I think my truck is trying to tell me something

[Yukon Jack]

So I was driving home from work two Thursdays ago in my 69 K20, going about 50 mph when all of a sudden there was an incredibly loud bang, followed by my truck diving to the right into another lane of traffic, narrowly missing striking a 1 ton Dodge crew cab followed by the front end shaking horribly. I thought for sure I'd struck that Dodge. I get pulled over expecting to find damage and a mad Dodge truck driver, but surprisingly we did not hit, he must have heard the noise and moved just enough to avoid collision. I did a quick inspection and couldn't find anything wrong which just didn't make any sense. Was able to pull onto a side road and then was able to get on empty dirt roads for the rest of the trip home, driving at about 15 mph. Wife and kids were also on their way home and when I reached home they were able to watch the truck and said the front passenger tire was wobbling. Turns out the outer housing of the hub broke completely around - I'll have to take a picture as I can't really describe the location of the break. Needless to say, the diameter of the hub on the closed knuckle axle is probably 4" and completely broke.

Just so happens that about two years ago I bought a 1984 1 ton crew cab for it's front axle and about three weeks ago I finally got it's dually hubs swapped with a friends Dana 60 SRW hubs (we both needed what the other had, except for gear ratio). So while I'd rather not have the break of my axle force me to do the install, it was going to happen in the next few weeks anyway.

Here's the donor beauty before loosing it's transfer case that ended up getting installed in my 69 K20 last winter when my Rockwell T221 gernaded, and before a buddy bought the rear axle for his gernaded Dana 60. Hmmm, lots of gernading going After selling the rear axle, this beauty cost me a whooping $600 - can't beat that for the front axle, NP205 and a spare SM465!

I've got the old axle out of the way and will be installing the Dana 60 soon. I bought the Superlift Dana 60 U-bolt kit for a pretty good price of $41 and I find it comes with studs rather than bolts - when I install the studs, will I want to put locktite on the stud threads going into the axle and do I need to torque these into place or just thread them down and rely on torquing the nut when I install the u-bolt plate?

 

[tRustyK5]

The studs do not get torqued into the housing. Run a tap into the housing and blow it out so the threads are nice and clean. Spin the studs in until they bottom, then torque the nuts. I never used lock-tite, mostly thinking it'd make it much harder to ever remove those studs later if I had to.

Pic's of the old diff please. Sounds like a pretty scary moment!

I had my first blow out on the Garbage truck on Friday. Thankfully I was sitting still waiting to make a left turn. It was so loud I thought the engine blew. The tire blew so violently it knocked the tire next to it off the bead.

I was pretty lucky, 5 more minutes and I would have been driving across the busiest bridge we have through rush hour.

Rene

 

[Yukon Jack]

Here is the 69 as she sits waiting the Dana 60

along with a pic of the Dana 60

the old Dana 44 axle

and a close up of the problem area - getting a light in there shows me that the big gap I was seeing must not be exactly as I thought.

The whole outer portion of the hub moves in and out about 3/8" but I think I am wrong about the hub breaking. Looks like something must have broken inside that is allowing the movement.

 

[tRustyK5]

Busted spindle maybe?

Rene

 

[mosesburb]

Holy drum brakes!! That will be the best part you ever got rid of and will thank whatever broke for making you swap your disc'd 60 in.

What a story!! Sounds like a "seat-foam-ectomy" was inorder. Glad you (and the truck) made it out unscathed.

 

[Yukon Jack]

My spring plates arrived today from 67K10 so I'm another step closer to bolting in the Dana 60 axle!

Got the axle sealed up and filled with very cold 80W90 - it's sitting under the springs as we speak waiting for me to get to bolting it into place.

Hopefully will have more picture laden updates before long.

 

[4X4HIGH]

My guess is one of the wheel bearings grenaded on you.

 

[Yukon Jack]

I'm pretty sure that is what happened at this point.

 

[70BlazerX2]

would you part out whats left of the knuckles on the old 69 dana44? I have one under my 70 blazer 4x4 and would not hurt to have a few extras. I also have another closed knuckle dana44 rear out of a 68 3/4 chevy and i was lucky to find nos front brake drums too.

 

[Yukon Jack]

70BlazerX2 - I don't know anything about the knuckles but with the 69 being a closed knuckle will they work with the axle under your 70 K5 - it should be an open knuckle unless you swapped in a closed knuckle axle.

 

[4X4HIGH]

I thought closed knuckle drum brake axles were up to 1970 then came the open knuckle disk brake axles starting in 1971.

 

[70BlazerX2]

Yes i swapped in the 69 closed knuckle front dana44 drum rear. and the ho52 rear,because i spent $1400 on the front rebuild and the rear is 4.10 with the rare locker. It is soon to have the body back off this winter and new paint. This is a rust free cali. tub. I got years ago. I need to get it done.

70BlazerX2 - I don't know anything about the knuckles but with the 69 being a closed knuckle will they work with the axle under your 70 K5 - it should be an open knuckle unless you swapped in a closed knuckle axle.

 

[70BlazerX2]

Here is what i am also working on. It was a 69 K20 now had a dana60 front (dually) and dana70HD rear out of a 87 ton I will get better pics tomorrow it has stock 87 K30 front springs and this thing is high. it is goign to have a 8foot flat/dump bed on it.

 

[70BlazerX2]

forgot pic

 

[Yukon Jack]

I thought closed knuckle drum brake axles were up to 1970 then came the open knuckle disk brake axles starting in 1971.

Nope, the 70 had a drum braked, open knuckle Dana 44 - good ole GM has to make it confusing That is what my 70 K5 had in it before I swapped in a 78's 3/4 ton axles, Dana 44 up front and 14 bolt FF out back.

 

[70BlazerX2]

My uncle had a 1970 K30 single wheel and it was closed knuckle dana60 front drum. The is the 70 only front drum that you cannot get anywhere. I grew up around that truck,thats why i bought the 69 K20 when i found one.

 

[Yukon Jack]

When I get the axle in place and start tightening down the u-bolts I've found the studs for the passenger side u-bolt plate are not threaded enough - I guess I'll have to either get more threads cut in them or get some bolts to use instead of the studs. Have to see if a buddy has a thread cutting die that large - I think I would prefer to stay with the studs instead of bolts, but may not matter too much one way or the other.

As for a 1970 K30 - as far as I have learned, the first 1 ton 4wd wasn't offered by Chevy/GMC until 1977 or 1978.

 

[tRustyK5]

Woulda been '77.

Rene

 

[Yukon Jack]

Got a couple 3" 5/8" bolts picked up today and got the axle snugged in to place. Fingers were a bit numb (17 degrees out) and didn't have time to do more so here is a minimal pic update.

 

[K10 KRAWLER]

Got a couple 3" 5/8" bolts picked up today and got the axle snugged in to place. Fingers were a bit numb (17 degrees out) and didn't have time to do more so here is a minimal pic update.

Don't Forget to re-torque your Bolts that are holding the springs to your D60. I used bolts like you and they did loosen off after awhile, I try to keep an eye on them. I believe that studs are the proper way to attach it, but mine is a trail only rig.