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Technical 1966 GMC C1000 shop truck ball joint woes

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by nitrousnutter, May 3, 2020.

  1. nitrousnutter
    Joined: Aug 23, 2011
    Posts: 239

    nitrousnutter
    Member

    Hello all, been battling on with getting my drop spindles and front end sorted on my GMC truck

    [​IMG]

    I’m over in the UK so getting new parts is a pain in the rear, I have stupidly chosen Rock Auto, I checked all the boxes in their catalogue for upper and lower ball joints, they turned up and are completely wrong, totally oversized In every way

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    I am now battling with rock auto because they want to charge me shipping to send them back and they twist my emails round to make them sound like they sent the right parts for my truck and I’ve probably got modified parts on my truck! It’s 100 percent bone stock drum brakes and everything, I have got mcgaughys drop spindles which fit my current ball joints perfectly.

    Now are there any clever people out there that can help me find the correct sized ball joints for mine, as far as I know it’s a bone stock GMC 250ci truck, I know it has a ‘62 Chevy grille, but 100% she’s a stock drum braked spindle truck.

    I’m looking at Moog ball joints K6024 top and K6023 bottom. These are for a 1966 Chevy C10 but am guess they are the same as the GMC.
    Moog give a part number of K680 for the GMC uppers but don’t list lowers for the GMC.

    If anyone has replaced the ball joints and can lend a hand for someone in need would be greatly appreciated

    Many thanks all Jason


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  2. KenC
    Joined: Sep 14, 2006
    Posts: 1,045

    KenC
    Member

    Can't help with the right Moog number. I checked the online Moog factory catalog, they do not list a part for that application. There is a listing for the Chevy.

    But, LMCTRUCK, shows their PN 34-1720 fitting both.
    What is the brand and PN on the boxes Rock sent you?

    Edit: I just noticed in your first pic, the numbers stamped on the end of the stud, 62F. I wonder if that is the fitment ID. 62 GMCs used a different joint.
     
  3. squirrel
    Joined: Sep 23, 2004
    Posts: 55,931

    squirrel
    Member

    Old Moog catalog.

    moog.jpg

    But the important question is, what were those spindles made to work with? That's what you need to order ball joints for.
     
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  4. Your gmc might be a Chevy underneath. I don't know if there are differences in the chassis between gmc and Chevrolet trucks of those years, but I can say that here in Canada, we never got Gmc trucks of those years with gmc engines. Ours were all Chevy 6 cyl. Not gmc v6. Perhaps the chassis was the same idea....Chevy frame regardless if it was under a chevys a gmc.
     

  5. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 33,861

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I'm going to say that you got stuck with a mix and match truck with the cab and title from a 2500 1 ton on a 1/2 ton C10 or 1000 chassis. Only the 1000 came with the short box.
    Some interesting reading here http://6066gmcguy.com/GMCID1.html
    There are also 2 lower ball joints for the 2500 one with a 5/8 -18 stud and one with a 3/4-16 stud, it appears that you ordered the ones for the heavy duty suspension truck.

    I'd say that you are correct on the K6023 https://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/moog-k6023#fitment
     
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  6. hemihotrod66
    Joined: May 5, 2019
    Posts: 968

    hemihotrod66
    Member

    Being your in the UK I would check and see if the ball joints fit the control arms and if they do take the spindles to a good machine shop and have them machined to fit the bigger ball joints....
     
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  7. I go with the suggestion to make do with what you have and get the spindles reamed to fit the ball joints you got.

    One more thought, are those press in? Make sure the press-in features are the same.
     
    Hnstray likes this.
  8. nitrousnutter
    Joined: Aug 23, 2011
    Posts: 239

    nitrousnutter
    Member

    Thanks all, some great info there, yes the bottoms are press in and they do look physically bigger so what I have won’t work, I’ll have to battle with rock auto to try and get a refund which is like blood out of a stone .
    Thanks squirrel that exactly what I need with that pic
    Looks like I’ll have to try and get the moog ones over here somehow, who’d have thought it would be so hard to get bits

    Thanks again everyone as always a great help


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  9. MAD MIKE
    Joined: Aug 1, 2009
    Posts: 772

    MAD MIKE
    Member
    from 94577

    60-87 C/K trucks share a lot of parts, and share parts that only half fit.
    BJs will most likely fit the control arms no problem, its the spindles that will be the issue.
    I would not machine the spindles on the 60's trucks, they are lacking meat in a few areas. Had a pair of '70 GMC 2500 8 lug drum spindles in my hand, I was surprised at the lack of metal on the spindles.
    Now the 80's stuff does have meat to spare and machine away, which makes for great modified fodder on an early truck.

    Dropped spindles tend to be made only for the lighter variant of truck.
    Drop spindle for a 1/2 Ton C/K, yup.
    Drop spindle for a 3/4 Ton C/K, not so much.

    I would highly suggest measuring the BJ stud tapers greater and lesser diameter, tapered length, as well as verifying the threaded diameter size of the nut.
    Lighter duty Chevy C10 parts are probably what you are looking for.
    It wasn't until '71 did the C/Ks get 5 lug, 6 lug was light duty, 8 lug would have been heavy duty. If your parts were for the 'heavy duty' truck then it was for the 8 luggger.
     

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