My K1500 DD Tow Pig

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Supercharged111

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So I recently greased the chassis but couldn't get the front u joint on the rear driveshaft as the zero was pointing the wrong way. I yanked the driveshaft and got the front joint out, but I'll need to trim a little to get it back in. My attention then shifted to the cap that fell off the rear joint. I wiped down the joint itself and noticed this.

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So not much progress at all today. I bailed early so I could pick up a new wire cup brush and u joint for tomorrow. Fingers crossed I make actual progress.
 

454cid

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If you haven't done this before, be careful pounding those out. Use something in between the bearing cup and hammer, so there is no chance that you smash the groove for the clip. You can also pound on the part of the spider not in the shaft, and drive it both ways so that it pushes the bearings out as far as it can, then pull the spider out, and drive the bearings out from the inside with a drift. You might want to spray that with PB Blaster tonight so it's soaking in overnight. Be careful you don't bend the ears.

Also.... I'm lost on what you trimmed.

Is this original to the 98 K1500? I didn't think very many GMT-400's got aluminum.... V6's got those carbon fiber wrapped aluminum shafts that I believe were Dana/Spicer made.
 

Supercharged111

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Yeah original to this truck. I beat the other one out with an impact socket. No pics of what I need to trim, but the center part of the u joint will not fit into the yoke.
 

Supercharged111

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Got the driveshaft back in yesterday, the joint I flipped was a royal asspain but the new one went right in.

Also got my bushings and shackles in today. Unlike the garbage ass Doorman shackles, the Moog pieces came with new hardware and an 8 digit GM part number. :cool:


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And thus begins the joyous task of removing the old bushings and installing new. :893Chainsaw-Smilie-
 

Supercharged111

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Well I kicked the can on the springs today and popped in a new left front diff seal. Chased the threads for my new O2 sensor, removed the e brake cable, and knocked a bunch more rust off the left frame rail.
 

Supercharged111

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I backed out all the bolts for the plastic mounts that hold the fuel lines and rear brake line so I could clean those spots thoroughly as well as removed all six cab mount bolts. Lots of rust fell out of those, but the frame is still solid so it was the metal from the rubber mount itself that's disintegrated. I'm going to have to do the GMT900 mounts now as the rears were the worst. The rust on the frame was laid in stripes like this. I got it all down to shiny metal, but there was some very light pitting left behind.

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Gonna drop the spare tire so I can yank the hitch and clean up in there too.
 

454cid

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I want a new frame.... If I could find and NOS frame, and afford to buy it, I'd get it galvanized like the Rover guys do.

Do you have a lot more rust in the space where the fuel line transitions from steel to hose? Everything there is rusty on my truck. The new brake line that I had installed there 7 years ago has rusted enough to crack, and it was coated. The line under the cab looks ok, and the line past that point going to the axle looks almost new.
 

Supercharged111

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Nope, inside of the frame is nice and clean. The dirtiest part is what I just tackled. I noticed the same on my dually, rustiest out back where the tires kick up ****. The leading edges of my cross members are orange too. I have a spare trans cross member so I'll just have that powder coated and swap it out. Wishing I'd kept that torsion bar cross member off the wrecked truck now as I could do the same with it.
 

Supercharged111

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Managed to get the leaves and shackles out. Took a bit of lube and coercion. No broken bolts, but 1 u bolt had me worried. It had been in there since 2011. Bushings and shackles bushings especially we're hammered.

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Frame is coming along well enough. Gonna finish cleaning the back tomorrow so I can get the new springs in. . . after I pop new bushings into them.

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One thing that struck me as odd was that, as soon as I got the front and rear bolts out of the right leaf pack, the axle jumped a few inches to the front.

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The left side didn't budge when it came loose. Not sure if I should read into that. I think it'll be easier to get the new springs in by releasing the lower shock bolts. The axle is currently suspended by them and ratchet straps. I guess now I'm off to research those GMT900 cab mounts.
 
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