[blue00gt]

My friends and I were riding in a '79 Blazer on the way back home from the River on a 102' summer day. We had 4 people in the truck and I was in a seat where the seatbelt was broken (I ALWAYS wear my seatbelt, but couldn't this time). The bolt holding the steering box to the frame snapped due to fatigue from the extra stress of having a big lift and 35x12.50s. We went straight into an oak tree at 40 mph. I hit the back of the driver's seat (hard plastic) and busted my cheekbone, had 4 large lacerations on my head, broken tibia, my left foot turned all the way around and separated from the ankle, and plastic embedded in my knee. As soon as we hit the tree the truck caught on fire as the Holley Pro-jection system did not have an inertial cutoff and kept pumping gas on the motor. Luckily the driver was not injured and he pulled the two of us that survived the crash out. I had only short pants on and pulled myself back from the truck once he put me on the ground to escape the heat from the flames, unwittingly pulling my pants down my butt. I had 3rd degree burns on my azz because the pavement was over 160' and I couldn't even feel it burning because of shock. My other friend broke both legs and his girlfriend died on impact.

If you have a lifted Chevy 4x4 with big tires or know someone that does, check the steering box bolts that hold it to the frame!