Hi guys,
I've been reading the forum for a while but just registered to post and what not. What a fantastic collection of information! Merry Christmas INDEED!

I am looking for a little help and I figure this is the best place to get it. I drive a 97 1500 4x4 SLT with the smaller V8. My suspension is SHOT. It is so bad it is starting to rattle parts and my teeth loose.
What I would like to do is replace the suspension possibly beefing it up a bit to carry a little more weight than the 1500 stock, but other than having bigger tires I don't do any off roading really, I would just like to have a smooth comfortable ride.
I'd like to know what I need to buy to replace everything. The shocks are visably rotted out, the rear springs don't appear cracked but I have hauled some loads in it so if Im gonna have it apart Id rather take care of the leafs too. Anyone able to give me a "list" from bushings to bolts as to what I would need to purchase? Of course $$ is a key and I want to do it as cheap as I can. Looking for a price point to plan for and an estimated time line on the install. I will have help, will be working in a garage. As far as tools go, if my father in law doesn't have it there is a good chance we can get our hands on it. Now actually getting his garage organised so those tools are readaly assable and I don't spend 45 minutes looking for a socket is another matter but I'm on my own with that!
I also need to put a new strap on the gas tank as one has been rattled off and Im currently holding the tank up with one strap. Something about 30ish gallons of gas possibly hitting pavement at 70mph makes me want to get that taken care of sooner rather than later.
Will probably upgrade the drums on the rear to the 2500 mod I read earlier while I have everything taken apart too and even though the fronts were redone a year ago or so, I will probably do them too.

Thanks in advance, kind of a lot to ask for a first post, but I know you guys like a challenge.

 

Just start at the front and work back. All the steering linkage, shocks, springs, rod ends, etc. Then same for rear. Anything that moves or has a joint on it, replace. And get a LMC catalog and a Haynes manual.

 

I have a Haynes manual and the shop manual from the Christmas Thread, wasn't sure if I needed to do all the linkage and stuff was hoping to get away with just the shocks and springs because $$ is tight. Going to take some pictures and post so you can see exactly what I'm dealing with. Had the bar that the tracking arm hooks into replaced a year ago.

 

Mammal,how many miles are on your truck?

 

I bought her in 2000 with 87k on her. I have 113ish on her now. I don't have a long commute to work, and since she is a bit thirsty I don't do a lot of long hauls with her either.

 

just for a starting point, you might want to take the truck to a local front end shop and ask them to give you a repair estimate of what all it needs. they'll likely put it up on the lift and it shouldn't take more than 10 minutes. some shops will give you a detailed, priced out estimate. others will just rattle stuff off with ballpark estimates. so take a pencil and paper and pay attention to what they say, and come away with it all written down, one way or the other. if you can, stand right in there with them and ask them to show you whats wrong.

then its ok to act surprised at the cost, and hem and haw about not having that much money to spend, blah, blah, blah.

don't be suprised if you need shocks, ball joints, tie rod ends, bearings, track bar, steering box, steering shaft, and idler arm. let's see, did i miss anything...

take it home and put it up on jack stands, get an assistant, and repeat the test yourself. any loose play, anywhere in the front end is bad. start with whatever's the worst, and do it a little at a time.

bear in mind this is a solid front axle truck. you'll not make it drive or ride like a sports car, no matter what you do. suspension parts can require a lot of effort to install, so put in good ones (moog).

 

Thanks for the reply, this is a vehicle I have to use to get back and forth to work. To do the job RIGHT I have to replace everything. It is really unsafe to be driving because the shocks are totally rotted out and even a little bump in the pavement bottoms me out with nothing in the bed. I'm afraid I'm rattling electrical connections etc etc lose. Can I just do shocks as a short term fix to make it road worthy with the idea of changing the rest out over time? I drive the truck about 4 miles a day, but occasionally I have to take it on errands up to 50 miles each way as I have no other vehicle.

 

if you only drive 4 miles a day you can drive it as is forever.

honestly, shocks don't do that much. they just reduce the bounce of the springs. when you say you bottom out over bumps, what does that mean. no shocks or bad shocks would just bounce up and down excessively after a bump. its the springs that do all the work.

it can't be ALL bad. just find out what is bad, and work on it.

to answer your question, yes you can replace shocks only. just understand what shocks do/don't do.

 

Cool, I want to do it all, I just can only afford to do so much at once, and spending 4k on a truck thats worth 2500 probably isnt a good idea, I love the truck thou. If it stops raining Im going to put some pictures up of the problem areas. Any ideas on the fuel tank strap?

 

Sounds like a salt problem if the shocks are rotted out.