Howdy-
Let's post some ideas, opinions, and general information on some Military 6.2 trucks. I am generally curious about the trucks and have always had an eye for them.
In fact I just acquired an awesome 83 Sierra Classic K20 Camper Special that I love and may consider selling. (Have 2 offers on it close to $5k. A decent profit, but on a rare find that took me a long time to find.) But the military 6.2 4x4 truck may make me sell the Camper Special.

Has anyone bought one from an auction?
Can you drive them everyday?
Do they lack any creature comforts? Air? cushioned seats? j/k lol
Are they basically same set-up of axles as civillian versions?
I have seen some posts for truck with lockers, is that standard?
Different models to look for that may be more desireable?
Any good reference websites? or purchase info sites?

Even some pictures if you own one and your experiences...

Thanks!

- Yes, I bought one from an auction.

- I drive mine all the time, it's not stock though.

- They are a base model Chevy truck. No AC, manual door locks and windows, no carpet (rubber mat), but they do retain the big, comfy seat because that's what GM used. They DO NOT have radios, I put one in and still usually don't listen to it. Also, there is no sound/heat insulation anywhere, these trucks are loud.

- See above, they ARE a civilian truck. They were just modified to run a partially 24 volt system. Hence CUCV, Commercial(civilian made) Utility Cargo Vehicle

- All of the trucks are basically the same, but there are a few differences underneath.

- Everybody I know that gets them from an auction gets them from Government Liquidation. (govliquidation.com). That's where I got mine from and luckily enough, I started it and drove it on the trailer after swapping out one of the batteries. You normally don't get lucky like that.

Now then, lets get down to the good stuff.

M1008: run-of-the-mill pickup, these are the ones most people have seen. It's a Chevk K-30 with a 6.2 diesel, TH400, and NP208. Front axle is a Dana 60, rear axle is a GM 14 bolt with a Detroit "No Spin" (commercial trade name) locker. They contain 4.56:1 gears and their maximum speed is 55 MPH.

M1028: visually, the same truck. The differences lie in the rear suspension, which has additional overload spring on top of the regular spring pack. Also, the front axle contains a Powr-Trax limited slip differential.

There are several dirivitives of/on the M1028. Such as the M1028A1, M1028A2, and M1028A3. The A1 is the same truck, it just has an NP205. The A2 and A3 are both duallys (IIRC) and they have the Dana 70HD rear ends and still have 4.56 gears. One of the dually versions still uses an NP208, the other uses an NP205, I don't remember which is which off the top of my head.

These trucks are great! Slap on some 35-38" tires, maybe a small lift, and it's good to go. Now, personally, I wanted to lower my RPMs even more, so I opted to build and swap in a 700R4 which is the same lenght as a 400/208, so no driveshaft modifications are needed.



Umm....if I missed anything you want to know. Feel free to ask.

While you're at it, check out www.steelsoldiers.com (http://www.steelsoldiers.com) and look around in the resources. That will tell you all of the specifications on all of these trucks.

Oh...and here's some pictures of mine.

http://s158.photobucket.com/albums/t115/Croatan_Kid/Updated%20Truck%20Pics/

Awesome! Thanks for the info! So best choice in your opinion besides your truck?

M1028...

I like the high steer you did.

How many miles was on your truck? Did you have to buy special batteries? I too would like to find the diamond in the rough and drive it onto the trailer. ( I read that they have to be towed away... is that correct?) Any problems with registration or insurance?

I like the utilitarian aspect, no radio, carpet, loud, etc...

Thanks for the follow up- Like your truck!!!

Well, I would go for an M1008 like mine and just put a Lock-Right up front. I think it would be easier to find than an M1028. But if you find one, I would go for it.

If you do crossover steering, like mine, you'll need at least 4" of lift to clear everything. Mine is from Off Road Design (ORD) and is just the regular crossover kit. They have hi-steer that puts the tie-rod up above the leaf springs and out of the way, but you lose a lot of steering force.

When I got my truck it had 86,252 miles on it and it now has something like 91,449 IIRC from this afternoon. Those aren't actual miles though, the 39s threw my speedo/odo off a bit (about 15%).

No special batteries, they just need a high amperage rating. I'm running two Optima RedTops and they spin this thing over very quickly, plus 24 volts spins it faster and uses less amps than 12 volt anyway.

Yes, they have to be towed away even if they are driveable. I would tow it anyway as a large majority of them have bent rear driveshafts from being loaded with forklifts (luckily, mine didn't) plus, you don't really know for sure what kind of shape it's in. The base I got mine from is only 8 miles from my house, so I very well could have driven it home. The only thing is, they don't have insurance or a license plate which you need!

No problems registering it or getting insurance. Just label it as a 1984,5,6, or the rare 7, Chevy K-30, diesel (of course), 1-ton pickup. You will likely get a letter from the insurance company to confirm the VIN as they are different from normal trucks of that era, but just write down the VIN again and send it back and they won't give you any more problems. Well....my insurance company didn't anyway. Don't over-glorify it, they might want to charge you more.

It usually takes a little while to get the SF-97 (title form) from Gov Liquidation (if that's who you buy from), but once you do, it's just like a title and you do whatever you need to to get it licensed. They weigh around 5900 pounds, so you'll have to cover that weight or whatever your state does with that.

One M1028A1 with a side order of NV4500 for me please......is this the drive up window?:D

You just wait til I get the Cummins in mine with the NV4500 and NP205 :D

My 89 was a civilian truck and it had no sound deadening no carpet just rubber floor no a/c no real heater no sliding rear window no power windows no power locks and an am radio so they sound about like the civilian ones. The less fancy features the less there is to go wrong.

My '82 is a silverado, so it has some of the creature comforts, but I'd gladly trade those comforts for the differentials out of an M1028. Mine already has the 205 case, which, lucky enough for me happens to be my preference.

Should we start another post on setup preferences and reasons why?
208 vs 205?
Auto vs manual?
I have found an M1028 with 50K on it... now, will my truck tow it and a trailer 500 miles and then sell mine!
Oh yeah- I want ketchup with my fries!

Should we start another post on setup preferences and reasons why?
208 vs 205?
Auto vs manual?
I have found an M1028 with 50K on it... now, will my truck tow it and a trailer 500 miles and then sell mine!
Oh yeah- I want ketchup with my fries!
Hmmm, thats not a bad idea.....I expect you'll be delivering MY M1028:D

Well, obviously, the 205 is stronger because it's cast iron and gear driven, whereas the 208 is aluminum and chain driven, but still a very tough case. Plus, the 205 is fixed yoke :D

You don't have a choice between auto or manual. They all came with TH400s, but that's not to say you couldn't swap it out. Like I said, I'm going to run an NV4500 behind my 6BT. You'll just need to find a set of clutch pedals from an 80s model Chevy.

I have a 1986 M1009 (Blazer). Just for information, there some pro's and con's to getting one of these:
First, the biggest difference (besides the body) are the axles and suspension. They are 1/2 ton, Corporate 10 bolt front and rear, with 1/2 ton springs. They have 3.08 gears, so they will do 65mph no problem. But they are open....no locker. They are more comfortable to drive than the military pick-up when bone stock, but less capable.
I plan to wheel mine, so I swapped 3/4 ton axles under it with Military H1 (Hummer) rims and 36's.
The drive train is the same though: 6.2 j-code, TH400, NP208.
The interior is very basic, like described for the pick-up.

I prefer the body style, but it takes a lot more work to make it as strong as the pick-up.
I guess it depends on what you are looking for.

In hindsight, I would have either started with a M1008/M1028, or bought one for parts to swap to the Blazer.

Was your blazer in running condition when purchased?

I would love to get 2 trucks!!! one for parts, but I think it would be less stress right now with one solid driver- life is a lil nutz at this moment!

I am going to plan a trip to look at an m1028 soon- will keep you posted.

I bought it from a guy who got it from govliquidation. He said it wasn 't running and that it needed a new IP. When I looked at it, 3 glow plugs were missing. I bought it, replaced all 8 GP's and 2 injectors and it runs great. I'm still happy with the deal I got. But I am now searching for the axles that come under the pick-ups, and that will cost $1500 at least in my area. I just like that covered Blazers.
Govliquidation sells vehicles for the National Guard (and Army, I believe). Instead of a title, they give you a form you can bring to DMV to get a title. That is why, running or not, you have to tow anything you buy from them; they are not street legal. There are some great deals to be had, but plenty of people know about it.

M1009s come with a Gov-Lock in the rear. It's not a limited slip and it's not a locker, but it's definitely a traction enhancing device. Also, those come in two styles: self arming and remote detonate :D :rolleyes:

The guy I bought it from must have swapped then. :rippedhan

No matter, I didn't want to wheel 36's on 10 bolts. They would hold up on the street, but I really don't like repairing stuff on the trail. :)

Do you have the run-flat devices in your rims? Did you re-center them or do you have a huge negative offset?

Well, the way I see it, he did you a favor if he actually got rid of it! They'll malfunction and blow apart in a heartbeat!

Yes, my rims have the Mag run-flats in them, but the rib/backbone that actually makes up the "run-flat" itself was cut off. Also, they have been recentered and fit quite nicely :D

How do they get the 1 1/4 ton designation? Aren't they just K30 1 tons?

Pretty much. After working on them, the only difference I've seen is maybe an extra overload spring. Otherwise they are the same as K30 1 tons.

That is the only difference. I am in the military and work on them every day if you have any questions feel free to PM me

The military is VERY literal when assigning weight capacity ratings to their trucks.

As soon as I can find the thread on Steel Soldiers, I will post it. EDIT: Found it!


"5/4-ton in the military is a literal interpretation of the payload. 2900 minus about 400 pounds for 2 passengers (and maybe some gear) equals 2500lbs or 5/4-ton payload."

The M1028 has a higher payload rating since it has overloads. Otherwise, with the exception of the front limited slip diff, it's the same truck.

Gotcha, thanks. Been tossing the idea of gettin one or two and makin plow trucks out of em. I figure with low mileage and low end grunt of the diesel, it should work. Besides, I had a 83 K20 diesel and it plowed pretty darn good. As long as you didn't mind that it had more holes than a brick of swiss cheese...

Nah...that just add character and reduces wind resistance :rolleyes: