If the answer is out there in DF land, I can't find it.
1999 1500 Auto 5.2 Ext cab (is that what Dodge called it?) 4x4
Picked up my new to me truck Monday, and I drove it home and home only because there are some things that need attention before I put my kids in it. I know both front sway bar links are bad. Passenger side is broken, and drivers side, while still intact, is worn out. I noticed a tire chirp from the front end during low speed cornering (turning at stop lights, ect.) - turning left for sure, can't remember if it did it turning right or not - and a... odd feeling from the front of this truck. But with the front end in the air, I couldn't find any ball joint/ tie rod end issues. The front axle u joints appear to be fairly new. Rear tires are garbage, but the fronts are fair 40-50% tread. Are bad/broken sway bar links to blame for this tire chirp? Or more likely poor alignment? Would sway bar links affect alignment? Should I be looking in a different direction? I'm no stranger to turning wrenches, but I don't know much about suspension, especially on these trucks. Thanks in advance!
~Mike

 

No, end links don't do anything except hold up the sway bar which is pretty useless as it is. I would suspect bearings or ujoints. Probably got some cheap crap joints in there from whoever sold it. They need to be Spicer or nothing.

 

Jack the front end up and spin a wheel to see if the other turns. If the CAD is engaged then that would give you an "odd feeling" on pavement. The CAD connects the front passenger axle to an intermediate axle that is connected to the differential and the driver side axle with a metal sleeve and the front axle becomes like any other. When the CAD is disengaged as it should be while on pavement then it allows the front wheels to turn at different speeds while turning.

The sway bar is only there to prevent body roll while turning. If you turn left then the truck will to lean toward the right front corner, the sway bar is supposed to reduce how much it leans. A lot of people pull the sway bar off and toss it because they don't do their job very well. The advantage of not having a sway bar is that you will have a lot more wheel travel (the axle can move further away from the frame) while off road on uneven ground.

 

Get an alignment. Sure isn't going to hurt anything......

 

I have a few days off and plan on doing some work to this truck. I'll check out the bearings further, but I didn't hear the "growl" generally associated with bearing failure.

While I had the front end up checking suspension and steering parts, I did spin a wheel. They spin independently. Nothing felt abnormal - no binding, popping, ect. I don't plan to wheel this truck (although given the opportunity, plans may change ) so the sway bar will stay put. New links are in the garage waiting to be installed.

Yeah, that's kind of what I was thinking. And I'm sure a shop will find anything I've missed. Gotta do something about my tire situation first, and a few other things. Luckily, I still have my old truck so I don't need this one immediately.

Thanks for all the input. I'll let you know what I find...

 

For posterity and anyone's curiosity:
I found the reasons for my problems posted in this thread

I believe the tire chirp was primarily caused by low tire pressure. Really low tire pressure. I'm embarrassed to admit, I didn't even look when I brought it home. I knew I'd be replacing the tires, but I still should have checked. The two fronts were holding about 15 psi each. That, possibly combined with a little extra body roll from the bad sway bar links and bad tires I think is what caused the chirp.

The "odd" feeling in the front end was even scarier when I found it. I replaced the wheels and tires with a great boneyard find today. While I had the wheels off, I was checking things out and found, on the passenger's side, a loose outer tie rod end. Not worn out - the joint itself actually seemed to be in very good shape. But there was easily 1/8 inch of play between the castle nut and the steering knuckle.

This is the reason I work on my own junk. Buyer beware, I guess.

At any rate, with new sway bar links, near new tires, and a tightened tie rod end, those issues have gone away. Now it's time to fight my vents, which seem to have a mind of their own. And shortly after, I get to play my favorite game: "Where's that rattle coming from?"

Thanks to all who replied, and have a great Independence Day!

 

For the vents replace the check valve in the T on the passenger side of the engine near the AC drier. There's another one going into the manifold. It's been a few years but that cured my vent/vacuum issue.