My suspension is worse than I thought..what should I do

[BEEMDUB]

So I went to a Belle Tire that my buddy works at to get an inspection on my truck..Turns on they found the following is making my truck ride like shit


- Right inner tie rod slightly loose

- L and Right Lower Ball Joints loose

and my rear air shocks are blown which I already knew

I can't stand the way the truck drives anymore, what is my best cost efficient way to replace all of this on my own while also providing a good decent ride. I know I can replace the rear shocks what about the ball joints and tie rods? I could give shit about air ride at this point I want to just swap them out for regular shocks.

 

[OR VietVet]

Loose is a relative term. I would bet that most of your ride complaints will be fixed with the new shocks. The lower ball joints can have an effect on the tire wear as can the tie rod because if they are loose enough then the alignment suffers. I would do the shocks first and then drive it. I would also want to know if the ball joints and tie rod are loose enough to be out of tolerance.

 

[BEEMDUB]

Loose is a relative term. I would bet that most of your ride complaints will be fixed with the new shocks. The lower ball joints can have an effect on the tire wear as can the tie rod because if they are loose enough then the alignment suffers. I would do the shocks first and then drive it. I would also want to know if the ball joints and tie rod are loose enough to be out of tolerance.

Okay how do I tell "how loose" the ball joints and tie rods are? ..Also my front shocks aren't blown, just the rears, so can I run the rears as a passive regular set, and keep the air rides in until they blow?

 

[OR VietVet]

You already said the rear shocks were "blown". Replace with a good set of Bilstein shocks. You said your friend checked the steering/suspension. He should be able to tell you if they are worn beyond tolerance. Hopefully the lower ball joints were checked correctly. The jack should be put under the lower control arm as close to the lower ball joint as can get and lift the tire about 1 inch off the ground. Then use a pry bar to lift at 6 o'clock and watch for the play in the ball joint. You don't want to see any play. The tie rod socket can be checked by seeing how much in and out play there is at the socket. You can also put the front tires down and watch while the steering wheel is wiggled back and forth from 10 to 2 o'clock. Engine running of course.

 

[BEEMDUB]

You already said the rear shocks were "blown". Replace with a good set of Bilstein shocks. You said your friend checked the steering/suspension. He should be able to tell you if they are worn beyond tolerance. Hopefully the lower ball joints were checked correctly. The jack should be put under the lower control arm as close to the lower ball joint as can get and lift the tire about 1 inch off the ground. Then use a pry bar to lift at 6 o'clock and watch for the play in the ball joint. You don't want to see any play. The tie rod socket can be checked by seeing how much in and out play there is at the socket. You can also put the front tires down and watch while the steering wheel is wiggled back and forth from 10 to 2 o'clock. Engine running of course.

I meant keep the front airrides until they blow...and alright I'll have to do some further investigating to see how worn things are, I know that the shocks probably cause a lot of my problems, but I feel a lot of play in the steering wheel especially when going over bumps, I was on my way to work earlier and went over a rough part of the road going about 35-40 and the truck was borderline uncontrollable

 

[OR VietVet]

Ok. Just do the rear shocks for now and as I said, drive it on that same road. If there is enough play in the tie rod and both lower ball joints then the combined play could be very excessive and cause some loose steering and unsafe feelings. If you plan on keeping the rig then I recommend doing the upper ball joints while apart and all tie rods. That is up to you though. I recommend Moog front end components but others may say different. I have always liked and used Moog and never had a problem.

 

[moosehead]

What year and model? Front should not be air but electronic.

 

[BEEMDUB]

What year and model? Front should not be air but electronic.

Ahh that would make sense..it's an 07 denali

 

[04ctd]

tie rods are simple, i have 2007 parts for sale in the FS section.

count the threads, take off, reassemble near same thread count.

the ball joints...i would do them myself, but at a friends shop/house that has air tools and a bad attitude.

they are horrible, but the experience is worth it.

 

[OR VietVet]

Counting threads on the tie rod is assuming it is in alignment now and after the ball joints disassembly and beating/banging then the alignment should be done anyways. I am still not convinced that the front steering/suspension was checked correctly anyways. What kind of diagnosis is "loose"? It is either in tolerance or out and needs replaced. C'mon man!

I do agree about the lower ball joints. Air tools and a lift and a big hammer and a bad attitude can be lethargic.