I'm to the point where I finally have given up on my front end. I'm going to completely rebuild it and I want to do it right this time.There's so much play in it going down the road I look like a drunken sailor. Driving home from a bar on Friday night. But I do have 275,000 miles on the truck. I replaced the ball joints a year and a half ago with the XRF ball joints. Once I start this project if they look loose, the XRF Ball Joints have 1,000,000 mile warranty, so I will replaced those as well.

So here's my plan of attack:

All new control arm bushings upper and lower.

Again new ball joints upper and lower if needed?

New stabilizer bar.

Idler arm and Pitman Arm XRF.

New front shocks KYB.

Inner and outer tie rods XRF

New power steering pump.

New gearbox Redhead.

New steering shaft by Borgeson.

New bushing "Ram fix" for steering column.

New stabilizer brace Sphon Performance.


Not only my trying to fix the sloppy steering. But I'm trying to restore vehicle. I want to give this to my son to drive through high school. While I have it all apart I will repaint the upper and lower control arms. Hopefully all this hard work will correct the steering issues that I've been having, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Why are you replacing the stabilizer bar? (sway bar?) I could see doing the end links....

 

There's no reason to replace the sway bar unless it is bent or broken or you plan on upgrading to a bigger bar if you want it to look new take it off sand blast and paint or powder coat it.

 

sorry about that I met the stabilizer bar bushings and I will be replacing the end links.

 

Wanted to get everyone's opinion on this. Started the gear box replacement today. The new Borgeson shaft did not want to go on the redhead gearbox. After cleaning the splines with a Dremel tool. I was careful. I got it to seat on as far as I could. Take a look at the pictures and tell me if this is okay.

 

If the locking bolt goes thru the hole, and the corresponding groove in the shaft on the box, you are golden.

Pics look good to me.

 

Instrutions http://borgeson.com/instructions/000950

Dave

 

Thanks for your input hey you. I'm getting everything cleaned up and ready to put back together. Then phase two begins. The upper control arm bushings are stumping me though. I have ball joint presses, control arm bushings press, but I can not figure out how to get that bolt out of the way to get the bushings out on top of the arm?

 

Sounds and looks good! Ill be interested in the final result as I want to replace my entire front end with a redhead box and moog parts

 

Not sure on the bolts..... Can you post a pic of what you got? There should be a way to take them out.... though they do like to "become one" with the center sleeve of the bushing..... makes them a real bear to get out.