#ETCGDadsTruck
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- Опубліковано 9 лют 2025
- This is (Episode 3) of the #ETCGDadsTruck Series.
In this video I show you how to lower the rear suspension 4” on a 1990 GMT400 pick up truck (1988-1998) by relocating the rear leaf spring. This is not an axle flip, so you don’t have to notch the frame.
#ETCGDadsTruck 4” Rear Suspension Drop (Part 2): • #ETCGDadsTruck 4” Rear...
#ETCGDadsTruck 4” Rear Suspension Drop (Full Version): www.ericthecar...
Camera: Brian Kast, Eric Cook
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Thanks for watching!
Part Links
The Kit I Used: www.summitraci...
Bushing Kit: www.summitraci...
Drop Shocks: www.summitraci...
VHT Chassis Roll Bar Paint: www.amazon.com...
Penetrating Oil: www.freealloil.com
Tools
Ear Plugs: www.jbtoolsale...
Air Hammer Set: www.jbtoolsale...
Ball Joint Press: www.jbtoolsale...
Milwaukee 1/2” (the big one): milwaukeetool....
3/8” Electric Impact: www.jbtoolsale...
Milwaukee Sawsall: milwaukeetool....
Astro Pneumatic Saw: www.jbtoolsale...
Harbor Freight Serpentine Belt Tool: www.harborfrei...
Trusty Cook Hammers: trustycook.com
Angle Drill: www.harborfrei...
1/2” Breaker Bar: www.jbtoolsale...
Torque Wrench: www.rakuten.com...
Hose Pliers: www.jbtoolsale...
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Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. EricTheCarGuy assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. EricTheCarGuy recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not EricTheCarGuy®.
The difference between when Eric and I work on old cars/trucks is that he has all the right tools and a prepped shop, meanwhile, I'm laying on my back in a garage inventing new curse words, and crying quietly while considering life choices that have led me to my situation.
It took me 20+ years to get the shop and tools that I have now. Before that, I was just like you. I'd drive around with a 3 drawer Craftsman tool box in the back of my '84 Civic to fix peoples cars in their driveways. Hang in there, one day you might find yourself in a better place.
...and have a panic attack that you're going to need to get a tow truck to take the car to a local crap garage to have them "fix" what you broke...yea...been there...first time I replaced brake calipers...the fear is real. I lost my voice screaming and swearing during that event. NOT fun...but it is done, and I know I can do it again if need be.
@@ericthecarguy you should make a good video explaining the main differences between the 350, LT, LS and Vortec engines. That would be awesome.
EricTheCarGuy best comment ever.
I feel ya Jason. There's millions of us in the same boat. I'm currently restoring my '03 Silverado in my garage. Good Times!
On today's episode, Eric sticks his fingers into things and there is goo.
😂
I read that in Clarkson’s voice...
He definitely released the shmoo
does his mrs know lol she might get jealous
Then beats it with his hammer..
Loving this project so far! Simple, organized, and to the point. Nothing overkill, nothing big dollar, nothing over the top. This is practical stuff that just plain works!
And the Oscar goes to:
Cameo appearance by Special Guest Star, Cameraman Brian, and his line: "I screwed up".
Like
I can guarantee that I would never of been able to get those bushings out. Those suckers did not seem to want to budge. Even though this job vastly exceeds my capabilities, knowledge, and tools, I can still learn a ton from watching a pro work through this... Basically one big job can be broken down into 1,000's of "micro-tasks". I may never be able to do this exact huge project but there's definitely plenty to be learned here. Thanks for all the effort you put into this!
Every time I watch you battle a rusty bolt and bush I appreciate the Australian climate more. Problems like that are near non existent
And what you see here is *nothing* compared to your typical Western New York State vehicle of this vintage---which at this point has been in the junkyard for at least 10-15 years due to being completely rusted out.
As someone who sits in front of a computer all day for work, I appreciate being able to live vicariously as Eric works with power tools and does things that have an actual, immediate effect.
Hearing protection is no joke...I don't hear well and have non-stop ringing due to not using ear protection with loud tools in the past.
I bought some custom fitted hearing protection and I wear them all day when I am at work ( even as a truck driver )
What did you say?!?!?!
Didnt even seem like 41 min. Snapped a pinion tooth on 94 k1500, swapped with a good used. Pulled rearend to find I had a broken leaf. Bolts seized to bushing sleeve. Cut leaf and bolt out on the floor of my garage. Needless to say it was a pita! It's from Chicago so she was rusty. Keep the truck videos coming, I want more!!
eric tip i learned over time as small engine mechanic of 16 years. because the leaf spring is open at the bushing u can use a reciprocating saw in the slot to cut the bushing so it slides right out. 🙂👍. i have same truck just 89 and blue second owner, first was my uncle and being in canada i love that it was kept in garage and never winter driven.🙂. love your shows and totally can relate to alot of what u do even the cold day outfit 😂
YESS!! Eric and Camaraman Brian back in the habit again. The world is as it should be!
"He's expendable" and the Count Dracula laugh were my highlights. Nice to see you working on a vehicle your passionate about. I'm a Ford fan myself but that is one nice Chevy you have there!
Watches Eric take apart drum brakes, "Whats he doing with that hose clamp?" A few moments later "WHAT! That's amazing! Why the hell have I not thought of that!" 😆😁
Side note, Free All is amazing!
I had never heard of Free All til I saw this video, and I've been watching Eric's brands of penetrants for years. What's the best place to buy it?
I’m more of an “off road lifted suspension” kind of guy... but I’m enjoying these videos! Keep up the good work!!
For me, to lift a 2WD Sport truck is pointless.
EricTheCarGuy agreed
Holy S@&$ I’m from Buffalo an all I can say is is that’s a RARE and BEAUTIFUL under belly to be had from here !!! So excited to be watching you work a truck finally, thank you for all the great content you provide !
Thank you for taking a moment to tell people about ear plugs and PPE ETCG1 !!!!!!!! I work at a winery working on things and it's just second nature for me now like wearing a seatbelt...
Nothing works harder than a Cook! Especially after a sandwich... and a nap.
Wow, after sitting and watching the whole video, you weren't kidding about that thing being clean for the age, and the area. I live in the rust belt and am pretty familiar with these trucks, she is a real gem. You sounded way to happy to finally be working on a local vehicle that wasn't rusted together, or rusting apart haha
I knew the truck was kept inside when you said from western NY and the bolts were coming loose. Having just replaced a front wheel bearing on a 04 Escape yesterday that had 2 grown men, in a well stocked garage, all but creating new words for over an hour. Located just 2 hours east of western NY. Gonna binge watch what of this series I can find today.
"Most of the time the driver's weight is on the driver's side of the vehicle."
Shhhhhocking. Picking up this series in late 2020, will give me something to watch during covid.
Eric is a sensible mechanic; I love watchers Eric hands doing. I'm from Melbourne, Australia
I'm so glad I've never had to replace bushings. One of the few jobs I'll gladly pay someone else to do.
Those cab corners are just beautiful. I really love the little red accents on the trim of this truck. The newer Silverados just don't look this sharp, even though they tried.
Thanks, Eric's dad!
1:15 "Most of the time the drivers weight is on the drivers side of the vehicle." Sometimes Dad would use it to deliver the mail. Good stuff, Eric as always.
The average person doesn’t realize how much work the little things like spring bushings and rusty bolts and crap 💩 in the way is.no way I’d try this job in the driveway and I’ve even got all the tools like torches,air tools ect.good work dude!
Yeah, but you're forgetting the individuality factor, some people like to do this kind of stuff (or transition easily from other tinkering to this), some people are entirely (and rightfully) too scared to leave another to do it etc.
And it's not that difficult if you're aware of the problems you encounter. Start unaware, unadvised, and completely green without so much a single online read or documentation, sure, then it sucks all kinds of sandy balls and you're better off finding someone else to do it.
aserta agreed.one of the scariest moments of my life was turning my truck over to someone else to work on for the first time.im now disabled at 59 and at others mercy.ive learned not to tell them at a shop that I was a mechanic until after they have explained what the problem is
The work enviornment and mindset can also play a huge role. I've done a reasonable amount of repair work on my own vehicles (all hondas) in my own garage. Recently I've been helping a friend work on his subaru out of his garage. It's cold, dark, damp. It's not setup, all the wrong tools. We're usually goofing off and not focused when working either. Takes forever to get anything done on that car in that shop, even if he wasn't there chatting to me.
Love these longer videos where it just shows you doing all the things.
Good video Eric. One supportive suggestion though: please lower the volume to 50% while editing videos when the (air)powertools come into play.
+1 for this. I know it might seem like a minor thing, but we don't all watch these videos at high volume. I find myself sometimes turning the volume down during the air hammering, than back up during your commentary. Hard to avoid, but if there's anything you can do about it post production, it would be appreciated!
I'll consider that next time, but none of the volume exceeds 0db in any of my videos.
It's tricky, it's not like the loud audio is too loud, it just makes the more quiet audio seem, well, more quiet hahaha I don't think anything would completely smooth the transition. I've worked with air chisels, I know how deafening they are, not much you can do about it hahaha
@@ericthecarguy Thats actually irrelevant. Max gain can effect overall quality but barring any extremes it effectively just effects where your end user sets their volume. What you need to be concerned with is how close everything thing is to your max gain setting. You might be able to add some compression to the mix and it should bring up the quiet parts and squash down the loud bits. It will require some playing around with since compression will bring all quiet parts up in the mix, not just the ones you want to hear.
@@4cylindersoffury252 I'd prefer he just provided the good content he does instead of trying to make every teenager on the internet happy with his audio. It's a lot better than many other channels.
Cameraman Brian for the win! Its always skyline time
Indeed it is!! Thanks for watching!! I can tell you this build only gets better.
Amazing how rubber takes all that air hammer energy and dissipates it. Great video, Eric!
Still doing there job... only looked slightly cracked.
Eric, you have a lot more patience than me. I just use the torches on bushings. I know it is bad to heat springs and it smells terrible but it is so much easier than fighting the bushings. -Alex
thank camera man Brian for all the great close ups when youre working. he does a great job! on those poly bushings put that grease everywhere that will get any kind of movement. put them on my 03 mustang gt and had to grease a few places i missed. theyll let you know lol. also, when its cold out,below 50, they still squeak some. i greased the crap outa those things too. nature of the beast i guess. enjoyed the video! oh, i also didnt take out the metal shells the rubber bushing was in. instructions said to leave those in. your set up may be different i guess.
My pleasure! And you’re welcome!
ONE leaf spring *pause* AH AH AH - was waiting for it, was not disappointed!
I have the same year truck and did the same poly bushing upgrade on the entire truck. The leaf spring and control arm bushings were very difficult to change I ran into all the same problems. I read a tip online to just take them outside and burn out the old rubber bushings with a torch.. Doing that saved me hours of frustration!
Great editing in the video! The snaps shots of spraying the oil were entertaining.
Another option to get leaf spring bushings out of the leaf springs is to drill a few holes in the old rubber bushings and use the air hammer or press and press them out, then finally just air hammer or press out the metal casing from the bushing off the leaf springs. Great video Eric, and good luck with the rest of the build, cheers! 🍻 Can’t wait to see the next video on the truck!
I like how they replaced both the front and rear components of the rear springs thus maintaining the spring geometry. Lots of guys will mess with that and not realize the angle between the front mount and the rear hanger is important.
Havent been tbis pumped for a part 2 in a Looong time. Thanks eric
Your doing a great job Eric. I have always use my sawall to cut the bushing and push it out.
Another great video Eric. Its always like taking a lesson when I watch you videos thanks for taking the time to show how it's done not only that but your like a one man wolf pack!
Was so pleasing watching that bushing sleeve pop out
it's funny how the last few blows with the hammer while installing the sleeve into the poly mounts reminds me of "LOT LIZARDS".
Your patience for every bump in the road is amazing. I’d be dropping f bombs like i breathe air 😂
Editing is a wonderful thing
That truck has been in western NY all it's life??? Holy Crap, it's in amazing shape.
11:25 "Good job GM" said absolutely no one ever...
@ffhgu 07 i have too. Out of complete sarcasm, but i did say it.
@@WhoThisGuy515 Same
Thank you Eric always enjoy watching your videos it is so exciting to watch dads truck from South Africa
I loved how simple it was to replace the rear coil springs on my 03 Trailblazer
I really enjoy watching your videos Eric. They have helped inspire me to make my own content. You rock!
I'm happy to help. Thanks for the comment and good luck with the videos.
One leaf sprin, ah ah ah ah ah. That shit was funny! Love the channel and the truck Eric! All the best!
Really enjoying seeing you work on tha chevy! Great energy lately also!
I got the 3 drawer craftsman toolbox, but my civic is a 96.... haha.
Without eric, id be driving a geo metro that would strand me everywhere, or something like that lol.
It's 2am, and here I was about to get to bed so I can be well rested tomorrow... And then I saw an ETCG video went up
I feel your pain, it's 6am here and I just finished watching, I was supposed to be waking up in an hour but I guess I'll just be staying up haha
i saw the struggle on the leaf spring bushings. drilling the rubber out (1/2") makes life easier. i did this last year on my 94 explorer.
I’m freezing just watching you work. Looks cold in there.
It was -15º the day we shot this.
No envy here in CA :). Both my father and grandfather were mechanics in Minnesota and dreaded working in the winter. The worse was the chunks of snow falling from the car down their back.
Last time I did that, I didn't have all those fancy air tools. Took to it with fire, worked awesome.
That was very satisfying to watch. Job well done.
Nice trick with the hose clamp I’ve never tried that, I normally put a bleeder nipple cover over the flare on the brake line if no one presses the pedal it normally holds the fluid.
The "I screwed up." edit was hilarious!
leaf spring bushing removal recipe tips:
1 heat helps remove the inner bushing the rubber want to hold on until its heated ,
2 ive seen some people use a cut off wheel and cut the outer bushing where the opening is where the leaf spring wraps around.
3 you can use a bolt and a washer that's just smaller than the outer bushing + the ball joint press the way you had if to press the rubber out , heat helps here too.
things i've learned through experience and watching others videos that might help in the future. none of which are a guarantee. things rarely go as planned. if it was easy everyone would do it.
I loved the Fairmont, but as a lowered truck guy this excitedsme so much.
Thank you for uploading these vids and making this content Eric I have a 1990 454ss and these should be some really informative videos for people who have the gmt400 trucks.
Eric, good on you for taking the time to rebuild those bushings... I'm a lesser man that would've just bought another set of springs 😬
Great videos Eric!! You do an awesome job putting everything together 👍🏼
ok...old fart laughing here. :-)
watching you fight those leaf spring bushes when you have a bearing press at your disposal.....
thanks eric. you took me back 40 years on that one. my old boss had the same response when he stood and watched me do much the same thing fighting a leaf spring bush.
looked at me when i had one removed and said: "you know...there's a bearing press over there in the corner you could use". it worked like a charm.
=dok=
The weight of the spring makes putting them in the press very awkward. It's a 2 man job at the very least. Not to mention my Fairmont is in the way and I'd have to move it and the car behind it. I have no regrets about what I did. It got the job done. Thank you for your input though.
eric...wasn't as a criticism. it was that it reminded me of when i did much the same thing 40+ years ago. sometimes the flavour of a response is lost when the cadence and tone isn't represented through text. my old boss was laughing his ass off when he pointed out that i should have used the press. sometimes when i'm doing some wrenching i can still hear him over my shoulder telling me to "work smarter.you will make money faster". given some of the responses &"suggestions" you get here i can see why i may have been taken out of context though. to add:i also got a kick out of your statement about the exhaust. nothing more useless(or bland sounding) than a factory exhaust system in my humble opinion.
nice to see you don't sleep much either. :-)
=dok=
You need to run to your local 7-Eleven and get some lottery tickets with all the luck you had removing fasteners on that truck. Wow.
Yeah but he also thanked his pop for keeping the truck garaged for his good fortune of not to many seized fasteners.Washing salt out of wheel wells and undercarriage in the spring is good prevention as well.just sayin...
Couple things after watching this. If you slip a 13mm box wrench over the end of the park brake cable it will push the cable clip fingers in and take it right out, might be a little quicker and easier than your hose clamp method. Also you'll want to also swap out the bushings in the new spring shackles because the bushings you put in the springs are urethane, and alot stiffer than the rubber stock style bushings. It will help with wheel hop.
Proper old skool tool action. My kind of watchin'!!!
Hey Eric your show on your dad's truck inspired me to lower the rear end of my truck 95 Chevy c 1500 extended cab I got that from my ex-girlfriends stepfather want to drop it 2 more inches in the back and 2 in the front...... But you did an excellent job on that truck I like it
Man, sure is nice working on something and not taking a rust bath. Anytime I look at my 99 Stepside here in the Midwest, I get rust flakes in my eyes. lol
THANKS ERIC FOR THIS TUTORIAL VIDEO LEARN A LOT, STAY DIRTY! JUAN FROM WOODBRIDGE, VIRGINIA.
Good stuff! You should show the folks what's inside that catalytic converter when you do the exhaust. For removal of the leaf spring bushings, seems like it would help to run a sawzall through the opening between the eyelet and the the leaf so as to cut the bushing sleeve. Maybe?
ChrisFix used a torch and a hack saw. Primitive, but effective.
Hi Eric, I’ve followed the discussions on ETCG1 for a while, first time on the original channel today, your dads old truck caught my interest. Been at dealers for over 27 years, so watching what I do every day is not all that exciting, but I liked the video. Suggestion for you, seems the hose clamp didn’t work well on the parking brake cable, I always use a 12 point box end wrench over the cable collar to evenly compress the spring tabs on the retaining collar. Even old rusty ones either compress or break and then the cable slides out of the backing plate on the first try.
Editing seems like it took a lot of work...thanks for the vids Eric...badass truck
Another awesome video. Your camera man also does a good job. Video isnt shaky and he never says anything lol
Lots of work. I did the same thing and installed Cal Tracs on my '90 454SS truck but instead of replacing bushings I just replaced the springs. Still a lot of work, but made it much easier and no cleaning and painting involved.
like the hose clamp trick for the brake cables, i always used a box wrench.
First lube it then band it
You got it right at the end Eric
I am going to get an air hammer/chisel! I love this video. I thought rusty vehicle suspension parts only gave ma a hard time.
Awesome video Eric ! I do recommend to look into Belltech Street shocks for lowered trucks paired with their shock mount extenders. I had them when I had my 98 c1500 lowered and they were awesome . Seeing you replace those bushings reminded me of me replacing them on mine .. fun stuff when you only have a big sledge hammer , a cold chisel, a piece of 1/4" thick steel pipe and a drill.
I have a set as you'll see in the next episode. However, I won't need the extenders because it's not that big a drop. Thanks for the recommendation.
@@ericthecarguy Awesome brother cant wait to see it !
"Get your mind out of the gutter.." Got me there...
That impact driver is a beast
Rust-Oleum Rust Reformer Spray works great for hard to get to areas. I have regretted using polyurethane bushings since the first clunk. They were liberally lubed. Just replaced them with standard rubber bushings. All you needed was a large washer or socket to pull the bushing out and into the receiver. A little heat on the outside of the spring would have helped immensely.
Favorite build have same truck and just did flip kit and spindles and springs for a 4/6 I really love this build👍
Awesome video. Great job. Can't wait for the next one.
I'm liking the longer videos 👍
If you want to remove the whole bushing, outer sleeve included, all you have to do is find a washer that's close enough to the outer metallic sleeve, put a bolt through it and the bushing, then give the washer and sleeve a few spot welds. And then proceed with the ball joint popper. Works perfectly fine every time.
FYI, air hammers won't do squat against the center because the rubber sucks up all that force you're putting into it. Took me...entirely too much time to figure that one out, and it was cold and winter too.
Thank you for the recommendations! I'll have to try that next time.
Good trick I learned is to use a holes saw just smaller than the steel outer bushing. Removes most of the rubber and centre bush in one go. Then cut the outer bush with a hacksaw.
When I dropped my rear end every ubolt was broken! Something I started using that saved me a lot of time and headache was using evaporust. The nuts, bolts, and washers looked new after about a half hour.
That was fun. Especially the elephant snot!
A set of universal joint impact sockets would make short work of those leaf spring mounts. I barely ever use mine but would be super happy to use them in that situation
Thanks for the brake not bleeding tip!
Ericthecarguy use a 1/2" or 13mm box end wrench and slide it over the brake cable and it will depress all 3 of the tabs so it's easier to release.
Brian is such a likeable guy
Nice truck, I definitely wire wheel bolts when theyre crusty, it sure makes 'em easier to bolt up again later
Awesome video, great work Eric
Cool trick with bushings use a drill bit and drill between the bushing and spring and go around it it will walk it right out
Man, I can taste the rust in the air just watching this.
I used to think I knew what rust was, until I saw Eric O’s channel lol South main auto
It is great that your dad took such wonderful care of that truck, or this project would not be going as smoothly as it is. I think though given that the tools you have available to you, it would’ve been easier how do you remove the bed to get better access to all of the suspension components. This way it would’ve been a timesaver because it wouldn’t take much more time to detail the frame like you say you intend to do in the future. Just my two cents. Everybody does things differently.
I mentioned taking the bed off in the video as a possible way to gain better access. I was fine with what I did, less hassle than worrying about removing the bed and working around it on the shop floor. Thank you for your input.
EricTheCarGuy like I said, it was just my suggestion. Everybody has their own way of doing things. I think it is wonderful that you were doing this truck for your dad to drive in the power tour I would do things differently, but that’s me. And it’s always nice to see somebody else’s perspective.
Awesome video as usual. Thanks for all you do.
That truck looks pretty clean from underneath. Doesn’t look like there’s hardly any rust at all considering the age.
that truck is in insanely good condition