1500 Silverado Crew Cab Rear Axle Swap

[410Fortune]

McNeill wanted me to download the shop app too to track my order I’m like heck no and just called them instead. That’s all we need another app for tracking I mean can’t we just use the websites that already exist

Any driveline shop should be able to shorten an aluminum shaft keep us posted!

 

[BKennedy]

McNeill wanted me to download the shop app too to track my order I’m like heck no and just called them instead. That’s all we need another app for tracking I mean can’t we just use the websites that already exist

Any driveline shop should be able to shorten an aluminum shaft keep us posted!

They shipped it UPS. I usually get notifications based through email, but not this time. I did get two emails from Lube Locker within a minute, after I received the gasket. One saying it was shipped, the other saying it arrived.

"Shop" app they want customers to use. Bunch of stuff online about it being scammy, tracks your purchases, gives you links to questionable sites. Lube Locker doesn't have a check status link on their site and the link on the email was dead. The only way to ask questions about orders is to reply to the email. I thought I might have ordered off a fake site until the gasket showed up.

 

[BKennedy]

Dropped off the driveshaft. They said no problem and agreed it needs about an inch taken out. $180 for shortening and rebalance, and $100 for new 1350 joints. I'm still into this for less than the cost of having a shop rebuild my 10 bolt by $1,000. Plus, I'll have big disc brakes instead of drums. Amazon delayed shipment again of my Powerstop rotors and pads. The shaft should be done Wednesday. I should have the rest if the swap finished by then.

This morning my body let me know I need to quit trying to muscle heavy objects. If I had the Arizona house done with the lift, this would have been so much easier.

 

[BKennedy]

Powerstop or Amazon seems to have lost my rotors and pads. They were supposed to be here yesterday. Shipping status now indicates it will be here today or tomorrow, but if it doesn't show up by tomorrow I can cancel the order. I think that's Amazon code for we lost your stuff. The rotors and pads that were on the axle look to be in great shape, just rusty from sitting. If the order status doesn't change by tomorrow, I'm going to use an abrasive disk to clean off the rust and see if they need to be turned. If they need to be turned, I'll do that and get new pads from a local auto parts store.

 

[BKennedy]

I got everything I can do done without the brake parts and drive shaft. Brake lines and ABS wiring are the same. The park brake cables are about a foot longer but the sheaths are the same length as the old axle. Everything locks nicely into place. I'm guessing the intermediate park brake cable is shorter on the donor truck. I'll use a cable clamp for now.

 

[Josh P]

What is the length of the drive shaft? Seems like good info if I ever need an aluminum one with 1350 joints.

 

[BKennedy]

What is the length of the drive shaft? Seems like good info if I ever need an aluminum one with 1350 joints.

It is labeled R6 and is approximately 83" from end to end, without the slip yoke. Very long as it's for a 2 wheel drive truck. I measured the amount of slip yoke that was showing before and after to determine it needed to be shortened. The donor drive shaft is for a 4x4 and it is approximately 69" long, labeled RF8. I'm going to guess and say they are both at least 6" in diameter.

The drive shaft shop guy said some are filled with "pool noodle looking foam shoved in there", some are hollow. He also said the reason they are aluminum is because it's too long for a steel tube shaft. Would have to have a two-piece shaft if it was steel.

 

[BKennedy]

I ended up ordering new AC Delco rotors and ceramic pads. They were actually cheaper than having the rotors turned and buying the pads locally. They should be here by Tuesday.

 

[BKennedy]

Amazon did it again. Said the rotors would be here Monday, then today, now saying tomorrow by 10PM. They have also delayed a purchase of a case of brake parts cleaner. This is getting ridiculous. Received the pads yesterday, can't do anything without the rotors.

What really sucks is I couldn't find my stash of brake parts cleaner so I ordered another case, then found the case box with nine cans left. Can't cancel the order because it's being shipped through Amazon by UPS. Guess I won't need any brake parts cleaner for a while.

 

[BKennedy]

The rotors went from the San Diego Amazon facility to the Poway facility this morning, so they got a little closer. Poway is five miles from here, so maybe they will actually show up today.

 

[BKennedy]

At last, at last, I have the last few parts to get the truck back on the road. Driveshaft fits, rotors and cable stops showed up. I'll be wrenching tomorrow.

Short list:
Install brakes, adjust park brakes, shorten park brake cables, bleed and flush the brake lines, install driveshaft, test drive.

 

[Rick]

Nice came with the airbags!

10 bolt never should have been used in half of these rigs over the years I have crushed a lot of 10 bolts helping friends do this upgrade. They put the 10 bolt in the back of the Yukon for heavens sake

Harbor freight $8 furniture dollies really good for moving axles around and getting them positioned

Even worse is the pinky size TREs that they use on their heavy duty trucks.

 

[BKennedy]

I'm not going to get this done today. I'm having a heck of a time bleeding the brakes. I stripped out one of the bleeder valves, so I had to remove the caliper to get it out. Then a few hours tracking down replacements. Installed a new valve in each caliper. I've bled brakes dozens of times, and did a complete fluid flush on this truck twice before this. I gravity bled the rear lines, kept topping off the reservoir until the fluid came out clear. Then did the fronts. Then I vacuum bled the brakes and the pedal is still soft. With the engine running there is nothing until the last few inches. I'm going to see if I can get someone to help me because the solo bleed isn't working this time.

@410Fortune did you remember any trouble bleeding the brakes? I looked up the master cylinders and they are the same for drums and discs, so I don't think that's a issue. The soft brake lines come up and over the axle tubes and are above the calipers. I'm wondering if air is trapped in the soft lines. I'll raise the calipers above the lines and gravity bleed them again tomorrow. If that doesn't help, I think I'll replace the calipers.

 

[410Fortune]

That stinks! Never had issue w the bleed
I know a
Master cylinder can blow out the seals if it is pressed too far when the fluid is low or there is no pressure behind it hopefully nobody mashed the pedal down?

 

[BKennedy]

That stinks! Never had issue w the bleed
I know a
Master cylinder can blow out the seals if it is pressed too far when the fluid is low or there is no pressure behind it hopefully nobody mashed the pedal down?

I did push through pedal by hand several times while it was gravity bleeding to move more fluid through the lines, but it was slow presses about half way down. I also have the ends of the tubing on the bleeder into fluid when I was doing that so it won't suck air back up. I've done this a bunch of times without damaging anything. Napa is 7 minutes away and has both calipers. I'm wondering if they are bad because the initial fluid that came out brought a bunch of black stuff with it. If the donor truck's brake lines were comprised and then it sat for 4-5 months, it could ruin them.

I've also been focusing on the rear, but thought the pedal was firming up before I flushed the front. Maybe I sucked some air into the front. I'll mess with that some more before I spend more money.

Edit: I tried gravity bleeding the front calipers again. This truck doesn't allow much fluid to come out this way with the fronts. I tried my cheap hand pump HF vacuum bleeder on the fronts and it doesn't suck much fluid either. What little I got firmed up the pedal a little, so I think its air in the front lines. I think I need to wait for someone to give me a hand (or a foot) and do it the old-fashioned way.

 

[BKennedy]

Enlisted the wife to sit in the truck and pump the pedal. That did it. Small bubbles out of the rear, lots of bubbles from the front. Note to self, no gravity brake bleeding for the Silverado. Pedal is up and very hard. Softens up with the engine running, but can't push it to the floor. In the morning I'll put the tires on and take it for a drive.

Now the wife thinks she is a master mechanic. I killed her dream by asking her to hand me a 10 mm box end wrench. "What's that?"

I think I'll invest in a power bleeder before I do any more brake bleeding.

 

[BKennedy]

The Silverado is now the light duty (under 10,000 pounds) tow rig that Chevrolet should have made in the first place. 5.3 pushrod V8 gets an average of 20 MPG, flex fuel so it runs on E85, makes very good power. Transmission is the electronic version of the tough 700R4. Now with this rear axle and 4 wheel disc brakes, it should be trouble free as long as it's properly maintained.

I'm going to do some minor upgrades soon, mostly driver comfort and keeping the truck nice stuff; decent stereo system (head unit, speakers, amp), tonneau cover to cover up the beat up bed, etc. I ordered a set of Bushwacker bed rail caps. They will cover up the several small dents on the top of the bedsides from using the bed. The sheet metal is thin and easy to ding up.

 

[Josh P]

Now the wife thinks she is a master mechanic. I killed her dream by asking her to hand me a 10 mm box end wrench. "What's that?"

It's something that gets lost from every tool set.

 

[tdavis]

I think I'll invest in a power bleeder before I do any more brake bleeding.

I have one of these from when I decided to replace the calipers and brake fluid on the Superduty. The only complaint I have is the adapter caps are expensive for what you get. Works great, and you don't have to worry about a dry master cylinder, and pushes the fluid past the ABS controller.

Amazon product ASIN B00CJ5DZE2

 

[BKennedy]

I have one of these from when I decided to replace the calipers and brake fluid on the Superduty. The only complaint I have is the adapter caps are expensive for what you get. Works great, and you don't have to worry about a dry master cylinder, and pushes the fluid past the ABS controller.

Amazon product ASIN B00CJ5DZE2

I looked at that on Amazon. I think I'll buy one before the next time I deal with bleeding. I was thinking that I could make adaptors out of master cylinder caps for less.

Took the Silverado for a drive to get some carnitas fries. Drives great, smooth and quiet. The brakes are a huge upgrade. Much more sensitive and it takes a lot less pedal pressure to slow/stop. It also stops in quite a bit less distance than with the drums. And, no drum shudder down grades. The carnitas were especially good today as well.