My K1500 DD Tow Pig

[Supercharged111]

Since I love being miserable, I went ahead and did the driver's side today. I knocked the tops of the rivets off with an air chisel but couldn't punch them through the arm or even get the damn joint out.

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After a bunch of propane torching this was as good as it got. I ended up drilling them partway to reduce their grip on the arm, but left something for the air hammer to best on where it couldn't mushroom.

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After monkeying around with heat and brute force I can say this worked much better and didn't take very long. I saw on youtube where folks were drilling all the way through. No thanks.

 

[454cid]

I don't remember if my uppers were greasable. I know my steering parts were not. Do you see any markings on the ball joints, like "AAM"?

I've never had any success with air chisels/hammers. It could be I've never had enough air to push it, or maybe it was the air hammer itself.

 

[Supercharged111]

Early ones weren't greasable. Here's the top, 2217B.

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The rest is utterly caked in grease. I kept the joint because it seemed to be in decent shape. The boot wasn't even torn. Can't say the same about the non-OE joint I removed.

 

[Supercharged111]

Just had an alignment done on the truck, used a shop recommended by my hangar neighbor. Apparently I went in with -.3/+.3 of caster. The left side maxed out at +2 and the right at +.4. They sent me along with 0/+.1 and -.4/-.5 camber for no charge. Since he couldn't get it in spec he didn't want to have his name on it. I guess a trip to the frame shop is in order to get his right. That and less crank, so legit lift?

 

[Supercharged111]

Got my cruise working again. I hated not having it. I made a separate thread for it.

Cruise Control Repair

So the cruise died on my 98. I tried the Google machine and all I can find is the older vacuum stuff. I found one thread on here where @someotherguy mentioned failed solder joints, but nobody mentioned how to split the thing apart. That was the ONLY thread I found on my phone. I unscrewed the...

www.gmt400.com

 

[alpinecrick]

Just had an alignment done on the truck, used a shop recommended by my hangar neighbor. Apparently I went in with -.3/+.3 of caster. The left side maxed out at +2 and the right at +.4. They sent me along with 0/+.1 and -.4/-.5 camber for no charge. Since he couldn't get it in spec he didn't want to have his name on it. I guess a trip to the frame shop is in order to get his right. That and less crank, so legit lift?

So you think it may be a frame issue?
My 96 has a pull to it that NOBODY in 5 trips to 4 different alignment shops have been able to eliminate. EVERYTHING has been replaced in the front end from c-arm bushings to the hub bearing assemblies. My father bought the truck new and it's never been a wreck, and I have this sinking feeling it may be a frame thing.........

 

[Supercharged111]

So you think it may be a frame issue?
My 96 has a pull to it that NOBODY in 5 trips to 4 different alignment shops have been able to eliminate. EVERYTHING has been replaced in the front end from c-arm bushings to the hub bearing assemblies. My father bought the truck new and it's never been a wreck, and I have this sinking feeling it may be a frame thing.........

My suspicion is ****** build quality/tolerances. I've had the truck since 2009 and not hit anything. It doesn't look like the PO had the RF corner reassembled either.

 

[Supercharged111]

So I've been home the last week and one of the first things I did was flash a tune into the thing that disabled VE, so MAF only, and guess what? The starts are 99% just like the dually. Seems to be a pattern here. . . I suck ass at VE. But now I know why.

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Supposed to be a gif. . .

 

[Supercharged111]

Made it back from CA and this thing is back on DD status. Seems closed loop idle as is MAF only leaves a lot to be desired. Better news is it looks like the switch is what took a dump causing my 4wd to be intermittent. I unsnapped it from the bezel, but plugged it back in flopping around externally and I can get it to turn on and off repeatably just by wiggling it around. I just ordered a new GM switch. While not the end of the world here in CO, I am headed back to MI in a few weeks and the lake effect snow there will bury this thing in 2wd. Having 4wd means I don't have to exercise sound judgment. That and I can get my dumb@$$ that much more buried.

 

[Supercharged111]

New 4wd switch came in, just in time for a week of 60 degree weather.

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I repeated the wiggle test to prove the old one still flipped back and forth. New switch just stays lit up.

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The buttons even have a snappier response to them. Now I can go to MI in confidence next month.