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What did you do with your GMT400 today...or yesterday....

Changed the oil on the old girl today. I normally try to change it at around 3k miles even though I run synthetic. But this time I ended up overshooting that by 2k. she's got 296,049 on here today just under 4k to go before hitting 300k. I looked at the old oil filter (I write the date and mileage on install) noticed here last change was back in March with 291,500 miles! 7 months ago. at my normal rate I should be hitting 300k around February, a celebration will be in order for the 300k LOL

I also switched back to Mobil synthetic (was using Rotella T6) now that you can find it on the shelves, plus at $20 a gallons vs Rotella at $30 a gallon that saved me about $20!

Running her out to 5k on a change, I didn't see any ill effects, though she's got a decent leak on the valve covers I need to address before old man winter arrives.
 
I will most likely need to replace my driveline u-joints soon. yesterday leaving work with the windows down I could hear a faint squeak squeak at slow speeds. what is recommended now a days. greasable, non-greasable, or brands?
 
dbrannon79 said:
I will most likely need to replace my driveline u-joints soon. yesterday leaving work with the windows down I could hear a faint squeak squeak at slow speeds. what is recommended now a days. greasable, non-greasable, or brands?
Click to expand...
AK is right, check the carrier if equipped.
Do the prybar test on the ujoints.

Grease-able ujoints last longer PROVIDING your maintenance is good.
For normal use, I prefer non grease-able. In rough conditions like going under water, super dirty like frequent off roading.
My 2001 suburban was a HD 4wd. I crossed a couple streams was about half way up the doors, always on dirt roads, sand dunes several times. It had non grease-able and when the rig was sold at just over 200,000 miles it had 1 ujoint that needed to be replaced within the next 10,000 miles.

But something off roading all the time or getting the ujoints hot like a long drive and then crossing water will draw the water inside the ujoints- then you have to grease them very soon after or they will fail -
Or getting grease-able into the sand - they will get sand in there.
so grease is better ONLY if you get home from the trip and service them right away.
 
Will L. said:
AK is right, check the carrier if equipped.
Do the prybar test on the ujoints.

Grease-able ujoints last longer PROVIDING your maintenance is good.
For normal use, I prefer non grease-able. In rough conditions like going under water, super dirty like frequent off roading.
My 2001 suburban was a HD 4wd. I crossed a couple streams was about half way up the doors, always on dirt roads, sand dunes several times. It had non grease-able and when the rig was sold at just over 200,000 miles it had 1 ujoint that needed to be replaced within the next 10,000 miles.

But something off roading all the time or getting the ujoints hot like a long drive and then crossing water will draw the water inside the ujoints- then you have to grease them very soon after or they will fail -
Or getting grease-able into the sand - they will get sand in there.
so grease is better ONLY if you get home from the trip and service them right away.
Click to expand...
Just like the wife. Might be able to service both at the same time
 
So what is the prybar test? the carrier bearing was replaced a year or two ago, but I have never touched the u-joints. not sure if they are factory units but they are the non-grease-able ones on there now. I replaced the carrier due to the inner rubber was gone.

the other side of this, what's the consensus on needing a press or can I just do them with the old hammer in the driveway?
 
as the press, I was thinking of the big c clamp type press tool they rent. I've changed them before on the old GM cars with a hammer but was told these trucks wouldn't work that way.
 
At home simple tools:
Big C clamp if you don’t have a vice- and sockets. YouTube search will help a lot.

Prybar is simply applying force front and rear.
Then using it to simulate going in forwards and reverse. Many people prefer instead of that to chock the wheels, put in trans in neutral and rotate shaft forward and reverse. Watch for freeplay, listen for noise, etc.
 
I own one of those C clamp presses. Bought the Harbor Freight kit for $49.99 over ten years ago. Used it for ball joints on multiple vehicles, retracting brake caliper pistons, pressed out/in new front wheel bearings on a couple of fwd vehicles because there was just no way to get the steering knuckles in and stabilized in my 20T bench press. They're damn handy to have around.
 
Ya'll would laugh at my tiny 3" bench vice LOL. I will probably go pick up a c clamp from harbor freight when I do them.

I suppose I will go with the grease-able ones since I do try to keep up with maintenance. maybe grease it all on every oil change or something since I normally get two oil changes per year. that will just add a couple more things to do on the list of a PM. along with my plan to re-do the upper and lower control arm bushings with urethane or even something more stout that has rotational movement vs the rubber that likes to rip and tare with too much travel.
 
dbrannon79 said:
Changed the oil on the old girl today. I normally try to change it at around 3k miles even though I run synthetic. But this time I ended up overshooting that by 2k. she's got 296,049 on here today just under 4k to go before hitting 300k. I looked at the old oil filter (I write the date and mileage on install) noticed here last change was back in March with 291,500 miles! 7 months ago. at my normal rate I should be hitting 300k around February, a celebration will be in order for the 300k LOL

I also switched back to Mobil synthetic (was using Rotella T6) now that you can find it on the shelves, plus at $20 a gallons vs Rotella at $30 a gallon that saved me about $20!

Running her out to 5k on a change, I didn't see any ill effects, though she's got a decent leak on the valve covers I need to address before old man winter arrives.
Click to expand...
A couple days ago I changed the oil and filter on my 96 gmc with the 6.2.I used the T6 5W40 with Napa platinum filter.I ordered some rotella T6 15W40 synthetic from Amazon to have when the warmer weather comes by again later on as I can’t get the 15W40 where I am but 5W40 is readily available.Anybody use the T6 15W40 formulation?
 

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dbrannon79 said:
So what is the prybar test? the carrier bearing was replaced a year or two ago, but I have never touched the u-joints. not sure if they are factory units but they are the non-grease-able ones on there now. I replaced the carrier due to the inner rubber was gone.

the other side of this, what's the consensus on needing a press or can I just do them with the old hammer in the driveway?
Click to expand...
I've used the big ball joint press
 
dbrannon79 said:
Ya'll would laugh at my tiny 3" bench vice LOL. I will probably go pick up a c clamp from harbor freight when I do them.

I suppose I will go with the grease-able ones since I do try to keep up with maintenance. maybe grease it all on every oil change or something since I normally get two oil changes per year. that will just add a couple more things to do on the list of a PM. along with my plan to re-do the upper and lower control arm bushings with urethane or even something more stout that has rotational movement vs the rubber that likes to rip and tare with too much travel.
Click to expand...
I always greased every oil change. 3-5,000 miles. In the 1990's I started adding bypass filters and going to 10 - 20,000 mile oil changes.
I still tried to grease at 3-5,000 miles
 
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