Finally posting a "build" thread. The progression of my stupidity.

[RooTBeeRthe1st]

Looking good! Question - did you install the PowerStop brake lines part code BH00161 (like $150 for the set)? If so, on RockAuto it says for those that they're for the smaller rear differentials "with 10 bolt hole cover" (the 8.6" rear I think?). Is that the rear diff you have?

I ask because my truck has the larger 14 bolt hole cover rear diff (9.5" rear I think?), just curious if these would still work despite that note on the RockAuto website.

I did get the whole set of lines.
And just over a year ago now, I broke the 8.6 and got a 9.5 out of a Cadillac and put it in.
Literally everything bolted and connected right up.... Now that I think about it, I may have left all of the rear brake lines from the 8.6 on the truck when I dropped the axle out because the wrecking yard had cut a bunch of stuff off of the 9.5 and I probably didn't want to bleed the brakes. I'd have to take a look at my old diff and see if I left the brake lines on it.
Although I also have a 1 inch lift spacer in the rear springs so I believe I bent the bracket that holds the hard lines to the soft lines on the top of the diff just to give myself a little more clearance so they aren't under tension at full droop.

 

[Runfor5]

I did get the whole set of lines.
And just over a year ago now, I broke the 8.6 and got a 9.5 out of a Cadillac and put it in.
Literally everything bolted and connected right up.... Now that I think about it, I may have left all of the rear brake lines from the 8.6 on the truck when I dropped the axle out because the wrecking yard had cut a bunch of stuff off of the 9.5 and I probably didn't want to bleed the brakes. I'd have to take a look at my old diff and see if I left the brake lines on it.
Although I also have a 1 inch lift spacer in the rear springs so I believe I bent the bracket that holds the hard lines to the soft lines on the top of the diff just to give myself a little more clearance so they aren't under tension at full droop.

Appreciate the reply. Funny how you ended up also with the 9.5! Reading between the lines here, would you say the tension on the lines would be less if you did not have the truck lifted?

 

[RooTBeeRthe1st]

Appreciate the reply. Funny how you ended up also with the 9.5! Reading between the lines here, would you say the tension on the lines would be less if you did not have the truck lifted?

Haha yeah, ended up driving around for a while in four-wheel drive and letting the front tires pull me. Still haven't taken it apart to figure out what actually broke. But I messed with torque management too much and it shifted into second so hard and apparently the tires had enough traction that something in the diff was the weak link. Never made any funny noises or anything either well driving at around after that.

Yeah, I don't remember actually having tension on the brake lines, but I did bend that little bracket up just to make sure that never happened, and I bent it more so now with the stainless braided lines rather than the forgiving rubber OEM parts.

 

[RooTBeeRthe1st]

Another fun one.
During the morning commute I started hearing a noise, couldn't tell what is was. On the way home, it got much louder...started diagnosing on the drive. Sure enough, found the original u-joint looking unhappy. Nicely drove to the parts store for a new one and back.
Couldn't get the old one out of the drive shaft. Angle grinder fixed that...judging from the rust where it broke, this joint was cracked for some time.
Missed work today, but she's solid again!

 

[Just Fishing]

Another fun one.
During the morning commute I started hearing a noise, couldn't tell what is was. On the way home, it got much louder...started diagnosing on the drive. Sure enough, found the original u-joint looking unhappy. Nicely drove to the parts store for a new one and back.
Couldn't get the old one out of the drive shaft. Angle grinder fixed that...judging from the rust where it broke, this joint was cracked for some time.
Missed work today, but she's solid again!

how many miles where on it?

 

[RooTBeeRthe1st]

how many miles where on it?

186,000 give or take.

 

[Just Fishing]

Welp moving u joints higher on the to do list... lol

 

[RooTBeeRthe1st]

Welp moving u joints higher on the to do list... lol

I've also had a trans tune on mine for at least 70,000 miles that chirps second on my 33 inch mud terrains.
So I have not been nice to my drivetrain. Lol

 

[RooTBeeRthe1st]

Bought BBK headers...
There's plastic bb's stuck inside and outside of the tubes, welding spatter everywhere including on the mating surfaces. Thick welds inside the tubes, might as well be smaller diameter tubes.
The collectors are anything but a smooth high-flowing transition.
One collector isn't even centered up on the tubes.

There's no ball-joint on the collector flange like the factory manifold or other aftermarket headers.
These were definitely designed for the '99-'06 gmt400, given the 3 egr/air injection ports. They do supply block-off plates for them though.

The threads on the flanges need to be chased to get the ceramic coating out of them.

 

[RooTBeeRthe1st]

Continued