Antihero buys a Chevy GMT400!

Finally got around to replacing the shocks and......no change in the rattly front end sound.

It sounds exactly like shocks but I've been wrong before so I jack it up and start shaking the front end, totally solid...hmmm..

So I start shaking everything that has to do with the front end. Sway bar is tight, tierods are tight....nothing. the steering box is a bit loose and the shaft has some play but it's always precise and not super vague. I adjusted the steering box to get rid of some play , it did have a bit of a dead spot though. I've actually never done that but it definitely made the steering far more precise. Even though I wasn't expecting it to it didn't reduce the noise

So I'm standing there looking at it and wondering wtf. I know it's a loose shock sound but the bolts are tight and they are new Monroe Severe Duty shocks. I get annoyed at decide to use a bar on the shock between shock and the upper mount.....

And it moves. Just a little but there's movement, just enough that when I hot washboards it rattles. It's tight as hell too so I've come to the conclusion that....

The berkeleying upper shock bolt is too small!

In reply to Antihero (Forum Supporter) :

That sounds about right. 

Great find!  

(I'm just now finding the thread a couple months late).  I love the GMT400s.

I have a lazy wiper on my '89...so I learned something back on page 1.  I need to go searching now to see if my older truck has the same issue mentioned here.

In reply to ClemSparks :

As for the older trucks and the wiper circuit boards, mine's an 88.

In reply to Floating Doc (Forum Supporter) :

That answers that...thanks!  Time to harvest what I need from the '92 Suburban parts truck.

5k miles driven update:

It seems to burn about a quart every 5k miles of oil, not bad but more than some cars I've owned. Lots of cold starts too because it's winter so it's sort of expected.

It needs a limited slip in the back for total winter domination, anyone got one they love? The tires I'm using do not under any circumstances float on loose surfaces so the lack of limited slip means I use 4wd more than I'm used to. It's still doing great in winter, I'm just looking for fantastic

Mine has an aftermarket clutch type limited slip, but I have no idea what it is. I only know it's there because it was found when the cover had come off to change axle seals and bearings. 

I'm a huge fan of the Detroit TrueTrac, I've put them in the last three vehicles.

And Canadian winters up here to boot.  Eh.

I have a Spartan locker in mine and it does what it's supposed to for cheap

Well that sucks...my dipstick tube broke. Never had that problem before.

I was able to hold the whole thing together by shoving the dipstick thru the hole again but it snapped right at the block.

Safe to drive? I'm basically worried about the remnants of the tube falling in but I assume it has something on it to prevent it from being pushed in too far and it looks like it broke above it