a-fuso

GMC Owner
Mar 28, 2012
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CA
See the State is weird here, older cars with the charcoal canisters get the gas cap pressure test, not newer vehicles. But its all still a scam because you pay anywhere from $30-90 for a smog check depending on the shop, because they're allowed to set their own price since they are private businesses, just so you can tell the state your car runs good basically. I wish they had inspections, almost because there is some complete junk you see rolling around that looks like it belongs in a salvage yard.
 

Huck

BIIIIG SQRBDY GUY
Jan 27, 2011
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Gainesville, Ga
We're similar to jersey, 90 and older no emissions.
08 and older diesels, nothing.
OB1 is rollers/sniffer/lead on the #1 wire, gas cap test.
96 up is plug and cap test.
Nothing gets inspected, just emissions done.
Commercial is full everything.

Sent from a dingleberry
 
We're similar to jersey, 90 and older no emissions.
08 and older diesels, nothing.
OB1 is rollers/sniffer/lead on the #1 wire, gas cap test.
96 up is plug and cap test.
Nothing gets inspected, just emissions done.
Commercial is full everything.

Sent from a dingleberry

do you have to pay? we in NJ dont have to pay. they are changing it in the next few months that if you fail, you have to take it to a private shop and pay after its fixed.
 

Huck

BIIIIG SQRBDY GUY
Jan 27, 2011
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Oh, forgot to add that part. It's $20 or $25, I don't remember off hand but it's the same no matter where you go. They're all independent but they have to be state certified and I guess the state sets the price

Sent from a dingleberry
 

a-fuso

GMC Owner
Mar 28, 2012
1,856
77
48
CA
Damn I wish commifornia was more like that. It's all a fucking joke, the number of people that modify their vehicles' exhaust vs those that are stock is really low too. Diesels '99+ get a throttle snap smoke test and obd plug in. Can't have any evidence of the engine being tampered with. Such a joke because tons of shops turn a blind eye to mods on vehicles, but the state is cracking down harder on them so its getting tougher to have a modded vehicle passed unless you personally know a guy.
 

a-fuso

GMC Owner
Mar 28, 2012
1,856
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CA
Going to update this thread since I kinda forgot about it over the summer, and was busy working on the Ford 6.0. Now that that project is coming to a close I need to finish everything I've been putting off for this truck.

So in order of months, a few things that have happened.
Back in October of 2015 I installed my Dunes with Toyo M/Ts, well I found a better condition set for a good price so I jumped on those, then polished up my old set and listed them for sale. Broke even trading one set for the other cash wise, but the new set will be flawless after I polish them up.

Sold these
32111092010_cb726a2a91_k.jpg
IMG_6443 (1)[/url] by Anthony Fuso, on Flickr[/IMG]
IMG_6443 (1) by Anthony Fuso, on Flickr

and Bought these
IMG_6101 (1) by Anthony Fuso, on Flickr

Then I also had a number of parts powdered and chromed around April, been sitting till now.
IMG_7397 by Anthony Fuso, on Flickr
IMG_5504 (1) by Anthony Fuso, on Flickr

Got some NOS blue end fox shocks to go with my new lower a-arms
IMG_5574 (1) by Anthony Fuso, on Flickr

All these parts are going to be installed either this weekend or next weekend, as well as pulling off the Iroks and polishing up my wheels since I ordered a new set of Nitto Ridge Grapplers yesterday, need to get the front end all fixed up and aligned. Also had the fun of changing both front wheel bearings two weeks ago, along with a cv axle, and new abs sensors.

IMG_8114 by Anthony Fuso, on Flickr
 
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a-fuso

GMC Owner
Mar 28, 2012
1,856
77
48
CA
Last edited:

a-fuso

GMC Owner
Mar 28, 2012
1,856
77
48
CA
Little slow on the updates, but this project is still in progress as I wait for a few more parts.

Last weekend, tore down the front end, installed new upper balljoints, and my HD lower control arms. For those interested, they are not a direct fit, but will work with minor modifications. I had to trim down the front steering stops to work with the 1500 knuckles for the proper amount of turning radius, rear stops work just like the originals, however. The ball joint stud on a 2500 is a direct fit to the 1500 spindle taper, I originally wanted to do this swap since they have a larger ball joint. The a arms appear to be about a 1/4" longer from the centerline to spindle, and the bushings are 1/8" wider on the front a arm spread, trimmed a little off the front bushing and slid the sleeve over and then they slid right in. I also put in new moog lower ball joints and energy suspension polyurethane bushings.

IMG_8207 by Anthony Fuso, on Flickr

I made a set of upper shock eyelet to stud adapters from another set of Hd lca shock mounts I got at the junkyard, drilled a hole and welded in a 5/8" bolt to secure the shocks at the top. Sorry my pictures don't show this stuff better, but you know once your hands get dirty you don't really want to touch the phone.

IMG_8206 by Anthony Fuso, on Flickr

Also got a pair of uca droop stops to weld back on the frame. Reason being the previous owner had cut them off when the truck was leveled for a better ride. Problem was every time I jacked the truck up it would droop and bind on the upper ball joints and tie rods.

IMG_8209 by Anthony Fuso, on Flickr

Then came shocks, spindles, new stainless braided brake lines, and all the other parts for something like this...

IMG_8214 by Anthony Fuso, on Flickr
IMG_8211 by Anthony Fuso, on Flickr

Forgot to take any finished pics, but we assembled everything, and then I couldn't get the torsion bars to load up. I previously had HD tbars in my 1500 lca with lift keys and they loaded and sat like stock, now the Hd lca has the hex turned 60* different from the half ton arms, so now I needed stock HD torsion keys, I had one laying around, so I needed to track down another set. Burned most of the morning and finally found a takeoff pair from a local truck shop. Got those to load up, and drove it home.

(Edit) Finished pic from the front showing everything at full droop and the trimmed front steering stop, I need to find tune them a little more and then I'll add a touch of paint, just didn't have time for all this mock-up before I had to get the parts powdered.

IMG_8218 by Anthony Fuso, on Flickr

Ordered parts today to rebuild and regear the front differential to 4.56 to match my rear axle I did in April, as well as new tierods and sleeves. Stay tuned for that project.
Also dropped my wheels off for tires on Saturday, don't have those back yet.
 
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a-fuso

GMC Owner
Mar 28, 2012
1,856
77
48
CA
Now for passenger seat repair, again I'm sorry for the poor pics, but I can explain better if anyone needs help. This is for a full 10-way power seat.

About a year ago a buddy was sitting in the pass. seat and reclined it and we heard a loud crack and some white pieces of plastic fell out on the carpet. So the passenger seat has a big spring and plastic slider over the worm screw mechanism, without it the spring drug on the worm screw and made noise when driving on rough roads or reclining the seat back. The seat back shook on rough highways too, it was annoying to say the least.
Also to note, the driver's side seat does not have the big spring or plastic slider, the worm screw is exposed on the driver's side. I cut the crimped on stop off my driver's seat years ago so it will recline all the way back like OBS seats do, helps when napping in the truck.

So I was browsing the junk yard I found a full power seat and set about figuring out how to remove the piece I needed. From the base you have to unbolt the worm screw in the front, and the seat back pivot point, as well as it slides up into the seat back and is secured with two loctited bolts under the foam and leather.

IMG_8184 by Anthony Fuso, on Flickr


You can see the missing bolts for the screw follower towards the front of the seat, the angled piece lifts up and can be removeed when you take out the large pivot bolt. Then you have just the seat back and that adjuster screw attached to it.

Here's the two adjusters, the broken one on the left and the replacement on the right. Also of note, the replacement had a smaller hole where the pivot point went, I had to crush and remove the bushing in there to make it match my old one.

IMG_8187 by Anthony Fuso, on Flickr


The black end with green writing on it slides inside the upper seat back, and you have to peel your leather and foam back in order to access the bolts for it.

IMG_8188 by Anthony Fuso, on Flickr


Then assembly was just the reverse, making sure to get all the wrinkles out of the leather and velcro hooked back into place. I checked the power slider on the base, because it was loose too and thought I had bad bushings like is a common failure with gmt800 seats, but turned out the bolts for one screw follower were just loose, tightened them up and put the seat back into the truck to check everything else still worked.
 

Huck

BIIIIG SQRBDY GUY
Jan 27, 2011
12,335
1,389
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Gainesville, Ga
Damn, lots of work lately. Am jelly of how much you get to work on your stuff. I can't even find time to wash mine.

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk
 
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a-fuso

GMC Owner
Mar 28, 2012
1,856
77
48
CA
Damn, lots of work lately. Am jelly of how much you get to work on your stuff. I can't even find time to wash mine.

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk
Funny you say that, I've had these parts sitting for over 6 months to do the front end, if you call that a lot of time. And It may get washed once a month because of necessity, like I don't want something sitting on and staining the paint.

i still cant believe you are on stock UCA's
Why?
 

a-fuso

GMC Owner
Mar 28, 2012
1,856
77
48
CA
i figured with everything else you have done, tubeular like cognitos would have been put on.
I've seen a few tubular uca's crack, including one on a friend's truck, plus they are really expensive for what they are. Stock is good in this case.
 

a-fuso

GMC Owner
Mar 28, 2012
1,856
77
48
CA
What's your plan for mounting the reservoirs?

I bought some fts reservoir mounts to put them horizontally


Has anyone ever rebuilt their cv axles with new boots and grease? My gm boots have lasted forever, about 80k each, but now im out of spares and need new ones. Not really a fan of the cheap neoprene/rubber boots that come on most aftermarket axles.


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