M1009 Standard Shift Build(The Greatest Adventure)

[Richcz28]

Ok, so I have been the worst poster for some time now. It looks like I fizzled out after building the rear bumper with Deuling.

I actually hadn't done much work to Blazer since then besides routine maintenance. Translation: change balljoints multiple times and change diff fluid lots.

Last spring I went through the Blazer to get it ready for a Rausch Creek trip. I replaced basically every wearable part on the front end, because I was getting pretty decent wobbles at speed and the steering was a bit sloppy.

Here are a few pictures from Rausch.

 

[Richcz28]

I snapped a 14 bolt semi float shaft at the top of a trail and we had to summon a backhoe to help drag me limp back to camp on 3 wheels. I think that it is safe to conclude from this that wheeling a C-Clip axle on any size tire is bad idea. The most difficult part of the job was getting the c-clips into and out of the lockright. The axle also snapped in a way that it broke into many pieces and lodged chunks of itself inside the carrier. The carrier had to be removed and reinstalled in the parking lot.

Thanks to some ck5 magic a new axle appeared within hours and we stayed up till about 2 am rebuilding my axle shaft. I went out all day the next day, and was able to drive home that night.

 

[Richcz28]

This began the quest for 1 ton axles. I sourced a DRW Dana 60 locally for $500 and Deuling found a 14 bolt FF out of a Suburban or k20 for $150 that I picked up in Michigan this summer. I've since been saving parts for the build.

Both axles have 4.10 gears. They will stay this way for now, but I plan on upgrading to some larger numerical gears in the future.



My Dana 60 looked a lot cleaner in the dark. The housing itself is actually in real decent shape. Unfortunately, that was the only part. It did also come with a Dana 70 which is sitting in my driveway still....











I started by totally taking apart each axle except for the center sections, cleaning, and painting. Now I had a decent base to rebuild from.

 

[Richcz28]

I built the 14 bolt first as it was simpler. Pirate was a major help in sourcing the correct parts for both axle builds. If you haven't checked out those threads, it's a must to begin to successfully source all the parts.

I totally think rebuilding this axle on your own is an achievable and cost effective solution. I definitely made out better in the long run than getting a professionally refurbished 14 bolt. I still need a locker solution, but the 4 speed will be happy again for awhile.

Parts List:





Specialty Tools: coming soon


I will update soon with wheel stud part numbers. I know a few numbers that won’t work well now…..


You may find some of these parts cheaper than I did. I grabbed some parts locally because they were available when I wanted to work on things and others I purchased online. Definitely compare prices at rockauto. Although their catalog isn’t the most user friendly, they had some of the best pricing. I know I got burned on pricing on a few parts from local stores, but it is what it is. You may even notice that some parts are the same part number for the Dana 60 and the 14 bolt but yet I paid twice as much... ugh... One example is Bearing 387AS which locally I paid $22.50, for but sourced from RockAuto for $11.72 and then saved even more with the CK5 discount code.

I bet with super diligent shopping and price hunting I could've scraped $100 off of the total cost of my 14 bolt build, but at some point it was weighed against the price of my sanity and parts availability.


I purchased stainless bolts for the diff cover and pinion guard which are not in this tally. The bolts from Solid were too short for my comfort and Ruffstuff did not have stainless bolts available with their pinion guard. I know, my blazer won’t be shiny for long, but I prevent rust where I can.


The Solid Diff Cover is really a steal at $65.00. It’s better quality than I expected. I thought from the pictures it might look cheap, but it’s actually well cast and has just enough clearance for a hex bolt head and fits allens with ease. They also include RTV silicone. I’m using a lube locker anyways, but it’s nice to get the complete package. Like mentioned above, I did feel more comfortable running longer bolts. The ones supplied are actually shorter than the ones in the factory cover by about two threads.


Every part from Ruffstuff has fit perfectly so far. They have had great customer service. I’ve called them numerous times with part compatibility questions. They don’t have the best records of what works with their disc brake swaps, but it sounds like they are working on improving that and I’m guessing they will have a more comprehensive understanding of mixing parts together in the future. Ruffstuff also makes a much stronger spring plate than ones I have run in the past.

Also, I just discovered this forum does terrible things to formatting, even if you go through and reformat within the box. What is that about?

 

[Richcz28]

The lube locker fits well. The Solid cover has a lot of extra material and totally seals against the differential with some overhang which is nice.



These are the bolts included with the Solid cover in comparison with the factory cover bolts.



This is a comparison of the bolts I purchased and the Solid bolts.



I used Dana 60 Spindle Nuts on my rear spindles. They now match the front but as you can see there is a difference in height. The 14 bolt spindle nuts also include a bushing washer piece that rides against the bearings. As confirmed by Chris at Offroad Design, running that piece is unnecessary, and it is ok to make the swap.



It will never look this clean again.





It's time to find some bigger tires.

 

[Richcz28]

After building the 14 bolt I had some extra confidence in myself and set out to tackle the 60. This was definitely more challenging than working on a 10 bolt.

I think a ton of people are dreaming on the prices of these axles. I constantly see them on craigslist in DRW or SRW form for over $1000. Most have more rot and are in worse condition than the one I picked up from living under plow trucks or what not. If I had to choose between a used axle for $1200 and buying a refurbished one for around $2500 - $3000. I would definitely buy the refurb and I feel strongly that it would work out cheaper. Check out my parts list.

Unlike the 14 bolt build, where I felt like I could've been more frugal with the parts choices, every part I purchased for the 60 was the cheapest I could find. As it became obvious the buildup of this axle would be significantly more expensive, I spent extra time sourcing the least expensive parts available at the time. I don't think I could've saved much off my total cost if I were to build a 60 again.

If I had the means, I may have sourced a complete rebuilt axle from a known axle builder. The time involved in completely tearing it down, sourcing the correct parts, organizing, and rebuilding is definitely a commitment.

There are definitely a few parts in my list that bring the cost up that you don't get with a refurbished axle, like diff covers, u-bolts, steering arm, etc. But, I would've paid the couple hundred extra dollars for a refurb to save the time I've spent.

Parts List:



also ignore these wheel stud numbers for now... I could write up a seperate sheet for money spent on wheel studs

Specialty Tools: coming soon


Ignore the wheel stud part number for now... Those studs did not work. Apparently Solid makes 2 different front hubs for these axles with two different knurl diameters.

I think this list is missing trunion bearing cap seals. I just used silicone. There wern’t any seals there when I took them apart so I didn’t think they existed, but have since found people installing a paper seal similar to the kingpin cap seal.

I will say it again, make sure to check out the CK5 RockAuto discount code when you order from them.

Some part numbers refer to a “lower kingpin” and this is referencing the trunion bearing.


Also, the parts list PDF has additional part numbers to those listed in the video.

View attachment 248808

 

[Richcz28]

saved

 

[campfire]

Lots of saved posts!


Nice to see this thing still exists. I thought of it immediately after burying my stick-shift M1009 into a puddle on a long-haul camping trip.

P.S. - I also drove it home afterwards.

 

[Richcz28]

I'm sad to say that after that Rausch Creek trip, I finally picked up a tow rig and trailer. I don't regret not trailering all these years, but my ears are super happy when I have to do truck things.

 

[Chevy305]

I'm sad to say that after that Rausch Creek trip, I finally picked up a tow rig and trailer. I don't regret not trailering all these years, but my ears are super happy when I have to do truck things.

Ya we're not getting any younger either... I love my K10 but my Silverado has spoiled me with remote start and heated seats.

 

[jekquistk5]

Ya we're not getting any younger either... I love my K10 but my Silverado has spoiled me with remote start and heated seats.

Yup and heated steering wheel, A/c seats, sunroof, leather and app remote start.

 

[Richcz28]

All right, lets not get carried away. I still have vinyl bench seats like a real truck .

 

[campfire]

All right, lets not get carried away. I still have vinyl bench seats like a real truck .

Hahaha. The vinyl seat is the one thing I did swap out of my M1009. And I don't even have floor covering or dome lights.

 

[GWeakland620]

Nice updates. Thanks!

 

[78K30]

Like you I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and price of the Solid diff cover. The one for my 8.8 set me back $60, I haven’t banged it off any rocks yet though

 

[Richcz28]

Like you I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and price of the Solid diff cover. The one for my 8.8 set me back $60, I haven’t banged it off any rocks yet though

I have it on good authority that they bang off the rocks just fine, even with the little bolts. @newoldscottsdale77

 

[GWeakland620]

I had a Solid cover on my 44, and it held up great. They are a nice unit for sure.