[smbrouss70]

The following weekend, a buddy came down for the weekend so that we could piece together a good under dash A/C out of all of the parts in my stash. While he was here I got him to help with a few things around the shop that I needed a second set of hands to do. Before he left, we changed the rear u-joint on my driveshaft since the 10-bolt takes a 3R u-joint that has the clips on the inside of the cups. When I went to install the driveshaft I found out that a 10-bolt has a longer pinion than the truck 12-bolt that was taken out... The driveshaft was now too long to fit.

Luckily, I had already picked up a second-hand ECE center crossmember. I figured I would put that in and make some 1/2" spacers to go between the crossmember and trailing arm brackets, which would center the rear wheels in the wheel wells better and give me more room for the driveshaft at the same time. Unfortunately, the borrowed air hammer that I was using just wasn't cutting it (literally) on the factory rivets, so I ordered an Ingersoll Rand long stroke air hammer and had to wait a week to get it in.

Once the air hammer came in, I tested it on 2 rivets before the A/C went out on the house. That finished off my weekend trying to get that fixed with limited parts availability on a weekend.

This past Monday, my wife had a 2 level cervical fusion surgery, so I haven't really been able to play in the shop. But this weekend, she told me to go get something done on the Blazer since I am running out of time to get it ready for HRPT. She figured she could text me if she needed me in the house to help her.

I was finally able to get the trailing arm crossmember changed out and the spacers made. The new air hammer is a BEAST! I still don't ever want to change out one of those crossmembers on a complete truck again though, it is way easier on a bare frame. Once I got it all back together tonight I aired it out and basked in the glory of centered rear wheels! Tomorrow, I will try to install my driveshaft again, it should fit now, but if not I can still get it shortened locally pretty quick.