Mike GMC

I was under the impression the 9.5 and 9.75" axles were semi floating, but that sure looks like a C clip setup to me.

Cool, glad it worked.

Try the clay first. If they warranty the coating, take it in after the clay. If no warranty, then try the goof off, then you may need to start getting more agressive with the compounds. Use them by hand and you will be MUCH less likely to burn through. If none of that works, start looking for a professional paint correction place.

True, unless you put a jug under the drain and collect it. It is distilled water after all and great for mixing with antifreeze. On the house ac, not the truck....

Try a clay bar. If that won't do it you might have to go to polishing or even rubbing compound.

That iron remover seems to do about the same thing as a clay bar. Would be very interested in hearing updates over the next few months to tell us how well it lasts.

I still have my 00 Z71 Sierra. I fixed the power deficiency, so both it and my 15 are pretty equal in acceleration. In some ways I like the old 4 speed better and others I like the 6 speed. The new on rides better , is quieter inside and looks better inside and out. But that old one feels like more of a "truck". It's easier to see out of and feels a bit smaller when you drive it. I trust the drivetrain more in the new one since the old one has a worn out 10 bolt and a mostly worn out 4L60. Once I rebuild the rear end and either swap in a 4L80 or a modified 4L60 it should be just as bullet proof as ever. I love both of them and don't plan to get rid of either anytime soon. I may even let my son drive the old one once he gets a license next year until he gets his own vehicle. But I get it back!

U joints? Driveshaft balance issue? Stop running over things? Just ideas.

Did you check run out on the existing shafts? Just curious if you KNOW you need shafts or if it's just an experiment?

Damn, that's ALOT of shavings. I did my 15 at about 35k and had less than a tenth of that. The fluid was pretty dark, but very little on the magnet.

What axle do you have?

I have 2 teenagers. I love my DC. They don't, but hey, they're young and flexible. I love the standard bed. Couldn't imagine getting by with less. After years of owning my 00 extended cab with 6' 6" bed, I knew a shorter bed wouldn't work for me. I looked at a cc standard bed and it was nice but a bit difficult in parking lots and tighter roads. I found a near perfect DC all terrain.

If you're really that worried, get a gas 3/4 ton. The 6.0 doesn't have AFM.

How much fuel was still in the tank when you put premium in? If it was still relatively full, you may not have raised the net mixed octane level enough. If it was nearly empty, you may not have really gotten good fuel or you may have a carbon build up issue effectively raising the compression ratio. Try another tank of premium from a different station, if that doesn't work, try some BG44K.

The main concerns I would have would be wind and weather like I said before as well as the brakes on the truck. One of the big differences between a half ton and a 3/4 ton is the brakes. Make damn sure you can stop that trailer before you take off with it.