GMT400 Front End Rebuild (Part 4)

[@aytonbob]

A man who doesn’t make mistakes doesn’t do anything.

[@japiebruce4045]

@C J LOL

[@highlypolishedturd7947]

Another way to put it... Anyone who has never put a foot wrong has never led a dance partner.

[@johnpike1552]

Agreed.

[@michaelblacktree]

Not doing anything is probably a mistake too. 😛

[@HoldandModify]

Original reason I subbed all those years ago. He shows the mistakes, and the HASSLES, of after market, and even OEM parts. We will all encounter them. Don't hide it, show it. Awesome stuff as always Eric! (seriously you helped me through most of my FOX body Mustang challenges) Finally, glad Cameraman Brian has been back!

[@supershark9k708]

I will watch etcg video I will watch them day and night I will click on the adds etcg is best channel I look better because I watch etcg video all hail etcg

[@WazZappening]

I can't say how many times working on cars, did me and my buddies come across that "OH Snaps it's upside down!, or its backwards!" good to know it's common even with the pros. Thanks for the humbleness and keeping it real....and yes WE ARE ENTERTAINED!!!

[@wobblysauce]

Most things get the dry fit and are placed on their own side.

[@jeromegarcia5396]

Dude you are like Batman with all those neat tools, man it makes the job so easy...

[@jamespn]

Eric you’re a great mechanic and man enough to admit when you’ve made mistakes. That doesn’t deter you from tearing into things god speed on dad’s truck.

[@SuperDave21]

One of if not my favorite project of yours to date.... because I have a 91 GMT400. Wish I had dropped spindles on mine...! I knew you'd love the brake line upgrade. I love mine, they made a huge difference! A nice set of long tube headers and a good true dual exhaust will really impress you too Eric!!

[@stephendee7839]

After watching this video, I realized how great I look while watching etcg1 videos. The hypnosis was totally worth it.

[@VBshredder]

Looking forward to the "we finally install a headliner" episode

[@BillyReed68]

....or at least paint it.

[@EarlSinclair97]

I will watch ETCG videos. I will watch them day and night. I will never click on the ads. I will watch ETCG.

[@v.e.7236]

Nothing like good stopping power to keep you smiling. I re-did the front suspension on my '02 Blazer and was just like you - thrilled to have it running smoothly down the road and not feel a shake/shimmy after every crack in the pavement. I did the 2" drop spindles w/ 2" drop springs up front and also did a 4" drop in the back and love the nice level look. Your father is going to love driving it.

[@williamdyckman9704]

Eric, you make me feel better when I mess up trying to put parts back together. Your video's are do helpful thanks!!

[@segintendorocks]

Eric, if I could click a love button on this series, I would. You have a very similar suspension to my 1986 Crown Victoria LX and this will help out tremendously. THANK YOU!!! Subscriber for life bro!

[@mr.nobody4900]

35:14 into the video is my favorite part..seeing the expression of Eric once the truck is on the ground. Priceless moment people

[@ronwatson4902]

The fact that you can laugh at yourself is more important than anything you did.! Very nice!

[@fredguarino5931]

this series is so cool I just lost my dad after several years of illness. he loved working on car projects like this with me. right before he passed in April I was out looking for a truck with my younger daughter and saw an unmolested 94 GMC standard cab step side sitting in the back corner of a lot and asked about it. a couple weeks later my dad passed unexpectedly and I kept thinking about the truck, I went back and made an offer and bought it. it was an odd brown with a bent up front bumper so i proceed like my dad and I would have and begun doing a lot of the same things your doing with yours. I cleaned it all cleaned up and painted black with a blue pearl. Im changing the interior to grey now and the urethane bushings and 2'' 4'' drop suspension parts are on their way from summit right now. it runs good but is a 4.3 and I cant in good conscious keep it that way so I have been shopping for the necessary ls parts to swap it. its very cool to watch your videos of you doing such a similar build for your father while Im doing this one in memory of mine. cant wait to see them both done. Hope your dad loves his I know mine will. hes always along for a ride with me. some of his remains are in the trucks key chain Thank you for the videos

[@bennyfactor]

Hey man, I was really surprised and pleased to see your Fairmont at the IMS Museum yesterday! Making an early 80s "boring" sedan into a real sleeper has always been a dream of mine and I've enjoyed watching you build it (and all your other repairs and projects like this cool old truck). Never thought I'd get to see it up close! It is awesome. Keep on keeping on man!

[@nathantaylor9998]

Your style of humor is so fun. I needed a few laughs.

[@poorboyman5565]

It is very satisfying when the job is done and comes out just the way you dreamed it would. GREAT JOB! It looks "A MARVELOUS!"

[@japiebruce4045]

@Random Stuffs hahaha

[@FoglesongfromTexas]

Man loved this series! Iv'e got a 91 with 248,000 miles. Love the truck its a 4.3L with a manual 5 speed behind it. I really need to start collecting parts so I can completely rebuild my front end, because buddy when I say its shot, its shot. It still takes a alignment and doesn't chew up tires but it super loose and the brakes are crap. Again thanks for the series, enjoyed it!

[@ArmChair_Operator]

Love the dad's truck series. I own a 99 k1500 and while yours is 2wd it still helps a lot since most of it is going to be the same. I also enjoy watching all the videos just for education purposes

[@dil6969]

Doing something wrong a few times is just part of the process of fixing something. It's frustrating, but the end result of a high-effort job is very satisfying. Nice work, Eric!

[@ZippoVarga]

35:47 lmao...You forgot to add....That's what She Said! Well Done Eric! Zip~

[@aigoru8718]

Dude, truck looks freakin' awesome! We've really enjoyed watching this whole series Eric, thanks!

[@reneneron2971]

I feel like I've watched this video series 5X, but it was all worth it to see how satisfied you are at the end when you first see the truck (not car) on the ground and then drive it for the first time. Nice.

[@mixpick138]

I was going to say something nostalgic like "your videos have gotten better with age" but the heck with that! These latest ones have gone exponential! Dunno if it's the cold or the cold medicine but it's taken these to a whole new level. Great stuff and it's great to know you are human with a mistake or two... lol

[@kayewortman8759]

I do Love a Mechanic who makes mistakes and owns them then corrects them...Great Vidios Eric

[@EricErnst]

I have a very similar bearing packer. I love it. I think it's a lot better than the old way of grabbing a wad of grease in your palm. I like that it ensures you have a fully packed bearing. Looks great. Now I need to rebuild my front suspension too. Dude, you are going to be blown away by the new engine. I can tell that old tbi 350 is a turd. I'm so glad I upgraded mine with a roller cam and heads.

[@benjaminmellingen5340]

you can be proud of that job. Nice work!

[@markusstrobl1067]

So glad I'm not the only one who's ever installed a swaybar upside down!

[@jobsjobbed5125]

Weird, I can’t stop watching ETCG videos.... I must watch, I must watch, I must.....

[@BadLuckBryant95]

I will watch ETCG videos. I will watch them day and night. I will click on the ads. Click on the ads

[@brettmeena4135]

did anyone else say in their head when he put the rotor on the spindle, "Like a Glove". lol love the video eric and the truck is coming together quite nicely.

[@adamwing9301]

you did the right thing by changing the races out. i bought new rotors with the races in them and new bearings by timkin, used the crap races that were already installed and ate the bearings in 7 months, took it apart and races were wiped. same exact truck too. timkin even states their bearings and races are matched for longevity.

[@smokemadbuds991]

currently rebuilding my 1996 gmc k3500 single cab 8' bed, not doing a frame off resto yet but hopefully one day. full engine bay refresh, all new brake lines, lots of work. lots of fun on a NY truck too. 75k miles

[@russellstephan6844]

Another way of handling brake lines and holding brackets... I've replaced I don't know how many rubber brake lines with braided SS examples over the years. The replacements never fit snug due to the less bulk of the SS lines. But, I do not like to alter the stock brackets. Someday, I'm gonna be in there again... A section of heater hose or rubber fuel line split lengthwise will easily slip over the SS line allowing a tighter fit in the stock bracket. I then usually hold the hose and brake line in place with a nice stainless steel safety wire job. I'm telling you, stainless steel safety wire is the Superman duct tape of mechanical fastening solutions. It looks superb if you're anywhere near competent with spinning pliers. In addition, it's easy to remove and reinstall with minimal headache. And, it can be used just about anywhere... On my C1500 from-the-frame-out front end refresh, while I had the thing up on jacks, I needed to install a flywheel splash guard. I have no idea what happened to the OEM one. Anywho, the exhaust Y pipe prevented the easy slip-in-place fitment. Rather than spend a whole day or more dropping the Y pipe, I simply cut the plastic guard into two smaller pieces, put everything into place, and sewed the guard back together with safety wire. The thing is as strong as it was as a single piece and will last the life of the vehicle.

[@Coachbob2319]

ETCG is my favorite channel. I watch it day and night.

[@cgrscott]

I really enjoyed the driving part. You have transformed a full-framed pickup truck into a full-framed high-performance car.

[@armandozapata2607]

Hey Eric, watched your complete video and i must say i enjoyed the whole video .i am working on my 2001 zr2 will be doing a complete restoration on the front end I've learned so mush watching you work on your truck like the way you explained what you were doing and will be watching you more in the future again thank you I like your style.

[@publicmail2]

RTFMMFer! That first few drives are so satisfying knowing it's all lubed and true.

[@jeffreymurdock8366]

That torque wrench starts a stuttering beeping when you get close and goes to a solid tone when you hit the set point

[@oliviergilcreest8088]

"I did discover it before I drove it" 😂😂 proper mechanic. Real life.

[@robertweir9034]

I hit the nail on the head after watching part three. At 40s into this video, you proved me right. What's going to rub, LOL. OK it's one thing to lean from mistakes, therefore, you must be one of the smartest guys out there but, it's another to keep modifying the truck to make it work. Your sense of humor has increased 10 fold Eric. Remember, this is for your father to drive. Please make sure everything is safe.

[@01FozzyS]

Well done Eric!

[@rickpalechuk4411]

Entertainment, let me tell you :) Not gunna lie, that was a bit painful at times. Thanks for sharing Cheers

[@mattliston1215]

That truck is FREAKING AWESOME!

[@nomanjones4803]

The races that came with the rotors are only there for machining, the ones that come with the bearings are a matched set, glad you decided to replace them.

[@rickgaine3476]

I hope you make a video of when your Dad drives the truck for the first time after the work is complete. I know he gave you the truck. If I were you, I would give it back to him when done. I know he would really appreciate driving it knowing all the work you put in to it.

[@DavidMirandaF]

Oh man, that new height is just right! Love it too, Dad will be proud! 👏👏

[@amjedaliraqi3067]

Thank you Dear Eric , I am a successful person and I work hard and sincerely and I am following you from Iraq thank you for all your successful work

[@johnrobinson357]

Always feels great when it comes together really nice - no matter how many left turns you take it just does not matter when it's all done nice and sweet.

[@rusty6666]

Nice work eric glad to see that you at least go over everything to make sure its all sound thanks .

[@tjeick]

You’re the man Eric! Thanks for years of great videos.

[@saidalabri4481]

Beautiful truck man it did improve a lot good job Eric

[@ericthecarguy]

Thanks!

[@birdbrainxzx]

I will watch ETCG videos. Day and night. ETCG is my favorite channel. I will follow him on social media. I am very good looking because I watch ETCG. I will click on the ads.

[@japiebruce4045]

Okay thats just fucking weird bro

[@hoskinsautomotivellc2256]

Very entertained! Thank you sir 🤣😂😎

[@benzmansl65amg]

I love the way those motors sound

[@silasmarner7586]

Nice work Eric! I put Bilsteins on my E150 4.6L. The van handles AMAZINGLY.

[@JayTdub13]

I am freakin' loving this series. Awesome video. The truck looks amazing.

[@TranTrackz]

The hypnotic rotors had me killed lmao

[@SmittySmithsonite]

That thing is SWEET!! Nice work! 👍👍 Makes me want to sell my '07 900 and look for another 400. I should have done this to my '94 K1500, instead of selling it and buying the lemon '07 Silverado 1500 LT. Just finished installing a new carrier in it - 97,322 miles, and the spider gears had chunks taken out of them for no reason. The tips of the gears broke off, and ran through the side gears. Thankfully the ring and pinion were untouched. Installed an OX Locker (air actuated, since I already had the compressor setup). Waiting on some fittings that I thought were included, so I can hook the air line to the compressor plumbing. I tested it manually with the supplied locking tool, and it works great - just like welding the spiders together, lol. At least I can finally drive it now - been waiting 8 weeks for them to build and ship the locker!

[@nathanhess3905]

Great video. Thank you for always being honest with your mistakes. It is neat to see you find the error and fix it.

[@TimTurner115]

Like done that, comment Pretty Truck. Good job sir. I remember rebuilding the Chevy trucks back in the 80's. Dang I'm old.

[@bthein1270]

Always been my favorite series of truck from GM,looking so good!

[@LaseredIllumination]

i tell you what...the aftermarket gods have NOT been smiling on you during this build! haha

[@EdwardAlcala]

My thoughts exactly lol

[@ckl8a]

I don't believe the aftermarket gods have ever smiled upon me! why is it so hard to make a part that fits?

[@fila1445]

Why do I want to rewatch all Eric videos now ?

[@cornishsean1]

Because it's the law

[@japiebruce4045]

@@cornishsean1 LOL

[@jakexrain1034]

Lesson i learned in this front end rebuild series, is that aftermarket spindles arent worth a shit. Well atleast the ones you got.

[@YamFZR93]

Short Truck + Tall Eric = Extra Extra Funny Video. That was a ton of work and the truck looks great. Really enjoyed the video.

[@XxHyJyNxX]

2:05 Bet that stabilizer-bar hitting your jaw didn’t feel too good. Played it off well!

[@wobblysauce]

Was thinking about that when doing it up after with the torque wrench..

[@rongeernaert1208]

You always learn from faults , and never to old to learn.

[@BillyReed68]

Dude! You are SO awesome for leaving your mistakes in the videos. You have saved so many man hours for others it ain't even funny. Well, maybe a little.... HA! Because you actually had the video of how it came off. >.

[@bellaluna156]

The stance from the front at the end of the video looks good. 😁

[@LuckyBuff4949]

Patience is a virtue. You must have gotten that from your Dad. Amen

[@888johnmac]

don't know why but I have an urge to binge watch a pile of old uploads ( including the adverts ) ??

[@miguelare3]

Hey we all make mistakes etcg but it takes a man to admit it! Thanks for all the awesome videos!

[@hermanatorPC]

Im listening to this video while I wash dishes at work, idk why

[@johnpike1552]

Awesome brother. Love these videos!

[@cutterhead13]

Nice serie , nice truck , nice work !

[@ZippoVarga]

Common problem when torquing any bolt is the desire to double, triple, quadruple the torque wrench. Try reversing the torque wrench and see how much break away torque it takes to loosen the fastener. I think you'll be shocked at how much higher your torque value is increased with multiple "clicks". One click and DONE! Just a little FYI for those Noob's out there so they don't get into bad habits. Zip~

[@Exit_343]

Wow. Never knew that. !! Learn something new everyday. The more you know ..

[@Kheir112]

Eric, we all do stupid stuff from time to time. Nobody is an exception. I once, left a scissor jack, in the front suspension of my 87 Chevy Blazer. I was replacing the spring bushings and needed to do so with the spring in the truck (I had to get to work, and needed the truck). I used the jack, between the top of the leaf spring on top of the axle, and the frame to allow me to gain access to the bushings. They had worn out, and fell out, so I only needed to replace the bushing, and bolts. Well, a friend distracted me after I had finished and as a result, I forgot the jack was still in place and drove the truck to work... I needed to used a hammer to get it out as it was now destroyed... I thought the trucks suspension was a bit stiff iin the front left...

[@YamFZR93]

Hilarious. My dad had a 87 Chevy Blazer, worst SUV we ever had. Had a load of factory defects they couldn't even fix and engine leaked oil since day 1. Was so glad to get rid of it after 2 years. Ah well, life can be crazy sometimes.

[@jessebuck90]

Great vid, really enjoying this series. Side note, with all the assembly and disassembly with fitting and matching parts, it surprises me to see you using box wrenches instead of ratchets or ratcheting wrenches. Seems like it would be a time saver.

[@Bimm3rcc]

Jesse Buck he did use ratchets. To me box wrench is better when there’s bad clearance or i need to apply a lot of torque. If you don’t use one hand on the ratchet handle and one hand on the socket to keep it down, a ratchet will just slip and strip or brake a bolt. Box wrench I would say is a wise choice where Eric used them.

[@nbowling10trio]

The bevel on pads is so there's never a sharp corner on the edge where it could break a chunk of chunks out of the pad. Keeps it from shuttering too.

[@bazabal1]

Thata a great emotional experience he had!

[@Tommyinoz1971]

The ute is looking great mate!

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

The races that came with the bearings are way nicer then the races in the rotors

[@AntonioClaudioMichael]

Great video Eric

[@BigDog50001]

Eric, you’re doing it all wrong! ;)

[@commodore665]

yes yes , I'm am entertained , please don't kill us ,. mistakes happen , great video Eric

[@geoffblight6594]

there is no substitute for quality!

[@Exit_343]

A floor shifter!? Nice!!

[@charlesmaynard6450]

That’s truck looks awesome! Great job man!

[@carhead9397]

We all have the same issues. You are to be commented for your candor and stick to it attitude. Just slogg through buddy.

[@michaelmiller4716]

What a clean, professional job that is. Much work and frustration, (grinding and grinding) but the outcome is well worth the extra effort. BTW, Brian provided some (all) wonderful shots of the procedure and man, can he bleed brakes, or what?

[@hugmedeb]

loved it ....great video.....

[@mds2465]

Nice job on the suspension and brakes! I guess next up is the engine and transmission. Not sure what you plan to do about the transmission in this truck but I know that you were talking about keeping it an automatic because your wife isn’t comfortable driving stick. While I do agree with Paul that the manual transmission that was originally in this truck isn’t all that great I do think it’s a lot better than the slush box that’s currently in there. That being said if you can find another slush box that is better quality maybe it will be a winner. I’m just not really sure what to suggest as far as that. Anyways I’m looking forward to seeing the finished product

[@AlexM-tx2vr]

Eric, you have a different definition of easy than me. I would have bought the bigger rotors and calipers. Seems a lot less frustrating than clearance-ing a second set of spindles. Also, you are adding horse power so it is always good to add more stopping power.

[@joeclarke9782]

Keepin It Real. Good Video.

[@zx8401ztv]

Fantastic upgrade eric i'm chuffed :-D. It fought you all the way but the result was worth it. Great brakes are life saving for emergency conditions, and better control generally. Being forced to pootle around at snail speeds because of bad brakes is just annoying. Mistakes will happen, what matters is final outcome only. Loved the under truck wheelcam, observing the operation is great to see :-D.

[@ericthecarguy]

Yea, those are my favorite shots too. Thank you for your continued support and comments.

[@azazeldeath]

ERIC! You reminded me i need to do my swivel hubs....abd the fact i dont own a bearing packer....by hand i guess it is

[@benzmansl65amg]

Incredible job. Better than new.