The diagnosis for the tie rod ends is very different and easy to check. Lift one front wheel at a time and rock the wheel left and right and shake the joint with your hand, and measure or observe your movement. Some ends will wear with movement in and out on the joint and others will wear side to side on the joint. Always check them with a full grease load, if possible. Some shops check the linkage ends with pump pliers, but I've seen ends mashed, with pliers, and then failed, but there was absolutely no drivability complaints or movement when tested by hand. Replace any worn ends or links out of manufactures specifications. Up to one ton, we were only allowed to use hand pressure due to state testing regulations. For myself, I would not replace them unless they are worn or damaged.

 

I loaded up 100 bales of hay today. I will haul it to the mother in laws tomorrow. A 1000 miles trip

 

Easy stuff led tag lights, fixed loose connection on backup light.

Butt kicker stared at 9 PM to drop tanks and fix leaks. Aft sending unit gasket and loose rollover/vent valve. Replace seal RTVED around valve. Spare was back in place 11pm
Front tank which I thought would be easier. Fill hose had come off at tank. Thru a myriad of problems with that retarded plastic pipe did not get done till 2 am

 

chip truck; lost power steering and alt belt came on.pulled over quick.idler pulley seized up and blew apart.serp belt was fine.
using a piece of throw line (strong arborist string which attaches to a throw bag,used to toss up into a tree,so as to set a rope) i tied a loop around the crank and water pump pulley using a bowline knot, turned her around and headed back home to "borrow" the one on log truck while watching the coolant temp gauge.she made it back while keeping her cool,where i swapped pulleys and was back in action.bought a replacement after work and tossed it back on log truck.

 

Well the truck is going into the shop this afternoon to address the clutch problem. I suspect a failing slave cylinder, but we shall see.

I also have a Redhead steering box on order, to be installed at a later date.

This morning I ran into an issue with my headlights. I thought that, when you pull the light **** all the way out (two clicks) that should turn on your headlights. However, I discovered that only my driving lamps are on after doing that.

So I step on the high beam switch, and sometimes my headlights come on, along with the blue indicator light on the dash.

Sometimes, it'll stay on and then flicker out, and sometimes it won't come on at all.

As best i can tell, it doesn't happen consistently at all. Now, with all day light of Alaskan summers, headlights aren't an issue at the moment. But they will be before long.

Do these trucks have "hi" and "lo"?

Are they supposed to come on when you pull the **** out like it does on later model trucks?
Ideally, I'd like to have my headlights wired to come on when I pull the ****, and then have auxiliary lights installed and wired to a switch on the dash.

Any thoughts?

 

Your high beam switch is bad.

 

I actually went through this exact scenario last month. I replaced the whole multifunction switch (wipers were also not working right) and no problems since.

Oops quoted wrong post but yes what Chevy eater said

 

I don't know that I have a multifunction switch.

I have a light **** and wiper **** side by side on the dashboard, with a button under the parking brake that I was told was a high beam switch.

What exactly did you replace?

 

Right sorry didn't check the year. It's the same problem different control I think. The high beam switch under the parking brake, that's what's bad.

 

Ah, I didn't realize it was different from 88-89.

So, if that is indeed a "high beam" switch, then why do I only have one brightness on my headlights? Aren't the "low beam" headlights supposed to come on when I pull the light **** out?

 

Sometimes the switch gets stuck in the high or low position and you only have one brightness level when you turn on the switchie-knobby-duflommer. My switch was sticking and I took some WD40 and gave her a squirt, using a tube under the cap of the switch, and that fixed it for the last several years. It is easier to accomplish if you remove the switch.

Keep us posted, good luck.

 

Well... ****.

Took the truck into the shop for what I thought was minor clutch work. They told me the slave cylinder was leaking, and they found sediment in it.

So, they replaced the slave and master cylinders, reinforced the firewall at the clutch pedal, and flushed the hydraulic lines.

Total cost, $479.97.

Now, bear in mind that it went in to the shop because it had a tendency to grind shifting into reverse, and occasionally downshifting into second. And my thinking was, "hey, let's get this taken care of while it's still a relatively minor thing, so it doesn't turn into a whole clutch job."

Well, guess what. It turned into a whole clutch job.

The drive home from the shop was HORRIBLE. I had to grab the stick with both hands and give it everything I've got to shift into gear from a stop. When I'm moving it's easier, but still jerky coming out of and going into gear.

The clutch pedal feels nice, but that's the only improvement.

So naturally I called the shop when I got home and asked what the hell was going on, because they didn't tell me anything about the problem being WORSE when I went to pick it up. And of course they play dumb, saying that the new slave cylinder possibly has a shorter throw that is now exacerbating the problem of the clutch not disengaging.

So now, I have an appointment next week for a clutch job, to the tune of an estimated $1100, and that's with a NAPA clutch kit and no flywheel. It'll be more if it needs a flywheel.

Needless to say, I'm pissed. I'd rather have it back to the way it was than the way it is now. That's not right.

 

Hopefully, they didn't charge you for "flushing" the hydraulic lines. That is part of the job for such a short run, especially, if the master was replaced.

I would consider a different shop for the clutch work.

 

I don't believe they did charge me.

However, I'm convinced they screwed something up, big time. I just went to try and rotate vehicles in the driveway so I could take the other truck to work tomorrow, and this damn truck won't shift at all. Any gear. The clutch pedal travels about halfway down before I feel resistance, and it grinds so horribly it sounds like I'm not touching the clutch at all trying to get it into gear.

I'm furious, and I'll be in contact with the shop ASAP to get this resolved.

Needless to say, I won't be using their services again.

 

You could have an assistant gently work the clutch pedal "progressively" toward the floor while you watch the slave cylinder. There should be no real slack/freeplay, just enough to allow the clutch arm and throwout bearing to relieve pressure and back off the pressure plate. If you have greater movement in the master/to/slave then you may have air or worn linkage or a flexing firewall. If you are getting proper thrust at the slave, your throwout bearing arm and or pivot could be worn or the pressure plate is damaged/worn, etc.

If all the linkage looks good I would see how much further you can move the arm, by hand, away from the slave cylinder once the clutch is released. You might be able to take up the slack, in this area, with the thickness of a zip tie, metal washer, or nut between the slave rod and the arm.

Good luck, keep us posted.