m1009 life expectancy

[cowboywitek]

any experience on how long a m1009 lasts? looking at one with 58,000 miles on it. I mainly want one for commuting because of the good gas mileage, and maybe plowing in the winter. thanks for anyones help.

 

[FMJ]

Not a good plow truck with the installed axles, weak, but as a daily driver it will do well and last with proper maint.

 

[DUG]

With a thick enough wallet it will last forever.

My dad used to tell me - There ain't nothing large amounts of money can't fix.

 

[mf5129]

if you are mechanically iinclined and get a decent one it can be made to last many years.there are some unique parts.but they can still be found.if you want a heavy duty truck buy a m1031 or m1028.the m1031 is the handiest cucv and has the heaviest components.speed is the only drawback.i have one m1009 with 34000 miles and its great.i use it daily.upgrade the starter relay.and use a manual glow plug system.starts easy and gets around 20 mpg.i hate the tailgate on the m1009 easily the most troublesome part.expensive to fix.this is chevys biggest problem.i have 3 m1009s am and getting ready to build anouther.

 

[Blood_of_Tyrants]

I would say that the M1009s still running are past their expected working life. Face it, there aren't many 1985 vehicles still driving around on the streets. Most any vehicle can be kept running indefinitely if you have the money to keep fixing it.

 

[319]

Face it, there aren't many 1985 vehicles still driving around on the streets.

Not as good lookin' as an M1009 anyway!

 

[stampy]

I had a discussion about that a few months ago when my nephew wanted a Fiero. I said how many do you see on the street....how many for sale on Ebay? out of those how many run? The answer very few. I said do you think there is a reason there aren't any around now???? Well built cars tend to stick around (like the 300sd Benzes and the Blazers)

 

[91W350]

I think this chassis was very well designed, easy to fix, nothing really deficient. Most of them died from body/frame rot and not mechanical issues. I am not talking specifically the M1009, but the whole 1/2 ton GM fleet of the era. Nice solid trucks that were also nice to drive.

 

[steved454]

My Dad's First new truck was a 77 chevy Silverado 1/2 ton. He put over 350k miles on it. 1 motor many transmission rebuilds.( This truck pulled a trailer most of its life). he had propane on it for about 200k miles. I can still remember having to hold the seltbelt and leaning over the seat to change the radio station. After High school I found a 79 3/4 ton 4x4 that would not even run. I set it in a friends garage for about 4 years until I got the money up to fix it. I rebuilt a 454 and rebuilt the Trans , painted it and put tires on it and put about 60k miles on it until a farmer in kansas wanted it more than me. The only real problem with keeping them on the road is Rust. If you have , fix it. If you do not, keep it away from it. Other than than maint and rebuilding parts you can keep them going. I have had friends pull them out of junkyards and put them on the road again. ( Now you know why I bought my m1028 when I saw it on the side of the road for sale). I smile every mile I drive and every smell and curve on the trucks remind me of my Dad. Just my 2 cents

Sorry for the long story.

 

[mangus580]

Not a good plow truck with the installed axles, weak, but as a daily driver it will do well and last with proper maint.

I beg to differ here - they do awesome with plowing. You do need to keep in mind the 'weaker' axles, but I have to say that my 1009 is the best plowing truck I have ever been in. Even better than its replacement (95 suburban) The short wheelbase makes it very easy to navigate, and the gov-lock in the rear end helps tremendously with traction. The weight-size ratio helps a ton too.

 

[cowboywitek]

this is very helpful, thanks so much guys!

 

[mikelee]

Mine plowed really well and the short wheel base was easy to manuever around.

 

[67_C-30]

The key to owning a 6.2 is keeping the glowplug system functioning correctly(whether manual or not) and keeping air leaks out of the fuel system. If you have either of these two issues, you have to spin and spin the starter to crank engine. When this happens, they eat starters, flywheels, and can even snap the mounting ear off the block due to high compression. When everything is working correctly, the 6.2's start with just a bump of the starter, even in cold weather. They live long, heathly lives if you don't beat the crap out of them and keep them maintained. I have had one that 339K on the original engine, and two others with 260K+. I have been running 6.2 powered trucks for over 15 years, and I do not plan to give them up anytime soon. They get 20+ mpg, and the cost to replace an injection pump, starter, glowplugs, injectors, or even the TH400 is less than one payment on a new truck. Even if you lunch an engine, there are thousands of military takeouts out there that can be had very cheap. I have turbocharged 3 of them, and that can be done for less than $500 if you're patient. These engines are the SBC of diesels, and there is no cheaper or simpler diesel to own and operate. I have put one in my '67 C-30 dually (hence my username) and we put one on a CJ-7. I love them.

 

[2deuce]

I think the M1009 is a great all around vehicle. Axles are on the weak side, but only if you are a hard core offroad guy or are adding more horses under the hood. If you do break an axle they are cheap and easy to replace. Expect a steady routine of maintenance as with any vehicle over 20 years old, but it is tech the average guy can work on and this site holds all the answers.