I just got an 86 m1008 from my neighbor that they actually bought from my brother a few years ago. Its to rotten to bother messing with to put back on the road so I wanted to make a fun off road/mud truck out of it. I have 20 acres of dirt to play on and its always raining here. Other than better tires is there anything I should change? I was considering welding the front diff since it is currently open. Anybody weld the diff on one of these. I have a co-worker that is telling me I'm going to snap an axle if I do.
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Mods for playing in mud
- Thread starter lee250
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richingalveston
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The truck may not be worth anything but the axles are worth $2k or better, don't mess them up you may want to use them in something else later. The D60 is almost worth its weight in gold these days.
cucvrus
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If it were mine I would get a winch and a winch land anchor. I would not weld any gears. I wheel a lot in mud with a stock M1009 and have excellent results. I know my limitations and avoid really deep mud holes. I don't care how big the tires are. I see 5 tons stuck in mud holes. Tires don't make much difference when you are up to the axles and frame in mud. Also make sure everything is well lubed and serviced because the mud will play havoc on the drive-line. Service the axles regularly if you are going to run in deep water and mud.The front axle housing has a tendency to fill with mud and chew the inner diferentail seal out. I would recommend an outer axle housing seal. It keeps some mud and water out. Not all but most. Have fun with the CUCV and double check your cab and radiator core support mounts. Also a good idea to check that the batteries are solid and secure. That is a lot of weigh on that right inner fender. If you don't have all the braces fab some up and reinforce the inner fender. No wood. Build it so it takes a lot to break. Or putter around and avoid the rough terrain. NOT.
glaser06
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Ever consider a lunchbox locker? They're about $325 on eBay and won't ruin your 4.56 gears. Plus you can still drive on the road without worrying about snapping any axle.
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scottladdy
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In addition to everything mentioned above, if there is a lot of rust you should thoroughly inspect the frame and suspension for weak or broken areas and get them addressed. Cab mounts are another area that can ruin your day fast if they are weak or broken. And make certain you won't be leaving the bed behind in the mud.
Make certain you have addressed all of the common areas of concern for these trucks. Injection Pump, Fuel delivery, Starter relay, etc. Just my perspective but getting stuck/broken down is not "wheelin".
Pirate 4x4 has lots of great information about mods you can do from mild to wild.
Post some pics if you don't mind.
I don't know what the CUCV or GM Square Body market is like in Hawaii, but the truck may be worth a surprising amount in parts as Rich mentions.
Make certain you have addressed all of the common areas of concern for these trucks. Injection Pump, Fuel delivery, Starter relay, etc. Just my perspective but getting stuck/broken down is not "wheelin".
Pirate 4x4 has lots of great information about mods you can do from mild to wild.
Post some pics if you don't mind.
I don't know what the CUCV or GM Square Body market is like in Hawaii, but the truck may be worth a surprising amount in parts as Rich mentions.
The right inner fender isn't held on by much anymore and bounces around quite a bit so I was going to address that. It has had all kinds of rewiring done and there's wires everywhere so I was going to rip out all of the stuff I don't need to avoid problems there. It runs good with the only problem being that if I rev it and take my foot off the pedal when it comes back down to idle it will die. If I catch it when the rpm drops it is fine. It drives good but has no brakes because of rusted lines which I'm currently getting parts for. One thing I would like to fix is the fuel gauge as well. Is it more common for the gauge to go out or the sending unit? I haven't really had time to check the wiring for the fuel gauge yet but I did find the wiring diagrams in the manuals to check it maybe this weekend.
2nd on what cucvrus said. The stub shafts up front are supported by a roller bearing on the inside of the spindle. The seal for this isn't that great. Water and mud can enter there and destroy that bearing, the wheel bearings and the axle stub shaft where the roller bearing rides.
The inner axle seals are a pain to replace, because you have to pull the axles and carrier out to do so.
Try to take care of it, mud just eats seals
Grease grease grease. Pull things apart often to do so and check for water intrusion. Extend vent lines.
The inner axle seals are a pain to replace, because you have to pull the axles and carrier out to do so.
Try to take care of it, mud just eats seals
Grease grease grease. Pull things apart often to do so and check for water intrusion. Extend vent lines.