hi all. new kid here. M43B1 owner

[billy]

got the first wheel off and everything looks great
man was i glad to see that!

[billy]

[billy]

my hydraulic brake switch leaked
replaced that and got some speedbleeders
part no.dorman 12707
after much thought and looking at prices /availability of parts
eventually i am installing disc brakes on this
about $600 per axle
and taller gears
about $450 per axle
thats a lotta freakin moolah
but before any of that happens i need to replace all the seals and possibly the bearings in the t/c and tranny
the seals are cheap
but those bearings arent
and i will fill them with 50w synthetic tranny oil
i have decided i dont need power steering. maybe someday
i bet about $3000 will get me right about where i want to be

[billy]

[Murf]

Unless you can do the axle gearing yourself it's going to be a lot more than $450. $450 might get you the parts. What's up with the lift blocks on that axle . ?? eeek!

[billy]

Unless you can do the axle gearing yourself it's going to be a lot more than $450. $450 might get you the parts. What's up with the lift blocks on that axle . ?? eeek!

You are right
Those blocks should not be there
In my inexperience I thought it was stock.
After looking closely it looks like the oil pan will be resting on the axle if I take the blocks out.
I don't know what to do.
forgive me but
i dont know crap about these things
never even seen one of these trucks before
except in movies
my brother can do the gearing

[billy]

I think the blocks are there because the transplant 318 oil pan will hit the axle without them.
I took some photos but it is a little hard to tell what is going on

[Murf]

Yea, it looks like the engine swap required it. It also looks like the previous owner either found that out (too late) after setting it in or has been 4-wheeling pretty good and it's still not enough.

[billy]

installed the speedbleeders. (love those things)
and once it warms up a bit i will do the minor and if needed major brake shoe adjustment as per the military brake procedure pages i found online.

i am wondering if i will crush the axle housings if i jack up the truck from anywhere but those little pads that have the springs and u bolts?
its a 7500 lbs truck

[nhjohnny1]

nope!

[billy]

nope!

nope! what?

[T. Highway]

I'm guessing it pertains to "Will it crush the axle housing"

If your asking about jacking it up, but not in the existing pad areas you will have problems.

Bert

[Elwood]

I'm guessing it pertains to "Will it crush the axle housing"

If your asking about jacking it up, but not in the existing pad areas you will have problems.

Bert

Agreed.

I learned a long time ago to never jack an axle on the pumpkin. Granted, the Chrysler corporate G741 axles are a much more robust design than a typical semi-floating axle (usually with a cast center and pressed-in axle tubes), and maybe they can take it, but I can't bring myself to do it. Jacking on the pumpkin puts a lot of bending stress on the axle housing, and these aren't lightweight trucks.

[nhjohnny1]

Sorry, I was enjoying some IPAs the other night and shouldnt have posted. Right or wrong i have jacked these axles up anywhere i needed to with a jack with no ill effects, having been hung up on rocks and such with no damage led me to believe that jacking up the housing was not going to be a problem, your mileage may vary but so far so good for me.

[isaac_alaska]

Personally I don't like jacking on the pumpkin, I've done it on the rear with the pickup bed empty but even then it makes me cringe haha. I wouldn't think there would be any problem jacking from the axle housing near the spring perches