I'm here for some educatin :-)

I've been fighting this problem where my truck vibrates LIKE CRAZY when braking. The vibration is worse the faster that I'm going when I brake.

Well I replaced pads and rotors and that didn't do anything. So I checked to see if there was any play in the wheel (hub bearing etc.) and there was none. So I kinda gave up.

Well I was looking around under the truck tonight w/ a flashlight imagining what kind of work it would be to change the tq converter when something caught my eye... (see attachment)

The tie rod ends are pretty chewn up. The boot is thoroughly destroyed on both driver and passenger side.

Think this is what's causing the vibrations? Difficult to replace?

 

They aren't that hard to replace, or at least weren't when I did it. They're already bad off so you can rent a fork removal tool from a parts store if you don't have it. Remove the nut holding it on (you may have to put some vice grips on the end as the screw part of it may rotate). Use the fork and a hammer to knock it loose. You may want to spray some penetrating fluid on all of this first btw. make sure you mark with a grease pen where the old tie rod ends on the shaft. Unscrew it from the shaft. Replace the new one, the reason for marking it with a grease pen on the shaft is it will put you in the ballpark of where you wanna be with your alignment and put the nut back in. Make sure you get an alignment right afterwords if you do it yourself.

 

If that is at the bottom of the spindle, than that is the lower ball joint. Mine look exactly the same, top and bottom. Just received new ones in the mail today. I got them from Rock Auto, they had great prices.

 

yeah, you know what, you're right. That's what the Haynes manual was referring to them as too. They look kind of like a pain to get out...Haynes says remove shock and use spring compressor....really? There's gotta be a way to do it easier right?

 

read cwboyjohnny24's post.......thats what you need to do.....leave the shocks/springs alone.

 

yeah those are tie rods not ball joints. You don't need a fork tool to get get the tie rods off, that may actually be how those boots got torn like that. I've seen boots get torn from those forks many many times. I guess in your case you dont have to worry about damaging the boots though lol. But the easiest and fastest way is to get a long pry bar. Put it where you can pry up on the tie rod, then while prying up on the tie rod get your BFH (big freakin hammer) and hit the steering knuckle where the tie rod goes in. You'll have to hit it kinda hard but your not going to hurt the steering knuckle trust me. The tie rod will pop right out.

 

That's true! I used a bfh to get mine loose, but I didn't want to damage the boot. If you knock it right where it goes into the spindle a few times after spraying some penetrating fluid on it it will come out. I just figured since the boot is already gone, it would just be easier to get it out with the fork. Either way works.

 

Their design sucks and they know it...they should have been recalled years ago....but they just keep on killing people when they snap

 

the dealer says "they are not greasable"

wtf they never heard of a needle grease fitting.......

 

a lot of the newer vehicles are like that (non greaseable). Unless its a heavy duty truck or something like 2500+.