My M1008 ORD 4" Lift w/37's

[Disciple]

So I finally got all of my parts in and got around to installing everything. I ordered my tires from MILITARYOFFROADTIRES.NET - We're declaring war on high tire prices!. They are 37" x 12.5" x 16.5" HMMWV Goodyear Wrangler MT's on 12-bolt HMMWV bead-lock wheels with the rubber run-flat inserts. The lift is a 4" basic kit from Offroad Design - Fullsize Chevy GM 4x4 Suspensions, Parts and Performance with the addition of the swaybar correction/disconnect kit. It included new Easy Ride HD front springs from Tuff Country, Dana 60 U-bolt kit, new brake lines, drop Pitman arm from Skyjacker, new shocks from TC, and a rear shackle flip kit. I still plan to add Crossover steering at some point and a bolt-on steering box brace as soon as possible. Competition bump-stops are also on the list as well as a dedicated tranny cooler. The shock boots are in the mail right now. I'm running 2" backspace adapters up front and plan to add another set to the rear when time and budget allow.

Overall the install went really smooth except at the very end when we realized that the stock lug nuts would not fit into the holes in the spacer. This meant that I had to drive around for a day with 37" rear tires and 31" front tires. I felt absolutely ridiculous, but I was able to find the right ones the next day and get the project wrapped up. I'm VERY impressed with just how capable this truck is now. I did some mild off-roading (don't want to get too crazy with it until I brace the steering box, get new bump-stops, and get the shock boots on) and this thing really performs! Great flex and articulation up front with the swaybar disconnected. TOO much actually! I still had to trim the front fenders back. Even now with the swaybar off I rub the inner fender when turned hard. Not too bad though.

This thing REALLY gets noticed going down the road now. I'm getting the thumbs up quite a bit. I had a little run-in with Minnesota's Finest 3 days after the project was wrapped up. Said he had an issue with my bumper height (29"). Said legal limit is 25". Also, no light on the rear license plate. Good thing he didn't peek under the truck and see my DIY exhaust work (Sawzall just in front of the mufflers with some 45 degree elbows pointing at the ground). So my next project which we just measured up for will be to weld up a bolt-on drop bumper that I can (somewhat) easily remove before going off pavement. Pics to follow on that project.

I thought you guys would like to see some pics, so here ya go! This includes some before, during, and after pics. We had to notch the rear shackle mounts to clear my tow kit. We also had to fab up a longer arm for the rear brake proportioning valve and tack on some washers to hold it on. The guy in most of these pics is my friend who did most of the work, so no, that's not my huge butt crack. I was taking most of the pics. The ones with me standing next to the truck IS me. Enjoy!

 

[Disciple]

More pics...

 

[Disciple]

And finally, some action shots. Yes, that's a concrete culvert I drove over. Crawled right up it no problem. I stood next to it to show some perspective on just how big this thing is now. I'm 5'9". There's also a shot of my buddy's stock M1009 next to it. We were doing our best to get into some trouble but didn't find anything too challenging. We're planning a real off-roading trip for next spring some time. I can't wait to really put this thing through it's paces. It rides WAY better, handles tighter, shifts and revs better. Everything about it is just BETTER. Very pleased, I would highly recommend doing this to anyone interested.

 

[Boss Doug]

Good job! Can't wait to see what you do next.

 

[cucv1833]

Nice Rig!! Looks real tuff. Great pics also.

 

[Cucvnut]

did you use the rear shackles that were flipped or did you just bolt the springs to the ord shackle flip ? I would not be to worried about the frame cracking 1 tons have a stronger frame than the 1/2 tons people have issues with. you know if you put ord zero rates in the front you can move the axle forward a little bit and it helps with the tire hitting the wheel well.

 

[Disciple]

did you use the rear shackles that were flipped or did you just bolt the springs to the ord shackle flip ?

I know it looks goofy in that pic, the shackle was removed there, we were just checking alignment on stuff first. We used the stock shackle. I'd like to replace all of the shackles with HD greaseables from ORD eventually, but they work for now. I thought about doing zero-rates up front but worried about the front riding higher or even level with the rear. I hate the way that looks.

 

[Matt65]

Very Good looking truck! Reminds me a lot of mine. Was yours also used by the forestry service? That's where my white paint scheme came from.

 

[Cucvnut]

you can put zero rates in the rear also I did.

 

[Disciple]

Was yours also used by the forestry service? That's where my white paint scheme came from.

Mine came from the MN Washington Country Sheriffs Dept. I know because when they peeled the old stickers off they did a horrible job of getting the glue off. When it's dirty you can pretty easily read "Washington Country Sheriff". "Dial 911" and their pin striping showing through. I left it. Whatever. They had a light bar across the roof and added a standard tow kit with 7-pin harness under the bumper. I think they just used it to tow a boat around mainly. They also screwed up the blackout lights, can't figure out how to get them working again, but then again, haven't really spent a lot of time on them.

 

[doghead]

except at the very end when we realized that the stock lug nuts would not fit into the holes in the spacer

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So, did you buy smaller nuts, or different wheel spacers? Details and source please?

 

[DokWatson]

Removable mud flaps are easier than a removable bumper, lol. Anything over 24" requires 'anti-spray devices' in most states. Get rid of the sway bar, and ditch the wheel spacers if you want to go off-road. If you have issues with backspacing, get different rims. Shock boots trap water and crud inside, leave them off.

 

[Cucvnut]

DRW hubs will work in the front. and yes shock boots suck they help rust.

 

[kweb434]

Nice rig and great work

 

[Disciple]

.

So, did you buy smaller nuts, or different wheel spacers? Details and source please?

I used the same wheel spacers, purchased here: Wheel Adapters|Wheel Spacers|BilletWheelAdapters.com Wheel Adapter Super Store. What I didn't realize was that the D60 has (obviously) Standard threads on the lugs and the new adapters have Metric threads. The lug nuts that come with the adapters are intended to mount the wheel to the adapter, leaving me to find a Standard thread lug nut that would fit. NAPA didn't have anything that would work. The issue with the lug nuts I kept running into was, even with the right threads, they didn't have a small enough hex to still allow a socket inside the adapter hole with the lug nut. Finally I went to my local Firestone Dealer and he had a whole bin of lug nuts that had a Standard thread with a step-down to 19 MM hex on them. I think I paid about $24 for 16 of them. Worked great. I believe they were originally intended for some import application.

 

[Disciple]

Removable mud flaps are easier than a removable bumper, lol. Anything over 24" requires 'anti-spray devices' in most states. Get rid of the sway bar, and ditch the wheel spacers if you want to go off-road. If you have issues with backspacing, get different rims. Shock boots trap water and crud inside, leave them off.

I'm sure I do need some kind of mud flap, but I'll wait until they decide to pull me over and force me to put those hideous things on my truck. He was mainly concerned with the bumper height. As for easily removable, we're going to cut up some 1/2" plate steel and drill through the frame. The law states that it must be mounted in 4 places (=4 bolts in my view) and extend 11" past the frame rails minimum. So, we're going to notch the plate steel and weld in some 4" rectangular stock, notched to clear my tow kit, then reposition my 7-pin harness to the opposite side of the pintel from the stock wiring adapter. When I go off-road, just remove the 4 bolts, pull my sway bar pins, and get wheelin'.

I bought the HMMWV wheels for a few reasons. 1st is price! I'm not about to spend more money on duplicating something that works now. I know I could get them re-centered or run dually hubs, but I've heard from plenty of guys that abuse their trucks that the spacers they run have never caused a problem for them.

As for the shock boots, I guess I'm torn. I've heard they are needed to avoid pitting the shock arm, which will tear up the seals and make them leak. I'm more of a fan of rocks and trails with occasional mud than just straight-up mud pits anyway, so I wonder just how much crud they would trap? Also, I have the winters with lots of salt spray to contend with here. Thoughts?

 

[Cucvnut]

i would leave the shock boots off just one more thing to add to the list of getting thrashed on a wheeling trip and having to throw away.

 

[Disciple]

i would leave the shock boots off just one more thing to add to the list of getting thrashed on a wheeling trip and having to throw away.

Well, if anyone wants to buy a brand new set of shock boots for a lifted CUCV, I'll cut ya a deal!

 

[rnd-motorsports]

Nice lookin truck ! Good job!

 

[DokWatson]

If the spacers were solid steel, I could see them being a temporary fix. Aluminum wheel components do not handle rocks and shock loads very well. I've seen aluminum rims and spacers shatter. I've also seen all the lug nuts snapped off a hub... spacers are streetable, not off-roadable. I would HIGHLY recommend re-centering the H1's. Everything else I mentioned is more or less personal preference, but spacers are a safety issue. I wouldn't put them on my truck, thats for sure.