What did you do to your NNBS GMT900 Tahoe/Yukon Today?

[mountie]

That "was" a 1/2" I think I bought it used at the flea market , worked on the first axle bolt but bent in the process, other side finished it off. It's in the garbage can now not even going to bother warranting it

Yup... sometimes it's not worth the labor to mess with a warranty....

 

[Charlie207]

Ever since my engine was replaced I am getting some rich cold starts and even some flooding. No engine lights or codes whatsoever. Only happens first thing in the morning with temps in the 30's and below.

Can you monitor your fuel pressure with the engine running, and then when you kill it, but leave the ignition ON?

Mine runs at ~43psi, but climbs to ~84psi with the engine off. I've asked before, but no one can confirm if that's normal....?

I occasionally get hard starts/no starts with a warm engine. Cold starts are 100% reliable.

 

[Doubeleive]

Can you monitor your fuel pressure with the engine running, and then when you kill it, but leave the ignition ON?

Mine runs at ~43psi, but climbs to ~84psi with the engine off. I've asked before, but no one can confirm if that's normal....?

I occasionally get hard starts/no starts with a warm engine. Cold starts are 100% reliable.

the rise in pressure is caused by heat soak, normal

 

[Charlie207]

that's wild.


funny out of all my tools I don't even own a breake

Wedging 2 pickle forks in this mofo does not want to come off!View attachment 451939

When I recently replaced my lower ball joints I noticed the puckle-fork was too wide to fit in there easily. I beat on it with my 4lb. thumb-detector until they popped off, but I bent the heck out of the brand new AutoZone rental fork.

The 2nd ball-joint was worse, bad the fork became stuck...wedged between the ball+joint and knuckle. A hammer worked fine to beat it off, but there must be some special, narrow fork for GM knuckles.

 

[Rocket Man]

@Doubeleive Wes, you’ve installed TPMS sensors using the jack under then hitch trick haven’t you? Any issue getting the tire to inflate after breaking the bead? Just remove the valve stem? I have a 20- gallon air compressor so I’m hoping that will do it.

 

[Doubeleive]

@Doubeleive Wes, you’ve installed TPMS sensors using the jack under then hitch trick haven’t you? Any issue getting the tire to inflate after breaking the bead? Just remove the valve stem? I have a 20- gallon air compressor so I’m hoping that will do it.

no I have not, mine are all still original as far as I know so they are probably at the end of life 12-13 years old so they have to be

 

[Doubeleive]

When I recently replaced my lower ball joints I noticed the puckle-fork was too wide to fit in there easily. I beat on it with my 4lb. thumb-detector until they popped off, but I bent the heck out of the brand new AutoZone rental fork.

The 2nd ball-joint was worse, bad the fork became stuck...wedged between the ball+joint and knuckle. A hammer worked fine to beat it off, but there must be some special, narrow fork for GM knuckles.

I used a standard size pickle fork and after fighting with the first lower joint apparently there is a metal ring that came loose from the rubber part that holds the grease so I had to use a small screwdriver to lift that up in order to get the pickle fork in otherwise it wouldn't fit, I ran over and bought a 2nd pickle fork because they didn't have the rental ball joint extractor that may or may not have worked anyway, flipped the 2 forks around so it made a thicker fork and just kept pounding them in until it finally popped out.
the single pickle fork was getting stuck yes, but I used another tool that I have to wedge it back out. At one point I thought I might have to go buy a new knuckle, got the torch out and was going to throw some heat at it first when it finally broke loose. I was thrilled the other side came right off i wasn't looking forward to a another fight.
my guess is someone must have torqued the shit out of the drivers side at some point.

I kind of ran into a self induced mistake when tightening down the 1st upper ball joint, as you tighten it up the ball begins to spin so you have use a allen wrench in the center to hold it while tighten up it, I thought to myself "this is going to get wedged in there" but kept tightening it up and yep it got wedged in there so i had to hacksaw it out, the good thing is it made a new tool to use on the other side lol

 

[Doubeleive]

When I recently replaced my lower ball joints I noticed the puckle-fork was too wide to fit in there easily. I beat on it with my 4lb. thumb-detector until they popped off, but I bent the heck out of the brand new AutoZone rental fork.

The 2nd ball-joint was worse, bad the fork became stuck...wedged between the ball+joint and knuckle. A hammer worked fine to beat it off, but there must be some special, narrow fork for GM knuckles.

and I have the same a 4lb thors hammer, just enough room to swing it somewhat hard and not smack the body in the process

when I was looking for the torque specs in the service manual there is a j-*** tool the manual references to use
j 43631 for the lower w/sleeve adapters j 45851, and for the upper j 42188-b
but not spending $500 for specialty tools that I might only use once or twice

 

[Fless]

@Doubeleive Wes, you’ve installed TPMS sensors using the jack under then hitch trick haven’t you? Any issue getting the tire to inflate after breaking the bead? Just remove the valve stem? I have a 20- gallon air compressor so I’m hoping that will do it.

If that doesn't work try a ratchet strap around the circumference to compress the tread; that should push the bead closer to the rim.

I've seen a bicycle tube with talc powder or mounting lube used to close the gap between the bead and the rim. But sometimes they get stuck or come flying out as the bead sets. YMMV

 

[j91z28d1]

When I recently replaced my lower ball joints I noticed the puckle-fork was too wide to fit in there easily. I beat on it with my 4lb. thumb-detector until they popped off, but I bent the heck out of the brand new AutoZone rental fork.

The 2nd ball-joint was worse, bad the fork became stuck...wedged between the ball+joint and knuckle. A hammer worked fine to beat it off, but there must be some special, narrow fork for GM knuckles.

most mechanics just put some tension on the arm and smack the part with the cone shaped hole with a hammer. it deflects the hole and the pop right out without damaging the boot. I was skeptical but back in the days of working in a mustang shop, we dropped the k members out to do install headers, all the time. needing to pop the lower ball joints loose but not something you want to damage in new cars with a fork. after seeing it done once. I got a bigger hammer off the tool truck. one or 2 good wacks and they pop. right apart without hurting anything.

I haven't replaced the ball joints on my truck, but that's how I'd try it if you can get a clean swing.

we have a set of forks that go in a air hammer as shop tooling here. most of our stuff has king pins so I've never used them thou.

 

[Tonyrodz]

@Doubeleive Wes, you’ve installed TPMS sensors using the jack under then hitch trick haven’t you? Any issue getting the tire to inflate after breaking the bead? Just remove the valve stem? I have a 20- gallon air compressor so I’m hoping that will do it.

That was @iamdub who came up with that. Iirc he did use the ratchet strap trick to seat the bead.

 

[j91z28d1]

still looking for my weird sound/vibration. I'm pretty sure at 70mph it's the drive shaft. ugh. but the low hum that sounds like it's from the front that starts right at 40 mph. I was hoping was wheel bearings but after having it on the air and listening all around with the stethoscope. I have no idea what it is. not a single sound from the bearings, on the hub or the spring, front or rear. nothing from the front diff or t case. fluid in both look perfect. I'm stumped on that one. going to just have to let it get worse till I can find it. blah


rubber on the u joints is literally fossilized and falling apart. lol they do seem to have outside clips and not the nylon crap. I wonder if should break my own rule and try replacing them. I see rock auto has the gm ones for 140$ each thou.

 

[Doubeleive]

most mechanics just put some tension on the arm and smack the part with the cone shaped hole with a hammer. it deflects the hole and the pop right out without damaging the boot. I was skeptical but back in the days of working in a mustang shop, we dropped the k members out to do install headers, all the time. needing to pop the lower ball joints loose but not something you want to damage in new cars with a fork. after seeing it done once. I got a bigger hammer off the tool truck. one or 2 good wacks and they pop. right apart without hurting anything.

I haven't replaced the ball joints on my truck, but that's how I'd try it if you can get a clean swing.

we have a set of forks that go in a air hammer as shop tooling here. most of our stuff has king pins so I've never used them thou.

I have found that method usually works fine for smaller things like the tie rods, but did not work for me on these larger ball joints, that was the first thing I tried. but I also did not try hitting it super hard as I didn't want to crack the knuckle, I have knack for breaking things by being too rough lol
the tool I pictured above would have worked fine if I was removing the knuckle or something and re-using it

 

[Doubeleive]

still looking for my weird sound/vibration. I'm pretty sure at 70mph it's the drive shaft. ugh. but the low hum that sounds like it's from the front that starts right at 40 mph. I was hoping was wheel bearings but after having it on the air and listening all around with the stethoscope. I have no idea what it is. not a single sound from the bearings, on the hub or the spring, front or rear. nothing from the front diff or t case. fluid in both look perfect. I'm stumped on that one. going to just have to let it get worse till I can find it. blah


rubber on the u joints is literally fossilized and falling apart. lol they do seem to have outside clips and not the nylon crap. I wonder if should break my own rule and try replacing them. I see rock auto has the gm ones for 140$ each thou.

View attachment 452051

that doesn't look good but if they still move smooth then they are probably fine, the only way to really tell is to pull the shaft out and check by hand

 

[mikez71]

... I got a bigger hammer off the tool truck. one or 2 good wacks and they pop. right apart without hurting anything.

I haven't replaced the ball joints on my truck, but that's how I'd try it if you can get a clean swing.

Definately want the bigger hammer! I was flailing away until I changed to bigger hammers.
I like to use two hammers and hit simultaneously on opposing sides..

But, when you get tired of flailing around, it's not always synchronized.
I did in at least one of my upper balljoints.. Thinking about new upper arms with non-greasable balljoints now..

 

[j91z28d1]

that doesn't look good but if they still move smooth then they are probably fine, the only way to really tell is to pull the shaft out and check by hand

yeah I didn't feel like pulling the shaft. I was more looking for the front sound. I'll get around to pulling it another day.

half temped to order some hub/bearings anyways. maybe those skf hybrid ones? since at 166k they are probably do. but man, I thought forsure I'd hear something.

I guess it's an excuse to buy one of those mechanics ear things

 

[j91z28d1]

Definately want the bigger hammer! I was flailing away until I changed to bigger hammers.
I like to use two hammers and hit simultaneously on opposing sides..

But, when you get tired of flailing around, it's not always synchronized.
I did in at least one of my upper balljoints.. Thinking about new upper arms with non-greasable balljoints now..

since we were in the shop on a lift or was also easy to have a 2nd person pull done on a long pry bar, oddly that little bit of of load did seem to help.


but yes, I nice size hammer, just enough to be a solid blow but not to crazy was key.

 

[Doubeleive]

yeah I didn't feel like pulling the shaft. I was more looking for the front sound. I'll get around to pulling it another day.

half temped to order some hub/bearings anyways. maybe those skf hybrid ones? since at 166k they are probably do. but man, I thought forsure I'd hear something.

I guess it's an excuse to buy one of those mechanics ear things

I don't know, but you def want to get the correct size, I have some sitting in my tool box that I swore were the correct size after a deep dive in research (some years back) and they are too small........
from what I understand the gm u-joints are a special size and is why the oem ones are pricey
or it might depend on if it is 2wd 4wd, steel, aluminum etc

 

[j91z28d1]

I don't know, but you def want to get the correct size, I have some sitting in my tool box that I swore were the correct size after a deep dive in research (some years back) and they are too small........
from what I understand the gm u-joints are a special size and is why the oem ones are pricey
or it might depend on if it is 2wd 4wd, steel, aluminum etc

yeah, that 140$ u joint specifically said denali hybrid 4wd aluminum shaft.

I'll have to research it a lot. I. can't imagine I can them swapped without damage. probably look for a used one on ebay too.

 

[Charlie207]

Did an oil change today. It took me since the end of August to drive 6,000 miles. Used 6 quarts of 5w-30 Valvoline Restore & Protect, and whatever STP fancy filter was part of the AutoZone discount.

I noticed that the underside was completely leak-free, which I think is a 1st for any vehicle I've ever owned.