Sway bar link angle and popping noises..etc

[scott2093]

The lbj nuts were not torqued to 45lbs..
probably a half turn for 2 of them and a bit less on one...Passenger side was fine with one a hair loose....
No more 12 & 6 play.....maybe original rivets was a good idea.....nuts need maintenance...doh
Truck is 80% better doing 65mph...
Tough to tell unless I get on hwy... which I haven't done yet...


could bearings cause some shake even if I can't get them to act up on the jack? and if they feel tight and smooth??...I've always thought I can hear the growling associated with bearings going bad on the road but it's hard to distinguish from my tire noise because it's more subtle than when it's obvious they're going bad and hearing it in long curves/turns... But I hear differences in turns, just don't know if it's my tires....
I swear I can hear a faint faint rumble when the tires are jacked up and I spin the tires but it could maybe be cv axles...

Not sure what to do about pitman arm atm........ can I put a 1 5/16 wrench on it and try to just give it some heck?
It's weird that you say something may be wrong with the splines because I had an issue with the original proforged pitman arm not being machined right and had to order a moog..
The gear box was harder than the pitman arm and was machining the coating or tolerances of the proforged female splines..I didn't get down too far when this happened obviously and when I did torque the moog pitman arm to the box, it was a bear to get the 184lbs or whatever it is.. the moog went on with no issues at all... but was an Amazon moog iirc....

I have some pics...it was mainly in the keyed areas...or whatever you call those sections that are different

Holley sent me a new one after their tech support looked at the pics.....I still have it...

 

[Schurkey]

This manual is maddening....where are bolts 137 and nuts 136....I've gone back as far as the 2wd diagrams..
I'm guessing A & B 45ft lbs... I'm sure that's what I did in the past.

The illustration on that page showing Bolts 137 and Nuts 136 does not look like a 4WD stamped-control-arm ball joint. Maybe it's a 2WD control arm and ball joint.

The 4WD ball joints are shaped differently. (never mind the broken stud.)

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And the control arm it mounts-to.

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[scott2093]

The illustration on that page showing Bolts 137 and Nuts 136 does not look like a 4WD stamped-control-arm ball joint. Maybe it's a 2WD control arm and ball joint.

I see that. A couple of pages back it shows the 4wd type. Thing is, this is all from the 4wd section. And when you say bolts 137 and nuts 136, where are you seeing them? I see A & B.... Do you happen to know the torque of these for the 4wd? I'm guessing it's 45lbs and this manual is goofy....

Just picked up a 1 5/16" wrench. Going to see if there's anything I can do with it on that pitman arm. Something tells me I won't be able to do anything but we'll see...

The drive to get the wrench was good but I still am bothered I'm feeling shaking... But the steering wheel doesn't shake...Just telegraphs the shake I feel in rest of truck... And it's only at higher speed.... almost like a rapid bounce feeling..almost has a converter shudder feel but it's not....actually didn't check...but will....pretty sure it's not......

I still haven't had a chance to see if I can feel it in neutral at same speeds. I need a bigger runway....Just once I get on the hwy, I'm kinda stuck for a while til I can get back home so I want to get as many things sorted before the test.....

But the truck definitely is way improved. Can't believe this has all seemingly happened since I did my balancer and rear brakes ....also had the fronts off to grease pins... But I haven't been on the hwy in a while so it's hard to know.....

the loose tie rod sleeves and ball joint certainly hasn't helped....

Tempted to throw some new bearings I have on....

 

[scott2093]

Ok...I swear I was able to crank on the wrench a tiny tiny bit on that pitman nut...I mean, the torque is as much as me so maybe not..
I'm getting a lot of movement there.... I don't know if it's because I had my son shaking things before while I took video and we swapped roles this time and I did the shaking, or if it's because I turned the nut the wrong way..lol

It's normal tightening right? ugh....doesn't look good does it? I can remove the sway bar and get a better go at trying to crank down on that nut if it'll help?

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[Orpedcrow]

Ok...I swear I was able to crank on the wrench a tiny tiny bit on that pitman nut...I mean, the torque is as much as me so maybe not..
I'm getting a lot of movement there.... I don't know if it's because I had my son shaking things before while I took video and we swapped roles this time and I did the shaking, or if it's because I turned the nut the wrong way..lol

It's normal tightening right? ugh....doesn't look good does it?

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Yea, normal righty-tighty.
Is the steering shaft input moving at all when you do that?
Could also try rocking the steering wheel back and forth between “clunks” while watching the input (steering shaft) in relation to the out put (pitman arm).

 

[scott2093]

Is the steering shaft input moving at all when you do that?

Apparently so... What does that mean?...this is me rocking tire 3&9

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[scott2093]

Could also try rocking the steering wheel back and forth between “clunks” while watching the input (steering shaft) in relation to the out put (pitman arm)

I did this last week when trying to see where play was coming from in my steering. There's a very slight bit of play left/right before pitman arm moves...if that's what you're asking....


but I just took video of turning my steering wheel...and although the shaft moves like crazy, the pitman arm does not

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[Orpedcrow]

That’s what I was asking. So if the input moves as much as the out put, I’d say the steering box is fine and all you’re doing at 3&9 is rocking everything together from the tire to the steering wheel.

Maybe try rocking the tire as little as possible, like trying to rock the pitman without moving the input shaft. Could also have someone in the truck holding the steering wheel tightly while you rock the tire.

 

[454cid]

The lbj nuts were not torqued to 45lbs..
probably a half turn for 2 of them and a bit less on one...Passenger side was fine with one a hair loose....
No more 12 & 6 play.....maybe original rivets was a good idea.....nuts need maintenance...doh

No they shouldn't need maintenance, if by maintenance you mean periodic retorquing. I would think that the nuts should be the prevailing torque variety, and I suspect you have regular nuts on there, or they were never tightened properly to begin with.

 

[scott2093]

like trying to rock the pitman with moving the input shaft

I know I can't with the steering shaft if that's what you mean. Wen the truck is running I can barely get the pitman to move by hand turning the steering shaft but that's when it's supposed to.

Could also have someone in the truck holding the steering wheel tightly while you rock the tire.

Ok. I need to wait for reinforcements to return. But if the pitman doesn't move when truck steering is locked, only shaft moves in the locked slop, I can't picture it not moving when I wiggle the tire...but will try...thanks