When dealing with classics, it's sometimes hard, if not impossible, to find the vehicle of your dreams. Let's face it, there are less and less vintage trucks out there, and supply and demand is driving the cost skyward. This is the dilemma Joe Ogle of Bellair Motorsports was facing when looking for a '72 two-wheel-drive Chevy Blazer for his wife Mickey. The two-wheel-drive versions of these trucks were pretty rare to begin with and, nowadays, will cost you an arm and a leg, if the seller knows what he has. With the production numbers of four-wheel-drive units being much higher, Joe decided to take another route. He found a clean four-wheel-drive and set forth to convert it to two-wheel drive.
Before undertaking this somewhat daunting task, Joe sought advice from the pros at Early Classic Enterprises in Fresno, California. Stan at ECE explained, "There are many ways to achieve the desired result. It really depends on how much time and money you are willing to invest. In order to replicate a two-wheel-drive as closely as possible, a trailing-arm rear suspension must replace the leaf spring configuration. The transfer case and front suspension have to be removed to make room for a two-wheel-drive front crossmember, steering, and brakes. The motor must also move up and forward. This project is not for the faint at heart; it requires planning, fabricating, welding, and more than just a weekend."
Although not as valuable as an original two-wheel-drive, this Blazer will be everything the owner desires and very closely resemble a factory two-wheel-drive when completed. Follow along as we show you this Blazer's transformation.
What's In The Box?
Some of the major components purchased from Early Classic necessary to complete this conversion include a used 2WD disc-brake frontend and rearend, along with new lowering components and brake upgrades. If you didn't know, ECE has a big selection of used parts. So, if you can't find something, give ECE a call. The company might just have what you're looking for stashed away. Parts for the rear include ECE's extreme-drop center crossmember with heavy-duty trailing arms and rear air suspension kit. Joe decided to convert the Blazer to a five-lug setup, instead of retaining the six-lug stuff the 4x4 has. If you are on a tighter budget, ECE has other options to keep cost down, like a six-lug conversion rotor for the front.
Part One: The Rearend
Joe and the crew from ECE chose to start this project at the rear and work forward. The original leaf spring rearend must come out, because all factory two-wheel-drives featured a trailing-arm rear setup like the 1/2-ton trucks. If you are on a tighter budget, you could just install a flip kit and maybe a set of shackles to get the truck low, but we are not going to guarantee good ride quality doing it that way.
1. Disassembly began with...
1. Disassembly began with the removal of the old exhaust, shocks, brake cables and hoses, and anything else hooked to the rear suspension.
2. With all that crap out...
2. With all that crap out of the way, the rearend was removed. Luckily, ECE shop has a lift that makes this process easier. If you are doing something like this in your garage, make sure you put the truck up high enough to get the components out from under the ride. So, those little cheapie jackstands you bought at the swap may not cut it.
3. Next, the leaf spring hangers,...
3. Next, the leaf spring hangers, bumpstops, and shock mounts were also cleared from the frame.
4. The transfer case and its...
4. The transfer case and its crossmember were the next things to be removed. The crossmember most likely will be riveted to the frame, so you will need a torch, grinder, or something like that to get them out. Hang on to the transfer case; these thing are worth some money to the off-road guys. You might be able to find someone to buy it and the rest of your lift stuff to recoup some of your money.
5. Early Classic's Extreme...
5. Early Classic's Extreme Drop trailing-arm crossmember was installed, making it possible to use the company's new heavy-duty trailing arms. The new crossmember is not only made to hold the trailing arms, but it also has been engineered for use on a lowered vehicle.
6. Joe also talked ECE out...
6. Joe also talked ECE out of a good used five-lug trailing-arm rearend, rather than changing the saddles on the old rearend. He just added the old rearend to his pile of parts to sell.
7. Since 4WD frames do not...
7. Since 4WD frames do not swell out like 2WD frames at the rearend, custom brackets were fabricated to mount the airbags (inset). The factory upper shock mounts were also replaced with custom units. Once that was done, the guys ran the air lines for the 'bags, making sure to route the lines away from anything that would melt or cut them.
8. With the rearend just about...
8. With the rearend just about completed, attention moved forward to the automatic transmission. It was removed in order to fit it with a new tailshaft for the two-wheel-drive application.