Hey yall ! Hope everyone has been doing alright been a while since ive been on fte. Well im going to need some steering parts and was curious what everyone recomends i should get. The parts i need are listed below. I would like good parts at a good price. If oem is good then i will be calling ed. If something aftermarket let me know where to get it. Thanks FTE

1. Ball Joints.... Top and Bottom left and right Sides

2. Drag link ends...... One that connects to the pitman arm, and the end thats connected to the tie rod.

3. Sway bar bushings.

4. Pitman Arm...... ? is there a cretain spline i need to get are they all the same?

 

I'll cherry pick and take the easy question.

Energy Suspension. I just did mine a few weeks ago. Relatively easy project. But you will need a shop press to get the old bushings out of the end links. Have your work area very tidy when doing this. I had several things leaning on the press and a small container of nuts on the press and when the old bushings break loose everything jumped and flew around.

You'll also need to press the new bushing in the end links as well.

Riffraff has the ones that you need on their web site.

 

Well for ball joints I would recommend Moog just for the fact that they are greasable. Sway bar end links definately cheaper to go to Energy Suspension makes rebuild kits, very easy to do. What is wrong with your pitman arm, didn't know it could wear out?

 

A vise with a set of sockets works just as good as a press, oh also a torch helps to heat up prior to pressing them out.

 

Thanks Tiny good deal thats what i will do. I had hers of those before.

 

Mogg ball joints where do i get them? i do like how you can greese them. on the pitman arm the cup that the drag link hooks to may be worn out a bit and i figured since im replacing the drag link ends i would do the pitman arm too.

 

Advance Auto can get them, special order. Is your truck 2 or 4 wheel drive? Front ABS? Year and Model? I will get you the part number. Good idea on the pitman arm.

 

AutoZone has has the greaseable ball joints with a lifetime warranty. I would definitely go with the Moog drag link, they also have a lifetime warranty. I made the mistake of getting a noname drag link last year and it failed leaving me no steering. Thank God no one was near me. I would also check Amazon.com and/or CarQuest for the parts you need.

 

X2 on AutoZone. They save everything you buy under your phone # for a no-hassel warranty good at any AZ , anywhere in the USA.
One of the best places I found & buy from for OEM stuff is:
http://autopartsdirect2you.com/Catal...nsweredby=user

The above page is for a 99 you will have to put in your own search

 

Rock Auto, one of our sponsors probably has about the best prices on the Moog parts. The Pitman arm will be a 32 or 36 spline depending on the year of your truck. I bought all mine from them, good service.

 

Awesome guys thanks for all the input. Mine is a 99.5 so if someone could tell me what spline to get for the pitman arm that would be awesome. We dont have a auto zone here in tallahassee, but we do have a advance auto do you think they will have the moog drag link ends and the moog ball joints? if so id like to get them there because they do the warrenty thing by ph# aswell.

 

I know Advance has them (Can order), as I priced them myself. I just couldn't justify the extra cost. 99.5 is tricky on the spline count. Maybe one of the guys might know for sure, if not, you'll have to count them.

On a side note, mine is an 03 with 160k on it. I replaced the steering box and all the steering compontents, but there was actually nothing wrong with my pitman arm. I just wasted the money, but I have peace of mind. Just passing that along to you.

 

You'll need a puller to get the pitman arm off. You can probably get it from Advance on the tool loaner program.

If I can find them, I have a set of swaybar links with the bushings already pressed out. You can have em' if you want em'. They are off of a 4wd if it matters. Just shoot me a PM.

 

To count the splines: Clean the nut which holds the pitnam on the shaft. look @ the shaft you will see 4 slots and splines . Count the number of splines beteen 2 slots. There will be either 8 or 9. 8x4 =32 spline 4x9=36. I just had to do this monday as I ordered a Redhead steering box. (which was delivered today and looks great)

 

Is NAPA stuff good for replacement parts of this nature?