We've had a GMC since 2003. Go to all the GMCMI events now. No mater were =
they are. Totally rebuilt 3 - 78 Royales. Two for us. One for a close fri=
end. Now building another GMC to sell . In all this building. It's been ve=
ry clear to me that GMC did a great job in engineering these coaches to h=
igh engineering standards, and the technology of the day. In changing anyt=
hing. You need to evaluate if this new produce changing the original engine=
ering parameters. With our GMC's in the 40 to 45 years old rang=
e. We have lots of new products to install. Some products enhance the orig=
inal GM designs. Mostly because of new technology that wasn't available, or=
known in the 70's. Electronic Fuel Injection ( EFI ) is a prime example.=
And our modern fuels are now formulated to be atomized by way of the press=
ures that EFI provides. We have EFI/computer, spark control systems in th=
e Howell EFI package. I'm looking forward to the day when we can remove th=
e camshaft from our engines. And have the valves controlled electronically.=
This will be a terrific enhancement in the way of better valve timing. Mil=
eage, and torque. We now have an electronically controlled fan clutch to he=
lp stabilize our engine temps more closely. This is done by sensing engine =
temps. Not air temps from the radiator. Engine electric water pumps can't=
be far away. We're removing the failure prone tank selector switch in exc=
hange for a two pump fuel delivery system. We have our original front wheel=
bearings now that will never have to be remove to get new grease put in th=
em. Thus a true lifetime bearing now. We have some new air bags Due to the=
original bags not being produced. We have the Quad bag system that has som=
e pros/cons ( Pros. Is a little more stable on the road. Can maintain ride=
height if a bag fails. Cons. Doesn't handle speed bumps as well. ) And ma=
intains the original rear suspension design. Rear disc brakes to enhance b=
raking. The original rear drum brakes did a good job. But you had to adjust=
them each year. Jim K at Applied came up with the 3:70 final drive. Fanta=
stic improvement. This list is too long to continue. Next are two ide=
as that don't fallow SAE ( Society of Automotive Engineers ) practices. =
1 All wheels are made with what's called. Offset. This offset is t=
o place the center of the tire in a very particular position over the Inter=
/outer wheel bearings. This position is in reference to the load carrying c=
apacity of each of the inter/outer wheel bearings. Our rims have a lot of=
offset. This can be seen in comparing standard pickup rims to ours. Our l=
ug nuts are out at the tire side wall. Pickup lug nuts are closer to being =
between the sidewalls. Most cars, and trucks don't have the front and rear=
tires travel in the same track. Our GMC's have the rear tires tracking wi=
der then the front. There are spacers on the market that will space the fro=
nt tires out to match the rear tire track. These spacers put excessive load=
s on the outer front wheel bearings. Pot holes/rough road surfaces acerbat=
e this issue greatly. I would never ever install these on any GMC. =
2 An SAE standard has stated for decades that upper/lower A frames should=
be parallel to each other for proper suspension geometry. With the 1 to=
n kit. The A frames are no longer parallel to each other. It's said that th=
e 1 ton has a lifetime bearing. The lifetime is over when the bearing fai=
ls. Not the life of your GMC, or YOU. SORRY. We have lifetime bearings now=
that we can lube. And comply to SAE standards. Most original bearing have =
gone well over 100,000 miles over 40 some years before ever being serviced.=
From what I've been told. The GM 1 ton bearings are larger. This maybe tru=
e. But this 1 ton kit also has the spacer that's listed above. ( I believe =
the 1 ton spacer is even longer. ) GM never intended for the 1 ton bearing=
to be loaded in this over loaded condition all the time. ( As a note.) W=
e just talked about overloading the rear tires/ bearings by running 3 tires=
with the Quad bag. At least the rear wheel bearing weren't being run with =
the bearings improperly loaded. I put a 1 ton unit in a friends GMC. Now w=
ish that I wouldn't have done it. I know of many owners that have installed=
the 1 ton. Talk about the improved handling. But most of those GMC's were=
riding on worn out parts. Dave Lenzi IS the true expert on brakes/suspensi=
on components for GMC's. There is no debate on his knowledge. At the next =
GMCMI event. Ask Dave for a short version of his opinion of the 1 ton. I'm=
not saying. Don't install the 1 ton. I'm just saying that this is some inf=
o on it. It's your GMC. I'll personally go with SAE approved design applica=
tions. GM did a lot of R/D in make our GMC's. We need to keep their=
design reasoning in mine. Items like electronic fuel injection WITH spark=
control. That is a technology that wasn't available back then. It's an exc=
ellent upgrade that should be at the top of every GMC owners list. I was s=
low to get mine on. Love it. My 2 cent on the topic. Bob Dunahugh
they are. Totally rebuilt 3 - 78 Royales. Two for us. One for a close fri=
end. Now building another GMC to sell . In all this building. It's been ve=
ry clear to me that GMC did a great job in engineering these coaches to h=
igh engineering standards, and the technology of the day. In changing anyt=
hing. You need to evaluate if this new produce changing the original engine=
ering parameters. With our GMC's in the 40 to 45 years old rang=
e. We have lots of new products to install. Some products enhance the orig=
inal GM designs. Mostly because of new technology that wasn't available, or=
known in the 70's. Electronic Fuel Injection ( EFI ) is a prime example.=
And our modern fuels are now formulated to be atomized by way of the press=
ures that EFI provides. We have EFI/computer, spark control systems in th=
e Howell EFI package. I'm looking forward to the day when we can remove th=
e camshaft from our engines. And have the valves controlled electronically.=
This will be a terrific enhancement in the way of better valve timing. Mil=
eage, and torque. We now have an electronically controlled fan clutch to he=
lp stabilize our engine temps more closely. This is done by sensing engine =
temps. Not air temps from the radiator. Engine electric water pumps can't=
be far away. We're removing the failure prone tank selector switch in exc=
hange for a two pump fuel delivery system. We have our original front wheel=
bearings now that will never have to be remove to get new grease put in th=
em. Thus a true lifetime bearing now. We have some new air bags Due to the=
original bags not being produced. We have the Quad bag system that has som=
e pros/cons ( Pros. Is a little more stable on the road. Can maintain ride=
height if a bag fails. Cons. Doesn't handle speed bumps as well. ) And ma=
intains the original rear suspension design. Rear disc brakes to enhance b=
raking. The original rear drum brakes did a good job. But you had to adjust=
them each year. Jim K at Applied came up with the 3:70 final drive. Fanta=
stic improvement. This list is too long to continue. Next are two ide=
as that don't fallow SAE ( Society of Automotive Engineers ) practices. =
1 All wheels are made with what's called. Offset. This offset is t=
o place the center of the tire in a very particular position over the Inter=
/outer wheel bearings. This position is in reference to the load carrying c=
apacity of each of the inter/outer wheel bearings. Our rims have a lot of=
offset. This can be seen in comparing standard pickup rims to ours. Our l=
ug nuts are out at the tire side wall. Pickup lug nuts are closer to being =
between the sidewalls. Most cars, and trucks don't have the front and rear=
tires travel in the same track. Our GMC's have the rear tires tracking wi=
der then the front. There are spacers on the market that will space the fro=
nt tires out to match the rear tire track. These spacers put excessive load=
s on the outer front wheel bearings. Pot holes/rough road surfaces acerbat=
e this issue greatly. I would never ever install these on any GMC. =
2 An SAE standard has stated for decades that upper/lower A frames should=
be parallel to each other for proper suspension geometry. With the 1 to=
n kit. The A frames are no longer parallel to each other. It's said that th=
e 1 ton has a lifetime bearing. The lifetime is over when the bearing fai=
ls. Not the life of your GMC, or YOU. SORRY. We have lifetime bearings now=
that we can lube. And comply to SAE standards. Most original bearing have =
gone well over 100,000 miles over 40 some years before ever being serviced.=
From what I've been told. The GM 1 ton bearings are larger. This maybe tru=
e. But this 1 ton kit also has the spacer that's listed above. ( I believe =
the 1 ton spacer is even longer. ) GM never intended for the 1 ton bearing=
to be loaded in this over loaded condition all the time. ( As a note.) W=
e just talked about overloading the rear tires/ bearings by running 3 tires=
with the Quad bag. At least the rear wheel bearing weren't being run with =
the bearings improperly loaded. I put a 1 ton unit in a friends GMC. Now w=
ish that I wouldn't have done it. I know of many owners that have installed=
the 1 ton. Talk about the improved handling. But most of those GMC's were=
riding on worn out parts. Dave Lenzi IS the true expert on brakes/suspensi=
on components for GMC's. There is no debate on his knowledge. At the next =
GMCMI event. Ask Dave for a short version of his opinion of the 1 ton. I'm=
not saying. Don't install the 1 ton. I'm just saying that this is some inf=
o on it. It's your GMC. I'll personally go with SAE approved design applica=
tions. GM did a lot of R/D in make our GMC's. We need to keep their=
design reasoning in mine. Items like electronic fuel injection WITH spark=
control. That is a technology that wasn't available back then. It's an exc=
ellent upgrade that should be at the top of every GMC owners list. I was s=
low to get mine on. Love it. My 2 cent on the topic. Bob Dunahugh
