Lift kit for M1009

Ilikemtb999 · Aug 19, 2017

I'm still running my stock front drive shaft. I've only got a 2" lift over stock though so unsure on with a 4" lift.

nathus · Aug 20, 2017

Hello everybody,

I'm asking your help again because I have an extra problem with my lift kit.
Unfortunately 4 inch is a little to tall for my garage, didn't expect that... Could'nt believe how stupid I was, but anyway I have to solve the problem.

I'm not to concerned about the front, but I'll have a problem with the back of the truck.
Would it be possible to cut the blocks from 4" to 3" , without making them weak ?
BUT what about the shocks ? They are made for 4" lift will they work normally or this is not advised ?

Also wanted to ask, Is it bad (for the look but especially for the ride and reliability) to have 1 inch more in the front than in the back ?
Actually the suspension is made for a gas engine, so I guess I won't have a real 4 inch in the front because the engine is heavier.
The difference between front and rear will probably less that 1" but I'm wondering if it's very commun to have a non "equilibrate" car...

Thanks already for your help.
Nathan

nathus · Aug 22, 2017

anybody ?

Csm Davis · Aug 23, 2017

nathus said:
Hello everybody,

I'm asking your help again because I have an extra problem with my lift kit.
Unfortunately 4 inch is a little to tall for my garage, didn't expect that... Could'nt believe how stupid I was, but anyway I have to solve the problem.

I'm not to concerned about the front, but I'll have a problem with the back of the truck.
Would it be possible to cut the blocks from 4" to 3" , without making them weak ?
BUT what about the shocks ? They are made for 4" lift will they work normally or this is not advised ?

Also wanted to ask, Is it bad (for the look but especially for the ride and reliability) to have 1 inch more in the front than in the back ?
Actually the suspension is made for a gas engine, so I guess I won't have a real 4 inch in the front because the engine is heavier.
The difference between front and rear will probably less that 1" but I'm wondering if it's very commun to have a non "equilibrate" car...

Thanks already for your help.
Nathan

That is why I don't generally buy a complete lift kit, it makes the rear of the truck really higher than I like. As to cutting the blocks, maybe, it is according to the way they are made, if welded steel, no big deal just cut it up and have it welded back together, cast iron I wouldn't mess with just make new ones.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

nathus · Sep 5, 2017

Hi Everybody,

Time to give you feedback

I have finally installed the lift kit as it came (blocks + leafs +4").
For those who are afraid to instal this, it's quiet easy even without inscrutions but it takes a lot of time when you never did it before. Most nuts are stuck and they can drive you crazy...

Time to speak about the issues :

And I have some

!

I noted that I received some brackets to extend my brakelines BUT I don't I have any idea about how or where you have to instal these. I don't have anything similar on my truck right now. I'll post some pisctures about these in the coming days.
So far, I didn't change something on the brakelines but I had the impression that my brake pedal is more stiff than berfore. (Didn't really drive with the truck so far to test it)...

Worse, I drove like 20 meters with the truck to get it parked and it seems that I have a lot of vibration that I did'nt have before. I didn't instal shims bceause the blocks were angled. Is it alsways like that ?
I wasn't able to measure the angles before and after because I forgot to do it and because I couldn't find the angle meter you all seem to us in the US.
I guess it's comming from a drive shaft... But which one ? And what can I do ?

It was hard also to decide which block has to go left and which one right ; like I said they are not straight but angled.
The original pads where the leafs are touching the axle are also a little angles. Looking from the rear they are going diagonaly down.
I decided to keep that diagonal +- same direction on the upper part op the blocks. Is it correct ?

I also have a hose that goes from the differentiel to the bodem of the body. More or less above the gas tank, That hose is also to tighen but I don't know what it's made for and how to extend it. An idea ?

My steering has an issue also, my wheel is more than 45° incorrect, how can I fix that ?

I hope this small post will help some other novices like me , and still count on the pro's to help us

Regards
Nathan

Ilikemtb999 · Sep 5, 2017

They have angle finder apps for smart phones. Without pictures I cannot give suggestions.

Your need to adjust the steering linkage from the pitman arm to the knuckle. It's at the drivers wheel well. It's easy to figure out.

Cant help on the brackets for the brake lines. I use extended lines instead of bandaid brackets.

The line on the diff is the diff vent. You could easily just replace the hose......none of this is rocket science.

The FLU farm · Sep 5, 2017

nathus said:
I hope this small post will help some other novices like me...

I hope it deters people without basic logical abilities from attempting the simple task of lifting a leaf sprung vehicle with live axles.

Also, it's against better knowledge that I reply to these posts, as they reek of "I have nothing better to do than waste my and others' time by pretending to install a lift kit".
Posting just a picture of ANYTHING related to this might sway me a little. Better yet, a photo of the boarding pass(es). And, no, even though it would be perfectly natural for normal people to take photos while on a trip abroad, in this case a photo from the USA would only confirm my suspicion that this is where you live.
As it is, I have a hard time believing that you managed to take two international flights if you indeed are as stupid as you are trying to sound.

On a positive note, your posts are getting easier to read as you seem to forget to misspell words more frequently now.

nathus · Sep 5, 2017

The FLU farm said:
I hope it deters people without basic logical abilities from attempting the simple task of lifting a leaf sprung vehicle with live axles.

Also, it's against better knowledge that I reply to these posts, as they reek of "I have nothing better to do than waste my and others' time by pretending to install a lift kit".
Posting just a picture of ANYTHING related to this might sway me a little. Better yet, a photo of the boarding pass(es). And, no, even though it would be perfectly natural for normal people to take photos while on a trip abroad, in this case a photo from the USA would only confirm my suspicion that this is where you live.
As it is, I have a hard time believing that you managed to take two international flights if you indeed are as stupid as you are trying to sound.

On a positive note, your posts are getting easier to read as you seem to forget to misspell words more frequently now.

Dear Sir,

As I can see, you have a lot of imagination and a lot of time to waste.
But let me tell you something ; you can believe me or not, insult me or not, Honestly I don't care at all !
I can imagine you in front of your computer, old - little - frustrated man who has nothing else to do than imagine funny stories about forums, people and cars. It's quiet funny actually and you make me smile ; Thank you for that.

But for the other people who wants to learn something here, I'm not so sure about your relevance.
I'm very sorry for all of you ! Hopefully this will be solved soon.

nathus · Sep 5, 2017

Ilikemtb999 said:
They have angle finder apps for smart phones. Without pictures I cannot give suggestions.

Your need to adjust the steering linkage from the pitman arm to the knuckle. It's at the drivers wheel well. It's easy to figure out.

Cant help on the brackets for the brake lines. I use extended lines instead of bandaid brackets.

The line on the diff is the diff vent. You could easily just replace the hose......none of this is rocket science.

Hi,

Thank you for the app suggestion ! I don't know in how far I trust this tool but I'll try for sure

"Vent for the diff", is this a kind a way to cool the differential ?
I'll make some pictures and post them asap.
But is it common to use correct the angle with shims even when the blocks are angled ?

Bighorn · Sep 5, 2017

As for the driveline angles after a lift kit;
If you are using the stock driveshaft and it has 2 u-joints total.
The two u-joints should rotate on a parallel plane to each other.
For a cardan shaft (typical front driveshaft m1009) with 3 u-joints, you point the pinion directly at the output of the transfer case.
Most likely your front shaft is still long enough but your rear driveshaft is almost certainly too short after a 4 inch lift.
It could be your slip yoke is near the end of it's travel and wobbling or very nearly ready to separate on a bump.
Best advice; go to a driveline shop and get it checked out.

The FLU farm · Sep 5, 2017

nathus said:
Dear Sir, As I can see, you have a lot of imagination and a lot of time to waste.
But let me tell you something ; you can believe me or not, insult me or not, Honestly I don't care at all !
I can imagine you in front of your computer, old - little - frustrated man who has nothing else to do than imagine funny stories about forums, people and cars. It's quiet funny actually and you make me smile ; Thank you for that.

But for the other people who wants to learn something here, I'm not so sure about your relevance.
I'm very sorry for all of you ! Hopefully this will be solved soon.

I wish I had time to play along with your little game, which I did for a while, before realizing what you're (most likely) doing.
Besides, I completely fail to comprehend what anyone with three or more functional brain cells could possibly need to learn about installing a K-5 lift kit that couldn't be found on Google or by reading the instructions.
And should you indeed be for real, and as far away as you claim to be, I'm thankful for the fact that I won't be anywhere near you when you're driving. Especially a modified vehicle, and even more so if you had anything to do with those modifications.
But please go ahead and prove me wrong, using that smart phone you claim to have to take a photo and post it. That much you may be able to do without asking others how to do it.

doghead · Sep 6, 2017

Enough ...

fwiw, his ip address is Belgium.

nathus · Sep 18, 2017

doghead said:
Enough ...

fwiw, his ip address is Belgium.

Thanks for defending! HAHA

Even if I have nothing to prove to anybody here ...
I chose to answer the post before yours, on the the French style : "on répond aux crétins par le silence..." For the one's who want to translate, help yourself

nathus · Sep 18, 2017

Hi again everybody,

Could finally find sometime to test and drive the truck a little more.
I could fix the steering wheel problem by turning on the draglink, which worked easily. thank you for the info

!

I took some pictures for the brackets who are supposed to reloc my brakelines and extend them. I have an idea for the back one, although I'm not sure and I would have the delete an existing bracket.
But for the front I don't understand at all what or where I can use what I get...
They don't look that short on the road but I guess on holes or bombs they will be.

For the driveshaft, I took some pictures also but I don't think they will be very useful for you guys.
I feel vibration at low speed. Like 5-10 mph, even more if I am driving on a hill. I vibrated more than before, although enough to notice it. But It stops quiet quickly as soon as the speeds goes up.
It still scares me and doesn't look very healthy.

I also noticed that my steering has more "play" than before.
Is this frequent ?

Already thanks for yours relevant answers

nathus · Sep 18, 2017

some pictures

Bighorn · Sep 18, 2017

nathus said:
View attachment 700006 View attachment 700007 View attachment 700008 View attachment 700009 View attachment 700010 View attachment 700011

Your driveshaft absolutely MUST be lengthened.
I worked at a driveline service and built driveshafts all day long.
Go take a seal to center measurement and contact a local or online driveline company.
(Measure directly from the seal surface on the output of the transfer case in a direct line to the center of the u-joint cup on the pinion yoke of the rear differential while the truck is level.)
This is the number you will give to the driveshaft builder.
Tell them you have an NP208 transfer case and a GM corp 10 bolt 8.5 rear differential with a 3R pinion yoke.
They can do the rest.
Do not take your driveshaft to the shop without this number or without the truck.. it makes us crazy. Also do not measure with a piece of string.. Just a real number from a tape measure Thankyou.
Do NOT take that truck off road until you do.
What can happen ,in your case, is you hit a bump and the slip yoke comes out of the housing and off the splines and ends up slapping the ground or even acting like a pogo stick.
Just drive like a grandma if you have to until you fix that.
Besides, your u-joints are the original factory glued 3R and probably dry as dust inside along with the factory weights; this driveshaft has never been rebalanced.
Now you have changed the angles on them drastically and from experience, they will die shortly.
Get that driveshaft lengthened, u-joints replaced and rebalanced.
The front driveshaft is most likely okay because they began at a lesser angle stock and the lift doesn't affect them as much and they have a CV on the t-case end, but hey.. might not be a bad idea to remove it also and have it checked out.

Those brake line brackets are worthless.
Go here; http://offroaddesign.com/catalog/braidedbrakelines.htm
and buy some extended lines.

Hard to tell in the pictures but your pinion angle looks okay.
I'd say you got the blocks in the right way around.
By the way; on that driveshaft, if you decide to build a new one there are 1350 slip yokes and 1350 end yokes and 1350 pinion yokes available that hold a stronger u-joint capable of more angle before it binds.
The 3R u-joint you have there is fine but if you are spending the money and planning to wheel this rig hard, might as well spend the money once, yes?

As for the "play in the steering" after a lift.. Yep, Normal.

Ilikemtb999 · Sep 18, 2017

That yoke is dangling out quite far. Almost looks like the pinion angle is a touch pointed down but doesn't look horrible. Plus with those tall blocks you'll have a bunch of axle wrap so it'll probably get fairly equal. I've never dealt with relocation brackets. I gave you a source for cheap extended front lines.

nathus · Sep 20, 2017

Bighorn said:
Your driveshaft absolutely MUST be lengthened.
I worked at a driveline service and built driveshafts all day long.
Go take a seal to center measurement and contact a local or online driveline company.
(Measure directly from the seal surface on the output of the transfer case in a direct line to the center of the u-joint cup on the pinion yoke of the rear differential while the truck is level.)
This is the number you will give to the driveshaft builder.
Tell them you have an NP208 transfer case and a GM corp 10 bolt 8.5 rear differential with a 3R pinion yoke.
They can do the rest.
Do not take your driveshaft to the shop without this number or without the truck.. it makes us crazy. Also do not measure with a piece of string.. Just a real number from a tape measure Thankyou.
Do NOT take that truck off road until you do.
What can happen ,in your case, is you hit a bump and the slip yoke comes out of the housing and off the splines and ends up slapping the ground or even acting like a pogo stick.
Just drive like a grandma if you have to until you fix that.
Besides, your u-joints are the original factory glued 3R and probably dry as dust inside along with the factory weights; this driveshaft has never been rebalanced.
Now you have changed the angles on them drastically and from experience, they will die shortly.
Get that driveshaft lengthened, u-joints replaced and rebalanced.
The front driveshaft is most likely okay because they began at a lesser angle stock and the lift doesn't affect them as much and they have a CV on the t-case end, but hey.. might not be a bad idea to remove it also and have it checked out.

Those brake line brackets are worthless.
Go here; http://offroaddesign.com/catalog/braidedbrakelines.htm
and buy some extended lines.

Hard to tell in the pictures but your pinion angle looks okay.
I'd say you got the blocks in the right way around.
By the way; on that driveshaft, if you decide to build a new one there are 1350 slip yokes and 1350 end yokes and 1350 pinion yokes available that hold a stronger u-joint capable of more angle before it binds.
The 3R u-joint you have there is fine but if you are spending the money and planning to wheel this rig hard, might as well spend the money once, yes?

As for the "play in the steering" after a lift.. Yep, Normal.

Hi,

Thanks a lot for taking time to answer all my questions !

Is it because you see a lot of chrome on the slip yoke that you're sure about my driveshaft ?
I measured that part of the driveshaft before doing the lift kit and I noticed that the slip yoke went like 2 -2.5mm backwards.
What does create the vibrations I have ? The lenght or the angle at the diff ?

Finding a pro for driveshaft issues is a huge problem here in Belgium.
99% of the cars you see here don't use a driveshafts or at least nothing comparable to a US truck or pick up. I have noticed that more than 50 % of the cars in the US (at least in Florida) were Trcuks or Pick ups, I guess this explaines why it looks easy for you to ask in a shop for some help

Honnestly I've never seen that kind of shops here and believe me it's already hard since 10-15 years to find a good standard mechanical shop.

How do they make it longer ? Do the cut and weld a longer piece in it ?

About the U-joint ; the one on the back at the rear diff is more or less new, I changed it some weeks ago. It's one from the brand Moog with greaser. (Do they make quality parts ? or chinees ****?)
The one on the t-case is probably an original one but none of them looks to have play so far.
But you're right, it's not that expensive to change them to be save if I can solve the main problem.

I don't really plan to do off road with this truck, I take care of him like an old grand-pa

I drive it when it doens't rain and 95 % of the time on national roads.
But even then, I don't want to risk a broken driveshaft or worse.

What about dropping the t-case ? Is it a big work, will it correct all my problems ?
I guess it's not the best way to act for people who want to do offroad, but maybe in my case it's still an option ?

About the brakelines, I'll try to find longer ones. But the one you suggest me are expensive like ****

HAHA
Ilikemtb999 suggested me to take some out from a Chevy C10 if I remeber right. Maybe I sould try that solution.

Regards and thanks again for your very usefull help !!!!

nathus · Sep 20, 2017

Ilikemtb999 said:
That yoke is dangling out quite far. Almost looks like the pinion angle is a touch pointed down but doesn't look horrible. Plus with those tall blocks you'll have a bunch of axle wrap so it'll probably get fairly equal. I've never dealt with relocation brackets. I gave you a source for cheap extended front lines.

Hi again,

Thanks you for time !
You suggested me the C10 front brakeline, right ?
But what about the rear ?

I read very ofter "axle xrap" but I can't translate it very clearly and google neither. Can you explain this with other words ?

Regards
Nathan

nathus · Sep 20, 2017

Hi Again,

I did find a compagny who will be able to make my driveshaft longer.
Not an old small mechanical shop like I imagined but a big compagny with super pro tools 2H away from me; anyway when you love you don't count...

They can equilibrate the driveshaft, make it longer BUT they can't tell me how much longer it has to be...
One way would be to know how much the slipyoke was entered in the t-case before modification and to make the drivesahft equal longer than what I miss today, Right ? Is there a better way to get along with this because I won't put the original config to measure that...

plz read the two last posts before reply this to get all the info.

Already thanks for your help.
Nathan

Lift kit for M1009

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