2002 Z71 front end rebuild advice!?!?!

[elee]

I will get around to making another build thread, but I'm about to order parts for a front end rebuild. I just assumed I should go ahead and do idler, pitman, upper control arms w/ball joints, lower ball joints with new lower A-arm bushings, and inner/outer tie rods. Am I missing anything? Moog or ACDelco? And also I need advice on tie rod situation, whether to beef up or stay oem? And finally are the upper a-arms with more camber adjustment needed?
All of this will be going on a 2002 1500 z71 w/ 4" RCX NTD lift and eventually 295/70r17 tires.
thanks in advance!


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[rayra]

The only thing I see missing from your roster of parts is bump stops. I havne't found an inexpensive aftermarket source for the front ones yet.

Did your lift drop / re-position your front axle any? Bunch of us Sub owners were discussing such things here a couple weeks ago, can't recall which topic offhand, and one of the products we were discussing included some 1"? spacers (akin to hockey pucks) which lowered the front axle slightly and improved the angles on the front axle shafts a great deal.

As to the rest, synchronicity, as I've just been doing a bit of such maintenance myself just a couple hours ago, replacing my front stabilizer bar end links. Figuring out a few tricks doing it on my Sub, before doing the missus' Tahoe this weekend. Hers are shot (165k mi), mine merely worn (126k mi). The parts are very inexpensive on rockauto, either AC Delco or aftermarket. The Delco front stab links are a PAIR, I think the others are single side only.

Drove a few miles around town afterwards, front suspension seems a bit better / more lively. No squeaks, but I'm thinking about brushing some moly grease on all the bushings when I do the other vehicle. But then again I'm in SoCal, it doesn't really matter.

http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...8,1380327,suspension,stabilizer+bar+link,7580


pic in a bit

eta Some tips / tricks on the end links. You need to work on both ends at the same time, helps if the bar is free to pivot a bit. The new bushings are stiff, fat and tall. When everything is stacked, you won't see any threads on the thru bolt to put the nut on. And that's even with the bolt on the replacement part being longer than the original. I tried a couple different lame ways to squeeze the stablizer bar and lower control arm together, ratcheting tie down, bar clamp, ultimately I put a scrap block of wood between the bolt head and my floor jack and raised each side off the jackstands, put the whole weight on that lowest bushing and got enough threads exposed to put the top washer on and get the nut started. Then tightening things up was a snap. once together the 'squeeze' on the four bushings evens out.

 

[Scoutn79]

If your tie rods are the same as the ones that were on the 2004 Sierra I had I would upgrade immediately. Those things were so skinny I was always expecting them to bend or snap. This was a work truck so it didn't see any offroading other than getting the bike and camper to a camp spot.
I have always had good luck with Moog.

Darrell

 

[rayra]

Same concern here, I've had these bookmarked for a while, plan to put them in when I do my torsion key / spacer lift and shock replacements and my own balljoints. Might as well do it all at the same time and pay once for alignment. They basically replace the locking nut on the tie rod end and sleeve over those spindly 1/2" diameter tie rods.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B2AEMXI...=UTF8&colid=QWZ1BSZYG6VW&coliid=IV05DBK1TYUVG

There are 'better' drop-forged beefy tie rod ends. They cost a good deal more, too.

 

[elee]

The lift kit I'm installing does drop the front axle. I'm doing this to gain the clearance for my tires but to also keep the angles in check. Right now the angles are terrible and the truck rides like a horse and buggy.
Bump stops! Yes I do need those!

As to those tie rod "sleeves". I would think that yes it would help with tie rods bending, but I would also think that would direct the forces closer to the joints which would be more prone to breaking. Maybe I'm over thinking this but that's my .02


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[rayra]

well look at it this way, the ball joints are already bearing a lot of the stresses and you're talking about putting fresh ones in anyway. Full size truck is a lot of weight, SUV even more so. If your offroading plans include ruts or lurching around a lot of boulders, you can expect to bend those thin tie rods and chew up expensive tires. I'd rather put the wear on the ball joints than chew up my tires driving home with my toe-in totally off.

 

[Stryder106]

Rayra - interesting points on the sway bar connects. After a wheeling trip, I had completely pulled my stock ones through and they were just dangling. I got the same ones you are showing, but I didn't go through the experience of putting them on as my truck was in the shop getting some other work done so they just put them on for me.

I have been considering getting these: http://www.warriorproducts.com/catalog-new/universal-parts/sway-bar-disconnects/ to improve articulation offroad (they have a post-post configuration available) and was thinking the quick disconnect would be useful. But, it drops out the middle - and now I'm wondering how one would easily get that middle back in place after coming off a trail and hitting the pavement. Hmmmmmmmmmm

 

[rayra]

Never seen those, interesting concept. Probably wouldn't be a problem as the bushing ends stay attached and the sleeved tubes presumably float but stay one within the other. I'd probably chamfer the ends of the link pins to make them easier to hammer in if there's any misalignment of their holes.
I'd think the real trouble would come if you got so much articulation that the sleeved tubes pull completely apart. But with stock length shocks and bump stops I don't think that's even possible (for things to move so far). But then if you went that route and were after additional articulation, those parts would be modded too.
Too, it would help if during the install process the stabilizer bar was removed altogether and its mounting bushings lubricated with something suitable (but not petroleum-based), so later the bar would pivot more freely.

I did the same stock links on the missus' Tahoe last night, as well. On hers I brushed on a bit of synthetic moly grease on both contact faces of all 8 bushings. Call it an experiment. And thanks to the 'trial run' on the Sub, it took very little time on the Tahoe. My brilliant scheme to have two large old low-mpg same-series 4wd SUVs finally pays a dividend!

Found her ball joint boots were all blown out, too, which is a minor messy bummer. The ball joints themselves seem to be in great shape for 165k mi (almost all highway). But her axle boots look fine. Yay for a mild climate. Wish there was a way to lube the control arm bushings without tearing things apart.

 

[mccustomize]

I ran my truck with no front sway bar for a couple years before I did my solid axle swap, I enjoyed it much more, took away a lot of the harshness on and offroad.

I would spring for the cognito tie rods, steering box brace and idler arm brace, makes a big difference, and while you are in there the cognito upper control arms are sure worth it as well.