Scott Hayes must have been reading monster truck manuals in his spare time. The inside corners of the 49-inch Iroks are barely under the '92 S-10 Blazer body at all, and the Rockwell axles certainly help the look as well. And if you can believe it, what Scott calls "The Short Bus" is his very first try at building a rockcrawler. He got hooked on it while riding with a friend a while back, and four years later came up with what we saw at the Superlift OHV Park in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Scott admits he got a lot of guidance from Atkins 4x4 and is humble about what he built, but we think he did a pretty danged good job.
The front of this big mini-Blazer is filled with all the right hard-core guts to run 49-inch Iroks. A 2 1/2-ton Rockwell axle resides between USA 6x6 17x14 double bead-lock wheels, while a Wilwood caliper and pinion-mounted rotor stop the front side. The Rockwell has been modified with weld-in high-clearance pans and has flipped hubs. The 2x8-inch full hydraulic ram steering is controlled via an orbital valve mounted in line with the steering column, while the tie rod was placed in back of the axle for protection. Both tires churn power through a Detroit Locker that is spun with the stock gearset and driven by a 3-inch 0.120-wall driveshaft. Of course, no less than 1410 U-joints were acceptable throughout. To keep things level a Currie Anti Rock sway bar has been matched both front and rear. Scott simplified the front suspension by using 54-inch Superlift Chevy leaf springs to position and suspend the front axle. Should any problems arise, Scott tucked a Warn 12,000-pound winch in back of his rectangular tube bumper.
The rear combo matches the...
The rear combo matches the front. Same Rockwell, Detroit Locker, 2x8-inch steering ram, pinion-braked axle, but this one is linked to the truck via three control arms and a Panhard rod. A pair of 14-inch-stroke 2.5 Sway-A-Way coilovers keep the S-10 at the desired height.
Though we were really impressed...
Though we were really impressed with all of Scott's giant S-10, we think the '99 Vortec that looks factory-planted might be the topper. Scott skimped on nothing as he went to work using all factory GM parts to make the swap possible, even taking the time to hook up the A/C. He used Advance Adapters motor mounts to stuff the small-block between the S-10 framerails. The Vortec feeds power down to a TH400 tranny that spins an NP203/NP205 doubler transfer-case combo.
Scott cut the S-10 Blazer...
Scott cut the S-10 Blazer body extensively to fit the massive 49-inch Iroks, but he still retained his rear bench and front bucket seats for comfort. He even has the A/C hooked up to the new Vortec 350. As far as protection goes, Scott kept it pretty simple. He added some stout rectangular tube bumpers and some rocker guards (as if he's ever going to get close to those rocker panels).
Engine: '99 Vortec 350 V-8
Tranny: TH400 with shift kit and gated shifter
Transfer Case: NP203/NP205, all 32-spline
Front Axle: Rockwell 2 1/2-ton, Detroit Locker, full hydraulic steering, pinion brake
Rear Axle: Rockwell 2 1/2-ton, Detroit Locker, full hydraulic steering, pinion brake
Front Suspension: 54-inch Superlift leaf spring with Superlift 5000 shocks
Rear Suspension: Three-link rear with track bar, 14-inch stroke 2.5 S.A.W. coilovers
Winch: Warn 12,000-pound
Tires & Wheels: 49-inch Iroks on USA 6x6 17x14 double bead-lock wheels with custom 1/4-inch plate rock rings