M1009 rear axle lawsuit

[Pawnshop]

This post contains information I received verbally from a lawyer reportedly involved in a lawsuit against General Motors in the 1990's regarding a manufacturing defect in the rear axle shafts used in the M1009. This post is NOT intended to spark a debate on ANYTHING! This post is intended to advise M1009 owners to check for wear in a part that will be a safety issue if not corrected!

The story as told to me is:

Soldier #1, who was known to be a very reckless sort and abusive to Government Property, was driving an M1009 on Ft.Hood (on duty) with soldiers #2 and #3 as passengers. Soldier #1 was bashing the M1009 too hard at great speed when one of the rear axle shafts with wheel and hub attached came loose at the differential and started coming out of the axle housing, broke, sending the wheel off and causing the M1009 to flip end over end. The result was one fatality and two serious injuries.

Examination determined the cause of the separation was wear on the axle shaft inboard of the retaining clip resulting in the thinning of the shaft to the point that the clip no longer had a groove to ride in and no longer retained the axle in place. The shaft was found to have not been properly heat treated in the manufacturing process.

The lawsuit process was begun against General Motors but was abandoned when it was determined the US Government had final approval on the M1009 design due to requested design changes in the K5 Blazer and so the liability fell on the US Government's shoulders.

The one (and ONLY) moral to this story is: inspect your axle shafts for wear!

that is all...

 

[cucvrus]

The Hot Rod GI probably pull out and spun the tires thus engaging the GOV-Lok and then keeping the gov lock ingaged until the axle snapped from not being able to slow or spped up on tight fast turns. Been there done that. I once took an M1009 on a short trail ride and it had hoopty hoops that would bounce the M1009 almost straight up in the air in the rear as it was coming down it would bottom so hard that it hit the rubber bumpers on the frame before it could rebound it hit another bump and drove the axle up further into the rubber. And it was a tank trail and I went about 1/2 a mile on this trail chasing a dirt bike and the truck just came to a stop. I went out and looked and the axle was bent like a U and the left rear axle had snapped off to a pencil point. I was far from done. I drove slowly got it turned around and loaded the axle tire and wheel and locked it in low and drug the truck back to the hard road and waited for a wrecker to come and pick it up. The fool on the MC just happened to come out the same way and we tackled him and held him for the MP's. He stopped looked and listened before he crossed the street. We giot our man and his bike for 2 weeks before he came back for it. The tire whel brake drum and pointy axle looked like a big tumbtack and was put everywher I went in my barracks in my POV and it made it home somehow it was very funny. The talk of the motor pool for quite some time.

 

[reloader64]

The C-clip axle has long been considered a weak link in a high-horsepower application. Most racing sanctioning bodies require them to be replaced with a pressed-on bearing at some speed/horsepower point. Having said all that, GM sold millions of them for many, many years with no problems, although I could certainly see how improper heat treating could wreak considerable havoc. They're not that hard to pull out, if you really wanted to look at them.

Scott

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

The Hot Rod GI probably pull out and spun the tires thus engaging the GOV-Lok and then keeping the gov lock ingaged until the axle snapped from not being able to slow or spped up on tight fast turns. .

Nice idea, except for one little detail: That's not what happened. What actually happened was investigated thoroughly, the actual problem was found, and it was described for us in detail. No speculation required.


I've seen an axle creep out of place on a moving vehicle. I was standing by the side of a service road one time with a group of co-workers, I suppose 40 or 50 of us. Somebody started yelling, and we all looked down the road to see a gal in a Ford pickup coming down the road, slowing as she approached the crowd, with her left rear wheel about 2 feet outside her wheel well. Several of us flagged her down, and when she saw why, she broke down and cried. She was about to go get on a freeway. That could have been very ugly.

 

[acesneights1]

Those gm 1/2 axles always were and always will be junk. I have had the whole wheel axle still attached come off two of mine back in the 90's. Junk. Whenever I buy a Blazer or half ton pu first thing I do is thrownthose axles in the scrap pile where they belong and swap in a set of 3/4 ton full floaters. It is a simple bolti n swap.and the GM 14 bolt is near indestructible. On my 69 Blazer(12 bolt but same stupid c clip design) I lost the wheel and axle about 600 ft from my house. I threw it in the back , locked the hubs and dragged it home on the backing plate. On my 83 I got a floor jack, slid it back in and drove 2 miles having to pull over periodically and slide it back in. Those were my poor days when towing was not an option....I'll never own a c clip diff ever again
The cheesy little wheel studs were not much good either if you ran bigger than 31's.
I laugh when I see guys with 44's on those tiny junk axles.

 

[Jeepsinker]

Agreed. Years of being a mechanic has shown me that the ten bolt is indeed junk. Don't forget that they also like to just drop teeth off of the ring and pinion gears for no reason. Poor heat treat once again.

 

[Matt Kahle]

I really never liked the idea of those C clips in the axle. I wondered if some day I would be reading a post like this one, and here I am. This really is no surprise to me.

 

[cucvrus]

Every C clip axle can not be junk. They sold millions of them and they have traveled billions of miles. I would be willing to bet that 98% with out incident. Every Ford Crown Victoria including the CVPI has been using them for years. The only way the axle can come out is if something else fails to allow the clearance for the C- clip to fall out. All the GM/ Ford passenger cars, police cars & taxi cabs have been using them for years and I still would take that bet. I bought new Chevy 1/2 ton pickups for years. My 2014 Silverado has the Gov Lok rear axle in it as did everyone I ever bought. They are not with out failure everything is prone to failure given the right circumstances. But all and all it has been a tried and proven component in the vehicle industry. I took CVPI apart for years and changed the axle shafts because they were not heat treated properly for the outer wheel bearing. I never once in the 30 years of service saw a C-clip just fall out for no other reason. Other failures deeper then the C clip caused the failure. Be it improper maintenance of internal failure. I once saw a guy grinding down the C clip at a garage and he was working on the township police car. He ask me if I knew how to get the clip in. And I said yes. You must remove the wheel ABS speed sensor to get the axle in far enough. He was befuddled that it was that easy. He said he hammered it out wit a slide hammer and vise grips. And always ALWAYS replace the axle pin lock bolt when servicing any C clip differential. They are inexpensive and are not designed to be reused. That is all I will say about that. I am not always right but I always have reliable transportation and use it daily as it came out of the box. All change is not good.

 

[Csm Davis]

Okay this may have stopped the government from suing but it shouldn't have. I know for a fact that G.M. knew in 83 they had a problem with these axles I had a brand-new 83 gmc 1/2 ton that the rear end did almost the exact same thing just a few months after I got it it stayed at the dealer for 4 months while the investigated it and then they put in a new rear axle and admitted to it being a wide spread problem.

 

[mrwalleyz]

I'm new to the site...Is my 1984 potentially in this high risk group? With the 4.56 gears, I don't go over 50 mph, but want to stay on top of it...
Thanks....

 

[cucvrus]

I personnaly have driven these trucks easily 500,000 miles in my lifetime. With the combined trucks POV and service connected. I drive one daily at work and drive 70 -75 on the interstates. I drive 14-16 hours straight at times towing other CUCV vehicles on the interstates. Keep the fluids full and you will have no problems. The 456 gears do make it sound like it would need another gear but i never have any problems with them at high speed and long distance. I drove across the US and back twice and have been into Canada with my CUCV trucks. And I am talking trucks. Not the M1009. That I have driven just as far but is not the low gear revving issue that you hear in the trucks. Keep it serviced and check the fluids and just keep driving. It will be fine. Thats my opinion and I been there and done that. The comfort is not as good as a new truck but I never back down on the speed and distance because they are old trucks.

 

[MarcusOReallyus]

I'm new to the site...Is my 1984 potentially in this high risk group? With the 4.56 gears, I don't go over 50 mph, but want to stay on top of it...
Thanks....

Do you have the M1009 or one of the trucks? M1008, M1028, etc. If you have the truck, I'm pretty sure this doesn't apply. Different axles.


Anyway, welcome!

 

[Csm Davis]

I'm new to the site...Is my 1984 potentially in this high risk group? With the 4.56 gears, I don't go over 50 mph, but want to stay on top of it...
Thanks....

I personnaly have driven these trucks easily 500,000 miles in my lifetime. With the combined trucks POV and service connected. I drive one daily at work and drive 70 -75 on the interstates. I drive 14-16 hours straight at times towing other CUCV vehicles on the interstates. Keep the fluids full and you will have no problems. The 456 gears do make it sound like it would need another gear but i never have any problems with them at high speed and long distance. I drove across the US and back twice and have been into Canada with my CUCV trucks. And I am talking trucks. Not the M1009. That I have driven just as far but is not the low gear revving issue that you hear in the trucks. Keep it serviced and check the fluids and just keep driving. It will be fine. Thats my opinion and I been there and done that. The comfort is not as good as a new truck but I never back down on the speed and distance because they are old trucks.

This is not a problem with the 3/4 and larger trucks just the 1/2 ton trucks and blazers with 10 bolt rear ends. If you have 4.56 gears in a pickup this doesn't pertain to your truck.

 

[acesneights1]

I personnaly have driven these trucks easily 500,000 miles in my lifetime. With the combined trucks POV and service connected. I drive one daily at work and drive 70 -75 on the interstates. I drive 14-16 hours straight at times towing other CUCV vehicles on the interstates. Keep the fluids full and you will have no problems. The 456 gears do make it sound like it would need another gear but i never have any problems with them at high speed and long distance. I drove across the US and back twice and have been into Canada with my CUCV trucks. And I am talking trucks. Not the M1009. That I have driven just as far but is not the low gear revving issue that you hear in the trucks. Keep it serviced and check the fluids and just keep driving. It will be fine. Thats my opinion and I been there and done that. The comfort is not as good as a new truck but I never back down on the speed and distance because they are old trucks.

Mostly the gov lock diffs. They blow apart then the c clips fall off. Trust me I had a pile of broken ones behind my ship aside from the two that I lost the wheels on. It is an inherently dangerous and stupid design. Ford had it much better on the half tons using a retainer plate at the axle bearing. On open diffs if the spiders come apart the c clips can also fall off.
I'd never own another one. Way too easy to swap in 3/4 or 1 ton axles and be way safer and have much bigger brakes besides. 1/2 tons rears+junk, station wagon brakes.

 

[mrwalleyz]

Thanks guys. Now i'm working on getting the fuel to start burning....lol.
(reading threads and tm's)
yessir

 

[Skinny]

This is a well known issue with c-clip axles period. Doesn't matter if they are still being used in millions of production vehicles. I personally get a great laugh when I see Jeeps with logs ratchet strapped to the rear tire holding it on being dragged down the trail. It is a flawed design that is weak. Sure it works, till it gets worked hard enough...then stuff happens. This is why any good axle has a minimum 3/4 floating pressed on bearing setup like Toyota, older Nissan, D44, Ford 9", etc. or is a full floater (D135, 14 bolt, Sterling 10.25", every medium and heavy duty OTR truck, etc.)

Don't bring a knife to a gun fight and certainly don't cry when your c-clip breaks, no one likes a whiner

 

[cucvrus]

The M1009 axle SAGA continues. I was just recollecting with my co driver about the great dirt bike chase at FITG in the M1009. I actually bent the rear axle housing in a slight U. The spines broke in the inner axle like a pencil. I hope to find pictures of that axle housing. My Son's broke many I only ever broke that 1. I did a short cut repair on my M1009 1 time and did not replace the lock pin bolt and it failed. I drug it home in 4 WD using a drop hitch to support the rear. Good Luck with the stock rears. I have driven a million miles on them and had few issues. An anvil will break if you beat it hard enough. Nothing is infallible.

 

[faststandard]

Let's all keep in mind that just about all salisbury design semi-float rear axles produced by GM or their suppliers still employ the use of the C-clip as a means to retain the axle assembly in the rear axle. Furthermore, if someone orders a locking rear differential (option code RPO G80) today, the end user is provided with the Eaton designed locking differential. Today, for the most part, the 8.5"/8.6" axles are a thing of the past due to increases in power/load carrying capacity but the differential design is the same - only scaled up in size to accomodate larger ring gear sizes.

 

[Skinny]

Point 1

Wait you are advocating that because an engineer came up with it that it must be fine?



Point 2

Everything fails at some point. Difference is with a real axle when it fails the wheel stays on and you get towed home. With a junk axle it ejects the wheel/brake/remaining shaft possibly hurting someone or yourself or your pride and it's riding on that tiny little roller bearing at the end of the axle tube.

Engineered for ease of assembly and lower production cost. Way different then manufacturing for durability.

Hence the last statement I made 8 years ago. You will never find a 10 bolt and/or c-clip axle on anything made to do actual work or actually be durable.

 

[cucvrus]

I drove 10 bolt axles in Chevrolet trucks and K5 Blazers all my life. I used them long and hard. I had 1 fail because I did not replace the lock bolt. My fault. It was a Sunday evening, late, and I was just tired and didn't have a new bolt. I used blue lock tight and reassembled it quickly. I guess the lock tight never set up before it was submersed in gear oil. It was below zero and I needed the truck the next day. I was hauling wood home from a cutting area and using it hard. I ran all day and about 5 PM in the dark I heard the axle bang and lock up. The pin had come out and was wedged in the housing. I tried to drive, and it just kept dragging. I shifted to 4 WD and kept going. Small Children and a wife at home. Before cell phones. I went about a mile, and it was grinding and crunching. The driver side axle was sticking out. I slowed and watched it walk out the housing. I picked it up like a big thumbtack and placed it in the back cargo area of the M1009. I kept going. It was back road about 10 miles from home. Luckily the trailer was not hooked up. I drove and drug the left backing plate till it was gone to the axle housing. I put the hitch in with the ball almost touching the road and continued. Like a boat at about 30 MPH it planed out and went semi smoothly. I made it home and the ball was 1/2 gone. The next day I opened a crate and changed the entire axle assembly. I was working on the axle seals the day before and put all new brakes and axle seals on the M1009. that bolt failed I could see the pin slammed into the casting of the axle housing. My 2019 Silverado has a very similar axle as did all the Chevrolet trucks I owned over the years. Millions have been sold and they have survived billions of miles, so I think they are good enough. Nothing is infallible. Lift kits, big tires, beating the pants off of them will eventually break anything. I see 14 bolts busted and more than 1 Dana 60 broken. So, if you drive with half a brain and don't abuse everything you ever owned, they last. I mean Terminus M1009 was living proof that they last. I bought it with a broken axle and never done more than change the axle. (1) Terminus M1009 | SteelSoldiers
Check out the use and abuse I put this M1009 thru and it still kept going. But I drove it with my mind knowing the vehicles limitations. Not like a mindless fool. I know this break and I know how to keep them from breaking. Everything has its limitations. Take Care.
Picture of my 2019 Chevrolet Trail Boss rear axle. Very similar to M1009 rear axle. Eaton 3;23 rear axle.