The endless "I was doing x and found y" with my truck

[smcnair]

So was changing the oil this weekend and went to check the suspension. Three of the four boots on the ball joints had split. The bushings looked like they were done for. In the interest of fixing with the least amount of expense I decided to order new, complete upper and lower control arms. I purchased the GM Pro stuff from Amazon. The upper control arms were half price so I went with them.

All pretty straight forward. What I do have a question about is while I am doing this is there anything I should do to the rear suspension while I am trading out all of the stuff up front? Has new shocks, springs and bump stops but what else should I go ahead and replace while I have it up in the air and am taking things apart?

 

[Joseph Garcia]

You did not indicate the mileage on your truck, and its suspension parts, so it is a bit challenging to recommend what should be replaced, based upon mileage alone.

Complete front control arm replacement is the right approach, as you get new control arm bushings and new ball joints, all in one package.

I would suggest that you replace the bushings and end links on both the front and rear sway bars.

 

[smcnair]

310,000 miles. Less than 20,000 on the Bilstein 5100's and Springs. I'll look at the rear suspension this weekend and see what all is there. I assumed (incorrectly) that they were all about the same.

 

[swathdiver]

So was changing the oil this weekend and went to check the suspension. Three of the four boots on the ball joints had split. The bushings looked like they were done for. In the interest of fixing with the least amount of expense I decided to order new, complete upper and lower control arms. I purchased the GM Pro stuff from Amazon. The upper control arms were half price so I went with them.

All pretty straight forward. What I do have a question about is while I am doing this is there anything I should do to the rear suspension while I am trading out all of the stuff up front? Has new shocks, springs and bump stops but what else should I go ahead and replace while I have it up in the air and am taking things apart?

Check the upper and lower control arm bushings for play, same with the panhard rod and you might want to go ahead and replace the rear sway bar end links and the bushings that mount to the differential. Check your parking brake cables and the condition of your brake lines and junctions while looking around back there too.

 

[Bill 1960]

When I lifted mine I just went ahead and replaced all the rear control arms and pan hard with new OEM parts. However they weren’t in bad shape like the front were. Seems the rear doesn’t wear at nearly the same rate as the front.

 

[smcnair]

When I lifted mine I just went ahead and replaced all the rear control arms and pan hard with new OEM parts. However they weren’t in bad shape like the front were. Seems the rear doesn’t wear at nearly the same rate as the front.

Yeah, that's what I have noticed. Fronts take a beating on these trucks.

 

[Colby_e32]

Id remove the rear lower control arms from the frame side, and the axle side and inspect the bushings. Mine were pretty trashed at 220k miles, however, I do have a lot of weight inside the rear of the cargo area, that wasn't always there.

 

[smcnair]

It was a pretty big hit doing the front. Will do the rear probably early next year. Inspected them and they seem fine but it won't hurt to change them out.