More Rear End, Pinion Seal and Bearing , Backward Brake Spring, K 10 4X4 Gold Saga Part 8

"In Part 8 of the Gold Saga, we're taking a step back to move two steps forward! Thanks to some great catches from the community, I'm tearing back into the K10's rear end to fix a backward brake spring, clean out some hidden sludge in the pinion void, and properly seat the new seal and bearing. I’m learning as I go with my GM manual in hand—thanks for keeping me on track!" The rear axle is revisited to take care of some issues that were pointed out in the comment section by fans of the Gold Saga build. The void area where the pinion shaft sits is cleaned out. The pinion seal and front pinion bearing are replaced. The green brake shoe spring is installed correctly. A small amount of grease is applied to the bearings for startup. Video Summary Following feedback from viewers like Nightstorm, Keith, and Jake, I decided to revisit the rear axle for "peace of mind" and long-term reliability. V Video highlights: Addressing Feedback: The backward brake spring was corrected and the pinion bearing area was checked for gunk, dirt, rust and sludge. Pinion Deep Dive: The original pinion preload (4 inch-lbs) and thread count were meticulously recorded before disassembly. Upon opening it up, I found and cleaned out "sludge and crud" from the housing and replaced a rough front pinion bearing. Brake Correction: I successfully flipped the green brake springs on both sides so the long ends properly clear the star wheels. Technical Checks: I shared insights into the Salisbury axle design and performed advanced checks on backlash (finding 0.017") and gear wear patterns. I ultimately decided to leave the gear adjustments as-is to avoid creating a noisy axle given its 39 years of wear. 0:00 Addressing Viewer Feedback (Shoutouts to Nighttorm, Keith, and Jake) 0:43 Cleaning the Pinion Shaft Void Area 1:00 Marking the Pinion Shaft & Measuring Preload 3:18 Removing the Pinion & Inspecting for Sludge 4:52 Bearing Inspection & Tool Discussion 6:42 Reassembly: Installing the New Race & Bearing 8:30 Prepping the Yoke & Applying Sealant 10:14 Setting the New Pinion Nut & Final Preload 11:41 Correcting the Backward Brake Springs 13:45 Explaining the Salisbury Semi-Floating Axle 14:48 Checking Backlash & Wear Pattern 16:43 Final Thoughts & Success Chances Gold Saga Story I found the gold saga truck for sale on marketplace. The truck was located in north Alabama and had been sitting in someone’s back yard for about 5 years. Probably the second or third owner. I took one look at the truck and even with the missing engine, transmission, and transfer case plus the broken frame I knew this was a nice truck and worth saving. I paid the asking price. I loaded it on a U-Haul trailer and brought it home. My original plans for the truck were to fix the broken frame, install missing drive train and then use the truck as one of my daily drivers. After getting the truck home and looking the truck over I was amazed at the originality of the truck. The truck was all original except for the lift kit. When the original drive train was removed nothing was butchered or cut up. I was very surprised. Even the original tool tray was still behind the back seat as was the original am/fm cassette radio. It is very hard to find an old squarebody that is so original. Mabey 1 out 10 are original like the gold truck. I started looking for a drivetrain. I knew that I wanted to try to go back stock if possible My first find was a 1984 military blazer with a blown engine. I bought the blazer for parts. It had a 400 turbo and a transfer case which is a good start and all that will bolt right in. My second find was a guy had a engine and turbo 400 4X4 transmission from a 1988 V 20 suburban for sale. He did an LS 4l80E swap in the Suburban. The engine had all the accessories present and no wires or hoses were cut. It even came with the computer. This was a very lucky find and what I had in mind. Now everything was in place for the drivetrain. Later I also acquired a rebuilt TBI 350 that a man had bought to install in his OBS but never did. When I replaced the frame rail I decided to at least restore the frame because I would not get another chance to do it right. I cleaned and painted the frame. Both axles were refreshed and painted. Any issues found with the axles were repaired. The truck had a 9” lift kit. 6” spring lift and 3” body lift. I deleted the body lift and plan to go back together with the 6” lift. The truck came with 38” tires. I will change over to 35” wheels. This will not be a show truck. I am going to use it to haul firewood, Take trash to the county dump, and make hardware store runs. Where did the name of the truck come from? The truck is gold and I thought Goldschlager was a cool and catchy name and people my age would remember drinking it back in our younger days so the truck is named that in the first video. After that I renamed it Gold Saga to show how difficult, complicated and long term the restoration process is and will be.