97 K1500 front end rebuild

[pwdcougar]

Are there any kits out there to do the front end on my 97 or do I need to buy everything piecemeal on RockAuto? The truck has 140,000 on it since new and nothing has ever been replaced except for the sway bar end links.

Also what else do I need?
Ball joints
tie rod ends
upper control arms

Thanks

Paul

[EVRLET]

Plenty of kits depending on exactly what you want to replace. Google 1988-1998 K1500 Suspension Kits. I bought the 14 pc set off eBay and install went smooth. Now the truck rides smooth too

[95 S_Trucker]

There's no need to replace the control arms unless they are bent/rusted. You can replace the ball joint in it. If the bushings are worn, you can replace the bushings.

Do a pitman arm and idler arm too.

[1976gmc20]

Well, I don't know what is wrong with yours but I just tend to replace only what is worn out.

But if you're going to do everything then you might as well replace the CV axles because they are hard to get out unless everything is apart. The good part is that the replacement axles that I bought (O'Reillys) had shaved off flat spots on the inner flange so that they easily slipped in between the LCA and the output flange. I finally got the (original?) ones out using a six foot pry bar, but if I had known the trouble it would be I would have borrowed a torch and just cut the axles in half to get them out.

And … if you're that deep then you might want replace the sealed bearing hubs while everything is apart.

[rpmerf]

I would go for AC Delco Professional series or Moog Problem Solver. Do not use AC Delco Advantage or Moog R-Series. These are their cheap brands, and do not have the same quality. There are some pitman arms out there that will have your steering wheel turned 90* to the right because the key in the splines is off.

[pwdcougar]

Sorry for the late reply but thanks for all the responses guys.

I figured that if I'm going to do one part (lower ball joint) I might as well do them all and give it it's first alignment since leaving the factory almost 23 years ago.

In the past I've always used Moog parts although I've had trouble with their front axle hubs in the past. The Ebay parts (thanks for the recommendation evrlet) look like a good deal but I'll have to do some more research on part longevity.

Thanks again

Paul

[speedygonzales]

Punch out the knock outs and save a lot of money when you get it aligned since it's never been done. You'll see them when you pull the top control arms off.

[pwdcougar]

Originally Posted by rpmerf

I would go for AC Delco Professional series or Moog Problem Solver. Do not use AC Delco Advantage or Moog R-Series. These are their cheap brands, and do not have the same quality. There are some pitman arms out there that will have your steering wheel turned 90* to the right because the key in the splines is off.

It's been over a year since I started this post and I'm finally getting around to looking up parts. How do I know if the moog parts are R or Problem Solver series?

Also the AC Delco parts are over double the price of the Moog parts. On one hand I've got 24 years and 150K on the original AC Delco stuff but on the other I don't expect to get another 24 years and 150K. Opinions?

Thanks

Paul

[pwdcougar]

Originally Posted by speedygonzales

Punch out the knock outs and save a lot of money when you get it aligned since it's never been done. You'll see them when you pull the top control arms off.

Thanks Speedy I'll look for them.

Paul

[crsgmc]

Seriously...... you need to remove the knockouts. I learned this the hard way. I replaced all the front end steering components and was shocked how bad they were. I am guessing it was all original parts. The truck had 240000 plus miles so I was sure the knockouts had been removed by previous owners. I should have checked the knockouts. I took it in for alignment and they took a really long time to get the job done. When I got it back, I figured everything was fine. Everything came up within specification except one wheel failed the camber. To make a long story shorter, they obviously did not know about the knockouts and could not adjust the geometry. Instead they put in new values into the computer so that the truck passed. I confirmed this with the GM service manual. They can override the computer that brings up values based on the make and year. They changed the values so that the truck would "pass" the alignment. I purchased the little tool to remove the knockouts. I tried to cold chisel and pound them out but finally gave up. I went to another place to get the alignment and told them the story including that I had removed the knockouts. I gave them a printout from the GM service manual for the alignment values. One of the mechanics was listing in when I told the story to the service manager and he said he had heard many times where they cooked the values. The first place was Midas Muffler (the crooks). The second place was Firestone both in Denver Colorado. The one wheel did not pass at Firestone for camber. I guess I need to get shims and find a place that can align all of it.