Lift kit for M1009

[GPrez]

Hi, Thanks a lot for the pictures !
I love it !!! Perfect size of wheels, it's proportional.
Were you happy of this kit ? What did you put in the back ?
How does it ride , better than standard or a little worse ?
What did you have to adapt ? Steering, brakes, driveshaft ?

Thanks already for your help.
Nathan

I was very happy with the kit. I used blocks in the back that came with the kit. The ride improved tremendously. It handled so much better than when stock. I know I did not do anything with the driveshaft. I believe I did extend the brake lines and I might have put a new Pittman arm on but I do not recall for certain. Considering how old these trucks are it is a good idea to replace those brake lines since you will be putting a little more stress on them.

The HD Tuff Country kit is probably a little better than the Pro Comp. I used the Tuff Country on my M1028 and it was beefier which is good considering how heavy the engines are.

 

[nathus]

Yes but tuff country doesn't have a 2.5" kit. They only have a 3" lift kit.
I'm not certain if 3" kit is so pretty as yours was with 33s. I have to see more see picutres of it.

But more important I don't want to break or change the driveshaft. I guess more higher you go and more chances you have to do that modifaction too.
Also about the blocks, (I think but i'm not a specialist) blocks are OK if you d'ont go to high...
I think also that a 3" lift kit requieres a steering adapt.

Again thanks for your help

 

[nathus]

Again something strange about the fitting problems that I'm stuggle with.

On the official website of Porcomp (more or same issue on tuff cournt's website) when you ask for a lift kit for a K5 of 84 with the 6.2 diesel engin ; they answer that they d'ont have any lift kit for this car.
But if you take the same car but with the 5.7 L gas engine, they propose the hole collection lift kits...

How can I be sure that what I will order will fit perfectly ?

 

[Ilikemtb999]

Everything for any solid axle k5 will fit. If whatever you get ends up being a touch too low you can always order a zero rate block for the front or rear and add a bit of height. Shouldn't be as insanely priced to ship as leaf springs would be since they're small.

 

[Csm Davis]

Everything for any solid axle k5 will fit. If whatever you get ends up being a touch too low you can always order a zero rate block for the front or rear and add a bit of height. Shouldn't be as insanely priced to ship as leaf springs would be since they're small.

Would be cheaper to make zero rate blocks there as they are easy to make.
Nathan I would use a 2.5-3" kit because you will have to change less, no driveshaft, or steering and will have a nice look with 33" tire.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

 

[The FLU farm]

Unfortunatly, I won't find anything here.
Trucks and custom trucks are very uncommon in Belgium. Very hard to find books or magazines about it.
There are maybe 5-10 truck like this one it the hole country.
Most of them d'ont ride anymore....
Find parts is a nightmare or very expesive.
Europe is different guys hahah

I know the feeling, Nathan, having grown up in Europe. But that didn't keep me from buying (then current) magazines to get ideas from.
There's a good chance, I think, that you could find someone selling their old collection on eBay over there.

 

[Rustyshackelford]

He can find pictures and info online all day, there is no need to buy old magazines. He is asking for CUCV specific information because, you can tell, he is having a hard time making sure he gets the right parts before he places his order. He may be overdoing the questions but that is because he is foreign (and a mechanical novice) and might not understand as easily as we do. Also because he gets one shot at getting this right as he doesn't want to buy parts after the fact.

 

[The FLU farm]

Yeah, I thought that photos would be all over the interweb, including old magazines now on line.
Either way, getting parts from America isn't a big deal. Or at least it wasn't. Not much different than Unimog owners here chasing down parts in Europe, really.

 

[nathus]

He can find pictures and info online all day, there is no need to buy old magazines. He is asking for CUCV specific information because, you can tell, he is having a hard time making sure he gets the right parts before he places his order. He may be overdoing the questions but that is because he is foreign (and a mechanical novice) and might not understand as easily as we do. Also because he gets one shot at getting this right as he doesn't want to buy parts after the fact.

Haha, thanks a lot for your psycologic analysis Doctor !
It's very true, I have to be sure about what I buy because I won't have second chance; I will pay like 200-300 usd to bring all of this with me + the risk that I'll have to pay custom tax if they catch me when I come back. I won't try it two times...
I'm sorry if you have the feeling that I repeat or that you have to repeat several times the same information. It's also because English is not my native language and I don't understand 100 % of the technical information...
It's also because it seems that people have a lot of different settings on the same car and nobody gives me a 100% fit-work solution.

In summary : I've learned so far that :

- a lot of people are happy with tuff country , and suggest the HD springs.
Even if the tuff cournty website says that these springs are not fitting for diesel engines... (Same on Procomp.com)
- schakle flip is better than blocks
- people like to talk about ORD but they look like very expensive and seems to use tuff country parts that you can get somewhere else for less money. I guess it's the price to pay to be 100% sure about the fitting. Or do they modify existing kits to make them fit on this car ?

- the common kits on this car are 2 , 2.5, 3 and 4" lift kits which is also the height that I am looking for.

- It looks like the steering is Ok till 2.5" but more higher you need the adapt it ? (not always clear).- It looks like the brakeline have to be changed in all the lift kits I mentioned here.

- nobody so far told me from which height you are beginning to have driveshaft issues. Which is a cruclial question for me.

- it not always clear which wheel dimensions you can use on which lift kit. Because some of you have cut the fenders with smaller lift kits.. I don't want to cut and would like to max wheels you can use per kit.

More or less all what I learned thanks to you guys, it's not too bad !
Again, thanks to all of you for helping me, I'm in your beautiful country in about 3 weeks now. I have still a little time to order.

But if there is one you who knows exactly what I need, and can tell me :
for 33s , no driveshaft issues, easy to instal, nice look, need to change ... and ... --> buy this on this xxx on this website with this xxx part number
for 35s , no drivesahft, easy ... Buy that one xxx

I would stop to bothering you

 

[nathus]

Yeah, I thought that photos would be all over the interweb, including old magazines now on line.
Either way, getting parts from America isn't a big deal. Or at least it wasn't. Not much different than Unimog owners here chasing down parts in Europe, really.

I have been looking arround for a while, You can find a lot of information on k5. But this website and you off course, are the best information source I found till now for the M1009.
Despite it's the same car, base ; In my situation I can't take any risk on the final result.

 

[nathus]

Yeah, I thought that photos would be all over the interweb, including old magazines now on line.
Either way, getting parts from America isn't a big deal. Or at least it wasn't. Not much different than Unimog owners here chasing down parts in Europe, really.

It's not a big deal to order in the US but :

With transport and custom tax, the final price is just two time the orignal one that you guys pay. And if you want to return something because it's the wrong one, you pay again tax + transport...

 

[nathus]

Here you see finaly which beast we are talking about.

 

[The FLU farm]

- nobody so far told me from which height you are beginning to have driveshaft issues. Which is a cruclial question for me.
- it not always clear which wheel dimensions you can use on which lift kit. Because some of you have cut the fenders with smaller lift kits.. I don't want to cut and would like to max wheels you can use per kit.

Nathan, each vehicle is a little different, so when it comes to drive shaft issues there's no clear answer, because it also depends on what you're willing to put up with. When I built my Jeep (in Europe) it ended up with a 25-degree rear drive shaft angle. According to the Spicer specs, that shaft shouldn't have been turned more than at 300 rpm.
Well, with low gearing and an overdrive, it was often spinning at 3,000. Over the years I got pretty good at finding the best grease available at the time, and I greased those U-joints and the slip yoke every time I had driven the Jeep. During my US cross country trip, sometimes twice a day, if I had been on more pavement than dirt.

Anyway, the U-joints turned out to last longer than the drive shaft itself, presumably because of the unequal weights of the two halves, which wore out the splines. I think I'm on my third drive shaft by now.
Would greasing the U-joints once a day be something you'd be willing to do? Would you grind out the yokes for more clearance? Pull off your drive shaft from the transfer case or the axle, then move it around (up and down) to find the physical limits of it and what you're comfortable with. Tape measure in hand, of course.

And max tire size without cutting is pretty much the max tire size regardless of the amount of lift. If the springs move, it doesn't much matter if the tire comes from two inches below or from six inches. It'll still take up the same amount of space when the bump stop is reached.
What fits is also very much dependent on the wheel's back spacing (offset) and width. Also, tire sizes are nominal; one manufacturer's "35-inch tire" may really only be a 33, but there are a few that are actually larger than their nominal size.
Again, each vehicle is a little different, and your tape measure is your friend. Measure the clearance with what you have now, then find a tire that just fits.

I would think that your questions have been discussed extensively on Chevy/GMC forums over the years, so once again, I would look at your M1009 as a K-5 or K-10 when it comes to finding answers without wearing out your creeper and tape measure.

 

[nathus]

Hi everybody,

I'm just back from my vacation your very nice country.

I'm very proud to tell you that I finaly could bring with me a lift kit !
It's not exactly what I hoped for but I guess it's not too bad. Instead of a Tuff country 3" I found a Procomp 4" lift kit with blocks in the rear.
The local dealer told me that all his trucks (no off road use) are riding with blocks and people are happy with it.
Not at all what I read here before leaving but I can still change them later If I want to.

Anyway, I wanted to you to ask a last time, what would be the problems that I can have while installing this and later when I use it ?

I saw that the kit is delivered with a steering correction. But I didn't see extended brake line, which is weird isn't it ?
The local dealer said that I wouldn't have any problems with driving shaft. Again, not exactly what I read here, we discussed about 3" lift but I guess these problemes are still more common on a 4" lift kit ?
How can you inspect this and how can you solve it ?

The shocks did'nt came with boots, is this something you guys advise to use or not realy ?

Again, thank you for your help.
Regards
Nathan


Nathan

 

[nathus]

I'm also still hesitating to take off my 33 tires and replace by 35s.
This gives a lift of 1" extra right ?

What are the issues you can have while using bigger tires ? Is it worse for the driveshaft ?
The car is slower also right ?

thanks already for your answers

 

[The FLU farm]

I'm also still hesitating to take off my 33 tires and replace by 35s. This gives a lift of 1" extra right ? What are the issues you can have while using bigger tires ? Is it worse for the driveshaft ? The car is slower also right ?

Yes, a 2-inch difference in tires diameter will theoretically result in a 1-inch lift, but it all depends on how tall the tires really are. Nominal sizes are just that.
Issues with bigger tires include decreased performance due to a (normally) higher unsprung weight, and since that extra weight is also a rotating mass, it's the worst kind of extra weight.
Since the gearing effectively becomes higher (lower numerically) there will be more torque seen by the drive train components, including the drive shafts.
The car would be slower as far as acceleration goes because of the taller tires, but technically becomes faster. Between the aerodynamics of a K-5 and the low engine output of the 6.2, you may end up losing top speed.
Aren't you glad you asked?

 

[nathus]

Yes, a 2-inch difference in tires diameter will theoretically result in a 1-inch lift, but it all depends on how tall the tires really are. Nominal sizes are just that.
Issues with bigger tires include decreased performance due to a (normally) higher unsprung weight, and since that extra weight is also a rotating mass, it's the worst kind of extra weight.
Since the gearing effectively becomes higher (lower numerically) there will be more torque seen by the drive train components, including the drive shafts.
The car would be slower as far as acceleration goes because of the taller tires, but technically becomes faster. Between the aerodynamics of a K-5 and the low engine output of the 6.2, you may end up losing top speed.
Aren't you glad you asked?

Thanks again for your very detailed answer !

Will the difference of top speed and acceleration be a lot different or is this only theoretic and I won't notice it a lot ?
I'm more concerned about the risk of breaking an axle.

I read lot of people who says that the gm 10 bolt of this truck , is quiet weak.
It seems that a lot of people break axles with 35" tires.
Can you confirm that ?

I'm looking for cooper stt ou bf goodrich all terrain tires , any idea about how true they size ?

Regards
Nathan

 

[The FLU farm]

Let's say that you increase the tire height by 5%. That should theoretically slow your acceleration by the same amount, for example. Is that noticeable? Depends on where and how you drive.
I got the impression that you're going strictly for looks, not performance or trail capability, so the 10-bolt will likely be fine.
If you look up the tire manufacturers' specs, either on their web sites or elsewhere, you can find just about any tire's actual measurements. Pay special attention to the Static Loaded Radius or Revolutions Per Mile numbers. Those are what actually counts in tire height, not what it says on the sidewall, or even what the real diameter is.

Long story short; I bought an M1009 for daily driver use. It was a dog with the 31s and wouldn't keep up with traffic on the freeways. Put 35s on it to keep the rpm down on the freeways, making it a real dog on the grades. Put a Banks turbo on it, which helped a lot. Installed a 700R4 which also helped a lot due to the lower 1st gear.
Now it needed lower gears (or smaller tires) so I put 3/4-ton axles with 4.10s on it. That was near perfect, for me. Your results may vary.
Come to think of it, one of the few things I didn't modify on that M1009 was the suspension. Other than putting better shocks on it.

 

[nathus]

Let's say that you increase the tire height by 5%. That should theoretically slow your acceleration by the same amount, for example. Is that noticeable? Depends on where and how you drive.
I got the impression that you're going strictly for looks, not performance or trail capability, so the 10-bolt will likely be fine.
If you look up the tire manufacturers' specs, either on their web sites or elsewhere, you can find just about any tire's actual measurements. Pay special attention to the Static Loaded Radius or Revolutions Per Mile numbers. Those are what actually counts in tire height, not what it says on the sidewall, or even what the real diameter is.

Long story short; I bought an M1009 for daily driver use. It was a dog with the 31s and wouldn't keep up with traffic on the freeways. Put 35s on it to keep the rpm down on the freeways, making it a real dog on the grades. Put a Banks turbo on it, which helped a lot. Installed a 700R4 which also helped a lot due to the lower 1st gear.
Now it needed lower gears (or smaller tires) so I put 3/4-ton axles with 4.10s on it. That was near perfect, for me. Your results may vary.
Come to think of it, one of the few things I didn't modify on that M1009 was the suspension. Other than putting better shocks on it.

How were you able to run 35s without lifting it ?
I'm dreaming sometimes about the turbo also, but it costs like 1000 usd to get one isn't it ? And wouldn't know where to find one in Belgium. Neither to find somebody who can instal it.
I guess it makes the engine a little more fragile ?

With my 33s I can't realy complain about the speed even on freeways. I did'nt buy that car to drive fast anyway, I have other toys for high speed
But I can run at 75mph without having the impression to kill the engine.

I're right, I want to build a nice look for this truck.
They are nice when they are a little higher and when they have big tires. All the K5's I saw during my vacation in the US were lifted...
But I don't want to go to high (I even regret that i bought a 4" instead of a 3" but it's too late now) ; for the reasons I explained already : i'd like to have a nice look but want to keep a really strong and reliable truck.

I'm really concerned about these axles, I kept reading and found A LOT complains about them. People don't tell what they do with the truck or how they drive. But it still scarres me

 

[Ilikemtb999]

I off-roaded quite a bit with 33" tires and the stock 10 bolts. The rear differential can explode if you're able to spin one tire and allow it to bang into the locked position but it's hard enough to get a wheel to spin in the first place