M1008 as a DD?

[Wojo72]

How does the M1008 do as a daily driver? My 1996 F150 was just totaled out last week. I never had to do much to that truck outside of regular maintenance. I don't want something that I have to tow home every other week. The other problem is that I'll end up with about $4500 so one of the "primo" trucks from AH isn't an option. My commute is about twenty four miles round trip each day so $4.25/gal diesel may not be the best option either. I'd buy one in a heartbeat if I was looking for a weekend toy.

 

[FMJ]

Keep in mind, in stock trim the 1008 is only good for about 55mph if you want the motor to live.

 

[CUCVFAN]

They are not terrible to maintain, but they can be quirky. Fortunately, you can adapt some civilian parts to make it more tolerable if you're not worried about keeping it original. The mileage isn't terrible for 4.56 gears and no O/D, but it ain't great either. Figure about 12-16mpg, depending on your foot and the speed and terrain. They will do 75+, but the engine is screaming and you'll be deaf after too much of that. An M1009 usually gets you over 20mpg, but it doesn't have the usefulness of a pickup, if that's what you're used to.

 

[CCATLETT1984]

I've been DD'ing mine for a few years now. I"ve added larger tires to help with the gearing, last year I put a turbo on the truck for more power. It gets me anywhere i need to go, whenever i need to get there.

 

[Wojo72]

A M1009 would probably suit my driving style a little better but I already have a 2004 Chevy Tahoe. I really "need" a pickup. I guess I'll have to stick to civilian pickups.

 

[Croatan_Kid]

I DD the crap outta my truck! I lifted it and put 39" tires on it, but I still only go about 55 and the motor is STILL screaming for some reason. I'm gunna swap in an OD transmission to help out with that problem. I get about 14-16 mpg and my daily commute is 8 miles one way, 5 miles are highway speeds and the other three are on a military base going 35 mph. I like the attention this thing draws!

 

[crusty]

I understand that when you raise then gearing, either thru larger tires, or a ring & pinion change, the drive shaft rpms drop but the lower rpms allow the torque converter to slip a bit more, negating the hoped for fuel mileage gains. To get the best result would be to use a transmission with a lockup converter but it would take a while to recoup the cost.

 

[AJMBLAZER]

I understand that when you raise then gearing, either thru larger tires, or a ring & pinion change, the drive shaft rpms drop but the lower rpms allow the torque converter to slip a bit more, negating the hoped for fuel mileage gains. To get the best result would be to use a transmission with a lockup converter but it would take a while to recoup the cost.

Who told you this?

The pickups are just plain low geared. Taller tires offset this.

 

[Croatan_Kid]

I'm getting around 14-18 MPG here lately. I've started driving 55 religiously until I get the 700R4 under the truck. 14 MPG was driving fast, 17-18 is recently going 55 and no faster.

 

[troll]

I use my m1008 as both a shop truck (just drove a 200 mile round trip to pick up 4 tires for my rock crawler) and an off road truck. I am running 4.10 gears now and will change to 3.73's as soon as I find a used set for the front. I installed a front locker and 35" tires (requires a little fender trimming) and get 15-16 mpg running 65-70 on the interstate. It's all stock other than a 2 into 1 flowmaster muffler and a 12v conversion. This is the best all around truck I've ever owned for an investment of less than $4k.



Troll

 

[Tibby]

I can be done. I have 4.10s and a 700R4 with OE tires. I do 35 miles daily. Do yourself a favor and study the electrical aspects. Oh, and search the CUCV forum. Lots of stuff here.

 

[86M10086.2L]

I drive mine all the time. 80 miles round trip. I usually stay at 50mph sometimes 55. I get 15-17 mpg. everything on my truck is stock with the exception of 285/75r/16 Nitto Terra grappler tires. Even with its wiped out quarter panel and faded paint and no radio I still enjoy driving this truck more than any of my other cars. As far as fuel costs, money doesn't do me any good if I'm miserable. No real realiability issues. Just keep an eye on them until you feel the truck out.

 

[ecostruction]

I've recently purchased a 1984 M1008 to add to the stable. I'll post pictures soon of the recovery. I have a few additional questions after reading many posts.

It seems as though for faster highway speeds I'm considering either bigger tires (such as those on the HMVV) or 4:10 gears. So two questions; 1) where can I find the tires and do I need the rims and 2) is there anything special to the front/rear differential that would not enable me to use gears that you might find on LMCtruck or Chevyduty.com? They have 4:10 gears, but am not 100% sure if those will work with the axels/diffs these things have.

Thanks,

Eco

 

[flighht2k5]

I DD the crap outta my truck! I lifted it and put 39" tires on it, but I still only go about 55 and the motor is STILL screaming for some reason. I'm gunna swap in an OD transmission to help out with that problem. I get about 14-16 mpg and my daily commute is 8 miles one way, 5 miles are highway speeds and the other three are on a military base going 35 mph. I like the attention this thing draws!

you put 39's on 10 bolts?

 

[flighht2k5]

you put 39's on 10 bolts?

oops my bad I got the 1009 and 1008's mixed up.

 

[ecostruction]

Wanted to bump this thread to the top to avoid creating a new one. Can the ring & pinion gears offered on LMCtruck.com and/or chevyduty.com work in the diffs of a 1008? I'm looking at gearing the truck with 4:10 to get a better highway speed.

Also, I haven't had it on the open road much yet as i just picked it up, but if I hit 10 mph and above i get a horrible jumping. Bent DS? Doesn't look bent, but think it was picked up by a fork lift. What DS will work as a replacement?

Appreciate any help.

 

[AFC1]

If you want to go to 4.10 gears- you have to change the carrier in that 14 bolt rear axle. The carrier that is in there will only work with 4.56 and numerically higher gears.

 

[AFC1]

My M1008 was also picked up with a forklift before I bought it and destroyed the driveshaft. To get it home I used a dirveshaft out of a 3/4 ton Chevy pickup. It had a 3" tube size whereas the M1008 uses a 4" tube. Also, the 3/4 ton driveshaft was 1" shorter in length. Had to be carfeul driving it home... The yokes appear to be the same on the 14 bolt 10.5" rear and the 14 bolt 9.5" rear.

 

[kennyw]

Going from 4.56 to 4.10 won't be very noticeable to the driver. Are you sure it is worth $1200-2000 (assuming you have to pay for installation) to gain 200 RPM at 60? Adding an overdrive or taller tires would be a better bang for the buck.

You could also find sets on eBay and do the setup yourself. A lot of people are regearing for big tires and practically giving away good used 3.73 and 4.10 gear sets on there.

 

[kennyw]

I'm running 37" Hummer radials on aftermarket wheels and 4.10 gears in my stock K20 axles (TH400 so no OD). It is decent at 60-65 mph on the freeway turning close to 2500 RPM. I'd only be running about 300 rpm higher with 4.56 gears.

Gear Ratio Calculator