1999-2007.5 silverado/sierra 1500 front end ball joint/steering questions

[Yaj Yak]

i've read that replacing the ball joints is a bitch... are the uppers the bitch or the lowers?

Some people say to just replace the entire control arm- is this a good call or?

while I'm in there, what else should I replace?


[MENTION=112]ktraver97ss[/MENTION] [MENTION=1983]Outlaw[/MENTION]


my truck is 2wd with coil springs up front as well fwiw.

Click to read more...

 

[Gone_2022]

I know you troll and hate me but I'm a nice person.

The uppers are part of the control arm assembly. Both sides labor time is about 1.6 hours.

The lowers are separate. 5 hours labor time to replace both sides. Or you could just get the entire lower control arm and it cuts the labor time down per all data to about 2.5. Plus an alignment of course

Seems to be pretty much the same torsion type or coil spring type.

 

[Yaj Yak]

oh and fwiw.

fuck advance.

Moog Control Arm w/Ball Joint K80942: Purchase the best Control Arm w/Ball Joint - Lower at Advance Auto Parts

$125 for that from them.

or.

$68.79 for the same fucking part from RockAuto

or only 70 shipped from amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FJW6IKA/?tag=tcg21-20

 

[Yaj Yak]

I know you troll and hate me but I'm a nice person.

The uppers are part of the control arm assembly. Both sides labor time is about 1.6 hours.

The lowers are separate. 5 hours labor time to replace both sides. Or you could just get the entire lower control arm and it cuts the labor time down per all data to about 2.5. Plus an alignment of course

I don't hate you.

but i do troll the fuck out of you.

I don't hate many people... waste of energy.



uppers are purchasable- i'd assume they are riveted in but can be pressed out with some persuasion from what I have read.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

live axle swap it but leave it 2wd

 

[Yaj Yak]

 

[Gone_2022]

Yea it looks like GM has a special tool to separate the upper ball joint. Tool number J-42188. Lol but from GM it appears they only supply the entire upper control arm assembly. So basically stupid tool is stupid and useless

 

[Outlaw]

i've read that replacing the ball joints is a bitch... are the uppers the bitch or the lowers?

Some people say to just replace the entire control arm- is this a good call or?

while I'm in there, what else should I replace?


[MENTION=112]ktraver97ss[/MENTION] [MENTION=1983]Outlaw[/MENTION]


my truck is 2wd with coil springs up front as well fwiw.

They're not that bad. Just remember that one of the two (don't remember if they're uppers or lowers) have a large circlip holding them in as well as the friction of the a-arm, so you'll need to remove those as well.

I did upper and lower ball joints on my Sierra two months ago. Not that hard honestly, and no, you don't need to replace the entire control arm unless the bushings are worn out.

How's your steering? I'd look at the tie rods and idler-pitman arm as well. Moog actually sells an entire front end rebuild kit for these trucks, might as well do it all. Mine drives like brand new now.

And FWIW, I wouldn't use any parts/ hubs that aren't Moog or National. Just because the cheap shit has a lifetime warranty doesn't mean you want to do it more than once lol.

 

[Yaj Yak]

why's everyone make it sound like such a bitch then?

what'd you use to get them out?

 

[Outlaw]

why's everyone make it sound like such a bitch then?

what'd you use to get them out?

I used a generic ball joint press you can rent from any auto parts store. Heat and an impact on the press are your friend as well, but, with your truck being relatively rust free they might not be as bad. I did mine at 190,000 miles and my truck has seen a winter every year since 2003...

If you need help give me a shout, I can swing out one day after work. Pay me in epic deli and we've got a deal

Also, see my above post. I edited it with some more info regarding your post I was mentioned in.

 

[Yaj Yak]

 

[Yaj Yak]

my steering is goofy. on 14 coming north into walworth where it's bumpy as fuck my truck shakes side to side. lol

 

[Outlaw]

my steering is goofy. on 14 coming north into walworth where it's bumpy as fuck my truck shakes side to side. lol

As if the front wheels are bouncing? How old are your shocks?

That's the next thing for my truck... Tires and shocks.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

do yourself a favor and scrape/grind the rust off the exposed portion of the balljoint, and a sharp pick in the mating crevis before trying to press it out.
2 minutes saves a crapload of time as the press only has to work against a tiny bit of rust instead of getting the "rust wedge"

same principle of removing a rusty bolt from a through hole...once it starts to get hard to turn, tighten it a half turn and the rust will drop/fall off and it will unscrew easier till the rust wedge builds up again.

dont they teach this shit in school?

 

[Yaj Yak]

As if the front wheels are bouncing? How old are your shocks?

Kind of.

And my front shocks are about a month and a half or so old... that's what i thought as well and had them sitting at home but it didn't fix it.

 

[Yaj Yak]

do yourself a favor and scrape/grind the rust off the exposed portion of the balljoint, and a sharp pick in the mating crevis before trying to press it out.
2 minutes saves a crapload of time as the press only has to work against a tiny bit of rust instead of getting the "rust wedge"

same principle of removing a rusty bolt from a through hole...once it starts to get hard to turn, tighten it a half turn and the rust will drop/fall off and it will unscrew easier till the rust wedge builds up again.

dont they teach this shit in school?

thanks for the suggestion... fwiw there probably isn't any rust but ill keep it in mind

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

of course there is, what the fuck ya smoking?...half the time its a crapload of rust even under the 50+k of grease/road grime

 

[Yaj Yak]

cuz my truck ain't rusty cuz

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

rust comes stock

 

[Outlaw]

There will be rust. It's easy to scrape around, plus, you'll probably have to just to find the circlips.

 

[Turbocharged400sbc]

just make sure to scrape the rust hiding behind em.

rust makes pressing shit out the galactic opposite of mcd's breakfast burrito's

 

[ktraver97ss]

Good info here so far, I replaced my entire upper a-arms with the cognito one made for leveled trucks to improve the cv axle angle. Obviously not a concern with your truck so I would just do the balls. hehehe

If you plan on keeping the truck I would also do these: Cognito Pitman Idler Support Kit PISK2006 for Chevy,GMC

I bought both but only installed one cause the other would contact my front diff for some reason. Another thing you can have, well maybe throw me a few bucks for it cause it was kinda pricey. Cant remember which one it is but ill check it out this weekend if you want. Or we can do a trade...I need to pull the sea ray out on sunday and my buddy with a excursion that was supposed to help me sounds like he is bailing on me. If you can come and use your truck ill give you all the spare parts I have laying around from my truck. The storage place is only 2 miles from the launch so it wont take long at all.

 

[Yaj Yak]

awesome thank you

im not sure that part will work on my trcuk cuz it doesn't say 2wd sierra/silverado... i think our steering setups are different.

wait it does say it will work...

http://www.cognitomotorsports.com/cognito-pitmanidlersupportkit-pisk2006-truck.html

I can help you sunday as well- im going to be driving home from wausau so lets just play it by ear when im in the area?

 

[ktraver97ss]

If not give to Frank or someone that can use it

 

[Yaj Yak]

[MENTION=1983]Outlaw[/MENTION] smells like strippers and cigarettes

he ain't gettin' my magical steering part