Re: This Blazer corners!
I know this truck.
Met the owner a couple years back when one of the NH clubs was having an autocross @ Story Land. Saw the truck from across the parking lot and immediately had to look closer. Real nice guy to talk to, spent most of an hour looking it over and talking with him. Even with all the other racers and spectators there, nobody else seemed to be interested enough to come look at it. I think that he enjoyed that someone understood what it was and appreciated the work he had done.
I remember a cage, built small block, fabricated A-arms in the front end. Engine compartment & interior were pretty much stripped of all extraneous hardware. Rear is a quickchange IIRC - the video would tend to confirm that based on the sounds. Definitely spooled/locked and on a 3 link/torque arm. The bed surface was removed to permit the suspension installation. I think he was working on installing an elevated floor to seal it back up. Imagine local circle track racing parts blended onto a 2WD Blazer and you'll have a good visual of what it is.
Watched him run the course that day, very fast on the upper lot open section but the combination of the locked rear and 3-link really threw it fits on the lower tight portion. Large amounts of understeer were apparent & he appeared to be working hard to keep it in line. That's probably why I remember the rear suspension so well, thinking about the setup afterwards to try to understand what I had seen on the track. The low roll stiffness typical of those setups coupled with the locked rear and limited front end travel would explain why it acts the way it does. Watch the corner sequence again and it see if you agree.
Nonetheless it seems to be working for him. He said it regularly pisses off some of the other entrants at the longer events when they can't grasp how they lose to a truck that he welded together in his garage.
- J