My 1997 S10(56k warning)

[HankHill]

Well I got my fog lights in and my grille painted, so I figured I'd just make a timeline of my truck. I bought it in july 2006. Here is one of the first pics I have of it
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z126/mb252/MyTruck2-2.jpg
After that I tinted the tail lights
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z126/mb252/Picture049.jpg
And just today I painted my grille black and got my fog lights put in and wired up.
Beforehttp://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z126/mb252/front-1.jpg
and afterhttp://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z126/mb252/Picture051.jpg

[HankHill]

Here are two more pics I took today
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z126/mb252/Picture053.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z126/mb252/Picture052.jpg
Next thing on the list is to get some herculiner and do the rocker panels and inside the bed.

[Ron]

Looks good.

[HankHill]

Thanks Ron.

[brakemaster_43]

i agree, it does look better than the chrome. i like chrome, but not alot. i see some trucks with everything chrome, door handle, fender trim,grills, bumpers, rims, bed caps/ rails, gas doors, 3rd brake light trim, tail lights, and thats just the outside and i know i missed somethings. that is just overkill IMO.

[brakemaster_43]

oh yeah i forgot to add, nice looking truck. :thumbsup:

[HankHill]

oh yeah i forgot to add, nice looking truck. :thumbsup:

Thanks man. A little update, taillights are no longer black. I was informed that a state trooper is writing tickets for head and tail light covers, so just to be safe I went back stock. I forgot to add that I took all the emblems off too.

[HankHill]

I got some new wheels. They're off an olds bravada.
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z126/mb252/witholdswheels.jpg

Well not really. I wanted an idea of what they would look like, and I think they look pretty good. What do you guys think? I know where a set is at a local scrap yard, but I didn't ask the price.

[Rinkrat456]

(sings in a Christmas-y tone) It's beginning to look a lot like....A lifted truck...just now needs the lift.

The grille turned out really nice. It looks just like I imagined it would back in your other thread.

Word of advice if you are going taller later...look for 2wd rims instead of 4wd rims. They'll push the wheels out more from having less backspacing, and will allow you to clear 31's with a little trimming and an inch or two of lift.

Time to coat those naked rocker panels with something...hmm...what could that something be? :D

[Justin_614]

yet another Justin Brown truck looking good... allthough this is a lighter shade. I have yet to see another S10 that exactly matches my color.

[HankHill]

I'll probably end up getting a set of cragar soft 8's like everyone else has, but I may try to find a cheap set of zq8's either 1st or 2nd design.
(sings in a Christmas-y tone) It's beginning to look a lot like....A lifted truck...just now needs the lift.

I'll have to wait until summer to get a lift I guess, or atleast until business picks up. Painting houses in the winter sucks.
yet another Justin Brown truck looking good... allthough this is a lighter shade. I have yet to see another S10 that exactly matches my color.

I'm with you Justin, CHROME SUCKS!!

[Justin_614]

Chrome does suck... And the Cragars... :thumbsup4:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v682/GrimJoe/PictureorVideo167746.jpg

[Rinkrat456]

I'll probably end up getting a set of cragar soft 8's like everyone else has, but I may try to find a cheap set of zq8's either 1st or 2nd design.
I have a new apartment that needs painting, but the drive from NC to MN, then back, might negate any financial gain. :p

Cragars are often found in 8" wide wheels with 4" of backspacing. That would be perfect for you. On a side note, 16x8's will make finding a taller tire cheaper and much easier.

[Larzz012]

(sings in a Christmas-y tone) It's beginning to look a lot like....A lifted truck...just now needs the lift.

The grille turned out really nice. It looks just like I imagined it would back in your other thread.

Word of advice if you are going taller later...look for 2wd rims instead of 4wd rims. They'll push the wheels out more from having less backspacing, and will allow you to clear 31's with a little trimming and an inch or two of lift.

Time to coat those naked rocker panels with something...hmm...what could that something be? :D


The more i think of it pat, the more i'd rather just have a two-toned truck and skip the hurculiner. My friend Dave did his whole truck in hurculiner only because the truck was worth probably one of your tires. Paint can come off or be changed if you want, you put hurculiner on, and it wont come off. So if you wanted to change it, you cant and it would just look stupid overall having just the rockers covered in tar. However, no rust.

[Justin_614]

how does that look... My buddy is about to paint his Burb with Herculiner.

[Larzz012]

it took him 2 full kits or whatever to do his tacoma. inside too... he didnt do the bed, its still uh... plastic bedliner lol. it didnt look too bad but i'd only do it on a truck that i dont care what it looks like. like my snowplow truck :) i'd use hurculiner on that. lol i didnt like it on Pat's truck because the black fades, the texture becomes smoothed out. Its just a waste of bed liner. Its all preference and depending on what his truck is going to be like all day driver like mine or Pat's or whether its going to be the snowplow no care truck. My friends was a no care truck. He needs a truck to get to school and his name is Scott, not Dave.... dave was smart and quit menards lol

[HankHill]

I have a new apartment that needs painting, but the drive from NC to MN, then back, might negate any financial gain. :p

Cragars are often found in 8" wide wheels with 4" of backspacing. That would be perfect for you. On a side note, 16x8's will make finding a taller tire cheaper and much easier.
Yeah sorry man, but I don't think the drive would be worth it.lol Especially when I only get about 17mpgat best . So 16" tires would be cheaper than 15" in a 31x10.50?

[HankHill]

I did a quick chop(not very good at this yet) with the soft 8's and IMO they look awesome. They follow the "chrome sucks" theme of the truck, and the best part is that they're my kind of cheap. :D
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z126/mb252/withcragars.jpg

[Rinkrat456]

I think they'll look very similar to these. :D

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n214/Rinkrat456/100_5899.jpg

[Justin_614]

no matter what... 15's or 17's (mine) they look good in the snow and on our trucks
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v682/GrimJoe/PictureorVideo167761.jpg

[Rinkrat456]

That they do.

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n214/Rinkrat456/side2.jpg

[Evil_SpeedRacer]

That is very sharp looking with the black grill. I like the olds wheels on there, they almost look aftermarket at first glance. I bet they would look better powdercoated black to match the theme you have going on there.

[HankHill]

That is very sharp looking with the black grill. I like the olds wheels on there, they almost look aftermarket at first glance. I bet they would look better powdercoated black to match the theme you have going on there.
Thanks. I like the olds wheels too, and if I was going to keep it stock I would probably get them. But like Rink said, since I'm going with a taller and wider tire I need a wheel with 2wd backspacing. I could get the olds wheels and run spacer/adapters, but those things aren't cheap, and I'm all about cheap.lol The cragars will run me a little over $200 if I get the 16".

[Rinkrat456]

The cragars will run me a little over $200 if I get the 16".Well worth it. You'll have more tire choices to choose from as well as cheaper prices. 16x8's for sure.

What size tires are you wanting to run? (guestimate on diameter and width)

[HankHill]

31x10.50's I guess. They seem to be the most common.

[Rinkrat456]

And also the most boring. 265/75R16's will be 31.6x" tall and 10.4x" wide depending on manufacturer. That's also the most common truck tire in existence making it quite easy to find different makes/models and prices for your selection. If you're worried about a little rubbing, 265/70R16 is also another very common tire found on many Tahoes, Suburbans, F-150's and Dodge Durangos.

[HankHill]

Thanks rink. I really like these
http://www.discounttiredirect.com/direct/findTireDetail.do?c=4&sw=false&cs=265&pc=40193&rd=16&ar=75.
Don't you have nitto's too?

[Larzz012]

Pat, was my tires really 153$ a piece? i thought they were way cheaper than that. price go up on them?

[Rinkrat456]

Yes I do. They're an awesome tire, I think you'll like them. Quiet, great snow traction, acceptable mud traction and all around off-road capabilities. It's a tire true to the name "All-Terrain" because it does that well.

Here's mine. Just a tad larger. :D
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n214/Rinkrat456/SAS/DSC01045.jpg

[HankHill]

What about these...http://www.thefuzionzone.com/xti_flames.asp?
I haven't heard anything about them. They're pretty cheap, a little over $400 for the set, but if they're no good it would make more sense to get the nitto's.

[Rinkrat456]

I'd definitely go with the Nitto's. The tread on the Fuzions looks too passive and highway friendly to be on a lifted truck. The Terra Grapplers will probably be the cheapest all-terrain tire you can find for the quality they provide. Only other tires semi-close to the same quality would be the BFGoodrich Rugged Trail TA's in a P265/75R16. That's another thing, if possible, find a tire that is P rated rather than an LT. The Nitto's are LT's. However, if you were to find rims like Justin_614 just got, the 17x8's or so...the Nitto Terra Grapplers come in a P265/70R17 instead which will give you the soft ride like you have now with the aggressive tread.

I'd look for 16's or 17's. Anything bigger on an S-truck just seems way too big and doesn't offer enough sidewall, especially on a lifted truck designed for a little abuse. Plus, 18+ rim sizes get expensive and so do their tires! :frustrate

[HankHill]

Thanks again rink. I'll probably get the 16" cragars and the nitto's. I'd like to get a set of 17", but then if I find a set of zq8's I'll have to buy new tires again. It will be this summer before I do anything major, due to lack of funds. I still need to get shackles and a bodylift too, but I'm hoping that the bodylift will be a birthday present :D .

[Rinkrat456]

Ya body lift's aren't that expensive for our years. Price has gone up since I did mine, but then again what hasn't these days. :rolleyes:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/94-97-Chevy-S10-S15-Sonoma-ZR2-2in-Body-Lift-Kit-102_W0QQitemZ310023971292QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item3 10023971292

Shackles I could make for ya but I'm not pulling the welder out till it warms up so perhaps May. I made a set for Answer_069 1.5" lift shackles and he's got a thread somewhere about his install. 1.5" is as tall as they should be anyways.

[HankHill]

Just a small update: I finally cranked the torsion bars up 1.5", and this week I should be ordering 1.5" shackles. I'm thinking that the 235/75's I have now will look too small, so I doubt if I'll put the shackles on until I get some bigger tires. I hope to herculine the rockers by the end of the month, when I do I'll be sure to post pics.

[HankHill]

I'm thinking of getting these shackles, does anyone know anything about them:http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-S10-rear-lift-shackles-1-5-2-or-3-lift_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33585QQihZ012QQite mZ220242460868QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

[HankHill]

Or does anyone know of a cheaper/better set? One of the reasons I like those is because they look cool :wink:

[HankHill]

My shackles should be here tomorrow, and I'm finally going to order a set of Cragar soft 8's. They'll either be 15x8 or 16x8 with 4" backspacing. My question now is with my current setup, 1.5" tbar crank and 1.5" shackles, what size tire can I run on the cragars without rubbing? I'm thinking a 30x9.50 may be the biggest I should go.

[Rinkrat456]

16x8's would be my choice. If you're looking into 30's, then 245/75R16 will fit the bill nicely. A 245/75R16 is offered by many off-road tire manufacturers and it's 30.5" tall by 10" wide on an 8" wide wheel. If you want a little wider tire, but same height, a 265/70R16 will be the same 30.5-30.7" tall and 10.5" wide on an 8" wide wheel. Later on too if you lift your truck even more, 16's will make it quite easy to find tires for. 265/75R16 - 31.5x10.5 basically, 285/75R16 - 32.5x11 basically, 295/75R16 33.5x11.50 basically, 315/75R16 - 35x12.50. You'll have options for sure, much more with a 16 than a 15 inch rim.

[HankHill]

I got my blazer lights today. They came with the brackets and wiring pigtails too. So once I get a grille, I'll post pics of them installed. Here is a cell phone pic of the lights
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z126/mb252/blazerlights.jpg

[HankHill]

I just went and picked up a composite grille today. I got it for $15, and so far I only have about $60(Thank you EBAY:D) in the headlight swap. If all goes as planned I'll have completed pics by the end of this weekend.

[s10xtremist]

Sweet! Ever since I saw Mirage's truck with the '97 Blazer grille on it I almost wanted to get a '94-'97 S10 just so I could make it look like his.

http://www.mys10.com/yourtruck/showphoto.php?photo=70&cat=500&ppuser=280

[HankHill]

Here are some better pics of my blazer lights and grille.
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z126/mb252/Picture057.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z126/mb252/Picture056.jpg

[rsfallen]

that looks really good im thinking of doing this for my 95 how hard was it? was it just take the old one out put the new one in or did u have the make some mods?

[s10xtremist]

Nice improvement over the sealed-beam lights. Good job!:thumbsup3
I think it would look even better if you color-matched the bumper. Although, with it being a 4wd, the black gives it a bit of a "tougher" edge.

[HankHill]

that looks really good im thinking of doing this for my 95 how hard was it? was it just take the old one out put the new one in or did u have the make some mods?

It's a very straight forward swap. You will need the blazer lights, mounting brackets, and wiring pigtails. The only problem is that the old sealed beam lights have different mounting holes than the blazer brackets. It's an easy fix though. You just have to get some u nuts(http://shop.comdir.co.uk/ProductPicResize.aspx?strProductID=qjwiovmuoq&intPixelSize=200). Any parts store will have them. If you decide to do it and need any help feel free to ask any questions. If you need I can take pictures to help.

Nice improvement over the sealed-beam lights. Good job!:thumbsup3
I think it would look even better if you color-matched the bumper. Although, with it being a 4wd, the black gives it a bit of a "tougher" edge.

Thanks. I'm going to either spray paint or herculine the bumper, I haven't decided yet. I don't think I've ever seen a herculined front bumper, so if anyone can find one please post it.

[rsfallen]

if you could pm or email me some pics that would be great, i really like the blazer swap and i want to do it once i get time and once i can find cheap lights and what not

[HankHill]

I'll try to write up a how-to this weekend. That way anyone who wants to do the swap will have something to go by.

[rsfallen]

sounds good thanks alot!

[Evil_SpeedRacer]

Thats a good lookin truck! I like the toughness factor the blacked out grille adds. I tried to find bumpers with the liner on them but could not. Seems like it would be okay though. I thought about lining the inside of the cab on my truck.

[Tricky]

Yeah that looks a lot better.
Nice easy bit of customisation.
Now you want to get some HID lamps and light up the woods!!!

[HankHill]

My plan for my truck is slowly coming together. I just bought a performance accessories 2" body lift for $51!!! Although shipping is $30, I still got one heck of a deal. I FREAKIN LOVE EBAY!!

[HankHill]

It was nice outside today so I snapped a few pics of the truck. Only new addition is a toolbox.
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z126/mb252/DSC_0245.jpg
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z126/mb252/DSC_0246.jpg
Here are the shackles that I still haven't put on yet.lol
http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z126/mb252/DSC_0250.jpg

[Dirty_S15]

Looking good! where did you get those shackles from?

[HankHill]

I bought them off ebay. 3 leaf fab is who makes them but I think they are sold out right now. I haven't seen any on ebay in a long time.

[steve]

How much lift will those sweet shackles give you?

[HankHill]

How much lift will those sweet shackles give you?

About 1.75". They make them up to 3", but I think they look like crap because they hang down so low.

[HankHill]

Does anyone know how many second gen s10 came with a manual transfer case? It seems that the push button 4wd was standard equipment, and the manual shifter was an option. I've told a few people that mine has a manual shifter and then been called a liar. It's not that important, so that's why I didn't create a new thread.