'82 Chevy K5 BlazerWith Pw and Williams in the Ultimate Avalanche, the Jones/Kennedy half of the 4-Wheel & Off-Road staff had to finish up an 11th-hour build of Kennedy's K5 Blazer. We got the engine swap done a week before the start of UA only to find out the EFI calibration was too lean (melted spark plugs!) for the supercharged combination. Running on 611/42 cylinders, we made our way to Off Road Design in Grand Junction, Colorado, where we intended to add bumpers and a Dana 60 axle prior to the trip. Not only did the ORD staff get our K5 trail-prepped, but they also worked around the clock (literally) to rebuild the engine, trim the fenders, and even road-test the truck before sending us on our way.
Six days later, we left Colorado and met up with the group on Monday morning in Murphy, North Carolina, after a 30-hour thrash across the U.S. just in time to head out toward Monteagle, Tennessee. On the trail we suffered a power-steering leak, cut the only BFGoodrich Krawler of the trip, and took out the driver-side fender when Kennedy was playing bumper cars with a tree in Arkansas. We also tested the rev-limiter a couple of times when we forgot to shift our manual valve-bodied transmission, dented the driveshaft, and lost oil pressure just outside Albuquerque on the way home. But hey, there are worse ways to make a living.
Driver: David Kennedy, Los Angeles, CAEngine: 6.0L Vortec engine with Magnuson supercharger and TTS Power Systems exhaust Transmission: TCI Autocrawler TH700R4Transfer Case: NP241 with JB Conversions SYESuspension: Tuff Country 4-inch leaf springs with MX-6 shocks up front, stock leaf springs with Off Road Design shackle flip and Tuff Country shocks out backFront Axle: Dana 60, 5.13 gears, Detroit Electrac, Off Road Design crossover steeringRear Axle: 14-bolt, 5.13 gears, Detroit Locker, ORU disc brake conversionTires: 37x12.50-17 BFGoodrich KrawlersWheels: 17x811/42 Hutchinson Rock Monster bead locksSpecial Features: Off Road Design front and rear bumpers, speedometer replaced with Valentine One radar detector, Beard seats, Hella HID lights, Warn 9.5ti winch, 1410-rear driveshaft, Delphi XM radio
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