Front End Woes
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 48
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Front End Woes
Got the truck running great. Odo about to turn 300k and after the SCT tune it feels like half that at least. Did the top end before that and I'm actually pretty impressed with the combo and fixing POs lack of maintenence. Still having some issues. Did everything down to the heads, water pump, etc. That's about the extent of my ability so far.
1) Aftermarket headlights look great, but my low beams soon went out. Only high beams work.
2) I randomly either have no tail lights except the third brake light or one or both are working. Whenever I check them they work, go figure.
3) Most importantly..
Previous owner included sway bar links. Shop suggests the OEM are bad.
Shop suggests the 4x4 actuator is bad. However, I look later and find the vaccuum lines arent even connected. Weathered and too loose. I zip tie them on and it sometimes, but very rarely engages and functions. It will eventually fall out of 4. Sometimes not for quite a while. But they told me it was bad without hooking up the lines?.. They wanted 200 for the dealer part when i found one for 100. Can they be cleaned up/out?
Typical loose steering
The worst part is a bad U-joint somewhere. It's a very loud clicking sound. I hate to drive it but it's dead of winter up North so I can't take my bike. It has held but it's getting louder.
The shop tells me in the past the drive shaft stub on I believe the passenger side had been welded and the axle shaft stubs, assembly needs to be rebuild/replaced.
All in all they're quoting me north of 1k for the work. Is this something I can do in my garage for less assuming only basic hand tools to start? Is there perhaps a better/cheaper option of just swapping a whole front end in or is that more than just as involved as these repairs?
Thanks in advance
1) Aftermarket headlights look great, but my low beams soon went out. Only high beams work.
2) I randomly either have no tail lights except the third brake light or one or both are working. Whenever I check them they work, go figure.
3) Most importantly..
Previous owner included sway bar links. Shop suggests the OEM are bad.
Shop suggests the 4x4 actuator is bad. However, I look later and find the vaccuum lines arent even connected. Weathered and too loose. I zip tie them on and it sometimes, but very rarely engages and functions. It will eventually fall out of 4. Sometimes not for quite a while. But they told me it was bad without hooking up the lines?.. They wanted 200 for the dealer part when i found one for 100. Can they be cleaned up/out?
Typical loose steering
The worst part is a bad U-joint somewhere. It's a very loud clicking sound. I hate to drive it but it's dead of winter up North so I can't take my bike. It has held but it's getting louder.
The shop tells me in the past the drive shaft stub on I believe the passenger side had been welded and the axle shaft stubs, assembly needs to be rebuild/replaced.
All in all they're quoting me north of 1k for the work. Is this something I can do in my garage for less assuming only basic hand tools to start? Is there perhaps a better/cheaper option of just swapping a whole front end in or is that more than just as involved as these repairs?
Thanks in advance
Administrator
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 87,400
Likes: 4,214
From: Clayton MI
Should be able to get the whole axle for around 500, or less.... You could do this in your garage with basic hand tools, but, getting some of the bolts off might be a struggle, and if this is your only other vehicle (aside from the bike.....) might be problematic. Ask the shop how much they would charge just to swap out the front axle.
