I've got a 2001 Super Crew 4x4, 5.4l, automatic, trailer package, around 135k on the clock. Front tires are wearing the insides. Alignment guy says lower ball joints are worn out, he showed me the slop. I want to replace them myself, I want to do the job right. What all should be replaced while I've got things apart? Lower ball joint of course. What about the upper? I see the uppers come as whole arms and have bushings included. What about the lower control arm bushings? The steering doesn't feel loose so I'm not really worried about the tie rods or idler at the moment but I'll look at them closer while I have it apart. Are there known weak links in the suspension that I should correct? Poly bushings or some such I should get and install while I'm at it?

Thanks,
Bryan

 

Stock tie rod ends on these trucks tend to wear out. You can check that with the front wheels jacked up. Try turning the wheels left and right and see if there is some slop there. That's about all I can think of, there's not really any issues on this body style other than your normal wear items.

 

What all would normally be worn out at 135k though? I think the part I question most is the lower control arm bushings. Should they be replaced at 135k? Or are they some sort of 250K+ mile part?

The parts are lots cheaper online than in a parts store. I'd like to just order the parts online but that means I can't just shift on the fly while I've got it apart and run down and get another part I find is bad.

Thanks,
Bryan

 

Probably just ball joints. My work truck has 200+ thousand miles, and that's the only thing I've replaced on it, and it lives a pretty rough life. My expy has 130k miles, only thing that I replaced on it just recently was ball joints and sway bar end link bushings.