-80 somewhat easy on a flat suface at about 4000rpm or less. But really, I've started out in 350s with 4bbr carbs and they aren't that much easier to work on. My parents used to have a '79 K10 Blazer 350 4-bbr. Decent truck but u-joints and BJs are a PITA. I hate upper and lower BJs. You have to remember the year of the truck your getting into and how people have treated it since then. What are you gonna be replacing in the soon futrue? For the more part I say the EA82 car is as easy if not more easy to work on then a full size Blazer. Either way your gonna have 50/50 torque split :-p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Abides Posted July 18, 2010 Author Share Posted July 18, 2010 True but your starting with more capable out of the box. Maybe my engine is sick which im sure it is. But the point ive always had with these subarus. You work so hard for what boils to down to so little. And thats not a bash or anything on your guys awsome rigs. But when you go into major modifications only to be able to go 35inch tires max. Thats considered baseline in alot of offroading areas. So thats kinda where im at. I like my car, ive worked hard to what it is now. It can be better but ive seem some people say screw it im not putting that much into something thats going to blow cv shafts everytime i get it at an extreme angle. And if you go that big you need more power to turn that stuff. I duno, ill probally keep it but its just the thought. Id really like to do some more offroading because it was fun when i went, id like to do that again hint hint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLoyale Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 I understand where you coming from mentaly, In some ways thats true - but for most of these rigs with no more then 29-30" tires they sure go along way, look at Jeff and all the WA cats, they wheel the hell out of them and do get into places the Jeep guys couldn't. Yes breaking axle stubs is not not fun from what I can picture, but thats mainly only from wheel spin then landing on it. The thing is, I'm not gonna tell you to not get a K5 - they are good trucks, That K10 sure was along with the '87 GMC 3/4ton we had. But like GD said, you will be dealing with a different crowed in the Jeep or GM guys. Some of them are cool, but a lot are not. They frown apon our Subarus which they have ignorance of and are unwilling to open their eyes to it. Subaru has proved Jeep wrong many atime and will continue to do so as long as the right guy is behind the wheel. At least your looking into a pretty good truck. Old GMs are miles better then any of them built in the 90s till now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Abides Posted July 18, 2010 Author Share Posted July 18, 2010 Honestly ill probally stick with the subaru but im just saying. Maybe i can sell my taurus and use the k5 as a daily driver. Im sure the kids would love rideing in the back of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 35" tires on a solid-axle rig will yeild about the same clearance as 28" tires on a Subaru. You are forgetting all that axle tube and pumpkin that follows the center-line of the wheel. 35/2 = 17.5" - 6" (half the diameter of the ring gear+pumpkin case) = 11.5" ground clearance. My 4" lifted wagon on 27" swampers has 12" under the front skid plate and over 15" under the rear diff. That's more on both ends than a solid axle Blazer on 35's. Also the overall width of the vehicle has a lot to do with how much clearance is needed to cover rough terrain. Ultimately the tire sizes are not the biggest problem with Subaru's - our biggest drawback is the lack of gearing and upgraded drive components to handle it. With 4140 axle's, R200 diff components + lockers, and a 6:1 low range I gaurantee I could sort out the rest of the peices needed to build a Subaru that would rival any Blazer on 35's+. And someday I'm going to prove it too - just have to finish aquireing all the tools for my machine shop GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael appel Posted July 18, 2010 Share Posted July 18, 2010 All I have to say is they both are gonna need money dumped into it I would go with the k5 because you can pick up another subie for 200 400 dollars easy the k5 in fact is cool and can be sold later for more or kept but remember it isnt a truck which can haul things it is a sport suv of its time. Go with what you know Honestly ill probally stick with the subaru but im just saying. Maybe i can sell my taurus and use the k5 as a daily driver. Im sure the kids would love rideing in the back of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 You just need to drive Guido in a bit higher RPM range... Grizz is an absolute dog on the interstate, but still feels great around town... feels pretty zippy compared to how the Yukon felt to drive.... weld the rear diff in Guido, and let it rip.... I only broke a stub shaft once, and it was because I started bouncing when doing a hill climb... Though on a different hill climb a different time, I bounced, and blew both rear axles.... I used the remnants to rebuild 1 good axle, and had a spare with me, so I was back to the trails pretty quickly... One of the reasons for starting with 35's on my Red Brat instead of 33's was because I was used to the ground clearance of the soob.... since I'm running stock TJ coils, it's pretty easy for me to find lift springs to help fit larger tires should I ever go bigger... and one thing to think about, is tire prices for 35"+ have gone way up... I'm still running the mostly work out BFG ATs because I'm not ready to fork out almost $300 per tire for the MTs.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3eyedwagon Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 (edited) I've started out in 350s with 4bbr carbs and they aren't that much easier to work on. My parents used to have a '79 K10 Blazer 350 4-bbr. Decent truck but u-joints and BJs are a PITA. I hate upper and lower BJs. Your parents must've had the worlds only IFS 4wd 79 K10 Blazer. All of those things are easy to do. A: U joints are cake. A vice and 15 minutes. Done. B: Ball joints won't exist on the 4wd model he is talking about. Problem solved. Edited July 19, 2010 by 3eyedwagon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dude Abides Posted July 19, 2010 Author Share Posted July 19, 2010 Yea, i think i just need to go wheelin again. I had fun and would like to do it some more. But i dont have alot of bucks or time to drive out of town and wheel then camp then drive it home. How much is castina mick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Your parents must've had the worlds only IFS 4wd 79 K10 Blazer. All of those things are easy to do. A: U joints are cake. A vice and 15 minutes. Done. B: Ball joints won't exist on the 4wd model he is talking about. Problem solved. not from a '79 K5, but should be similar... my 72 K20 just got new ball joints last year.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bheinen74 Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Yea, i think i just need to go wheelin again. I had fun and would like to do it some more. But i dont have alot of bucks or time to drive out of town and wheel then camp then drive it home. How much is castina mick. Dont go with me. I was out messing around with a Jeep trying to hang with hits 35's built in Air compressors, winch, loaded, i hit a rock and busted my exhaust header right near the flange where it bolts to the passenger head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLoyale Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 I was gonna say, any solid axle 4WD is gonna have Ball Joints, Other wise whats gonna hold the Hub? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 I was gonna say, any solid axle 4WD is gonna have Ball Joints, Other wise whats gonna hold the Hub? only open knuckle axles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3eyedwagon Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 ^We've always called them king pins here. Open knuckle, and closed knuckle. My NCP (Napa Chassis Parts) Book doesn't even list them as ball joints (I had to double check as I've never heard them called that before), although I can see how you could call them that. They are the same style joint, but without a mounting flange. I guess it must be another one of those regional things. Anyways, the "kingpins" on an open knuckle diff are way easier than the balljoints riveted into the arms of an IFS suspension. Be thankful for that at least. P.S. Is that a frame in BARE METAL, IN IOWA!!!! You're just brazen!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLoyale Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 I guess "King Pins" or "Ball Joints" are somewhat more easy on a solid axle 4WD, Now doing these on a 2WD truck or Van (Or older full frame cars) with Upper and lower Control arms is not much fun. Can someone explain what 4WDs you'd see closed knuckles on? Jeeps maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3eyedwagon Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 I guess "King Pins" or "Ball Joints" are somewhat more easy on a solid axle 4WD, Now doing these on a 2WD truck or Van (Or older full frame cars) with Upper and lower Control arms is not much fun. Can someone explain what 4WDs you'd see closed knuckles on? Jeeps maybe? Pre 1967 Chevrolet/GMC used mostly closed knuckles. Multiple Jeeps. Early Cjs with Dana 25s 30s 33s and 35s. I'm not so sure about Ford or Dodge. I don't work on that crap. Search Napco diffs. They provided almost all early GM closed knuckle stuff. Amazingly well built pieces, but, old technology. Felt seals, other fun leather parts. Good times. Yeah. The straight axles are a little simpler, as the King Pins are often just a light resistance fit. When you have a double a-arm setup; they are sometimes pressed to fit, but, more often are riveted to the a-arm. Drilling or grinding is often recommended. I find a good sharp cold chisel will usually pop the heads off the rivets with a few good hard swings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doobieryan Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Trucks are awesome! i have a 77 ford f250 and that thing kicks a** and goes anywhere. But to turn the big tires (which It does very well) my engine is very strong and gets about 4 miles per gallon. But due to the power of the beast i break things all the time and its really expensive. Thats Why subarus are so great. They can do anything jeeps and toyotas can and its ALOT CHEAPER to fix them when they break. No my subaru will never wheel like my truck does, but like everyone else is saying. Theyre completely different worlds. But i love showing all my other truck friends whats up in a subaru. Lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLoyale Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Pre 1967 Chevrolet/GMC used mostly closed knuckles. Multiple Jeeps. Early Cjs with Dana 25s 30s 33s and 35s. I'm not so sure about Ford or Dodge. I don't work on that crap. Search Napco diffs. They provided almost all early GM closed knuckle stuff. Amazingly well built pieces, but, old technology. Felt seals, other fun leather parts. Good times. Yeah. The straight axles are a little simpler, as the King Pins are often just a light resistance fit. When you have a double a-arm setup; they are sometimes pressed to fit, but, more often are riveted to the a-arm. Drilling or grinding is often recommended. I find a good sharp cold chisel will usually pop the heads off the rivets with a few good hard swings. Alright thank you I don't have a lot of experience with any GM trucks older then '78 (My dad knows of all this stuff as he worked on all that growing up) Anyhoo back on topic, Ben - do you have pics of the Blazer your looking at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcbrat Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Is that a frame in BARE METAL, IN IOWA!!!! You're just brazen!!!! that's not mine. it's just a pic I found online.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLoyale Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 that's not mine. it's just a pic I found online.... I was thinking that looked to clean to be yours. I still would love to get a 3/4ton '72 4WD! Awesome looking trucks (When they have 16" steelies, Tall and skinny) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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