My first suspension rebuild, have questions

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Kens1990K2500

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As far as the stabilizer bar, end links and tie rods, in what order would you install those three? It looks like the tie rods go under the bar, but I've heard the end links can be a pain to install/line up in the lower control arms (I have stamped lower control arms), so I was thinking end links to the LCA first, tie rods second, and sway bar third. What do you think?
 

Erik the Awful

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When I went to grease the ball joints, the fittings did not take grease. Instead, the grease just piled up outside the fitting. What would cause this?
It's a really common problem, they're just finicky. Here's the trick I was taught, and I can't tell you how it works, but it does. Stick a rag over the zerk and then cram your grease gun nozzle on over it. Pump away and it'll usually go right in.
 

Schurkey

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When I got sick to death of decades of grease zerks giving problems on pretty-much every vehicle I worked on, I bought the actual solution to the problem. Wish I'd have known about it long ago. Worth the expense just for the improvement in mental-health during lube jobs.

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H7LPKKU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Caman96

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I’ve been eyeing this on Amazon myself. Perfect for the Atv’s too.
When I got sick to death of decades of grease zerks giving problems on pretty-much every vehicle I worked on, I bought the actual solution to the problem. Wish I'd have known about it long ago. Worth the expense just for the improvement in mental-health during lube jobs.

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H7LPKKU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Schurkey

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As far as the stabilizer bar, end links and tie rods, in what order would you install those three? It looks like the tie rods go under the bar, but I've heard the end links can be a pain to install/line up in the lower control arms (I have stamped lower control arms), so I was thinking end links to the LCA first, tie rods second, and sway bar third. What do you think?
Whatever works for you.

SOMETHING will be in the way of something else. It's inevitable.
 

Kens1990K2500

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When I got sick to death of decades of grease zerks giving problems on pretty-much every vehicle I worked on, I bought the actual solution to the problem. Wish I'd have known about it long ago. Worth the expense just for the improvement in mental-health during lube jobs.

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00H7LPKKU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Just ordered one; can't wait to try it!
 

Kens1990K2500

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Whatever works for you.

SOMETHING will be in the way of something else. It's inevitable.
Well, I made more progress this weekend (Sunday temps were in the mid-40s, versus single digits on Saturday, so I only got one half-day of work in). Installed stabilizer bar, end links and tie rods. Put the bar in first, then end links, and tie rods last. Getting the links in was a pain; I ended up putting the bolt up through the lower control arm, because it was easier to deal with a bolt head, rather than nut and washer, through the hole in the lower control arm. I could have used about a half inch more thread on the bolt, but I got the nut on. I also tightened the torsion bar adjusting bolts to where prior to starting the work.

Anyhow, with this new phase of work, I ran into some minor snags, so I have more questions.

I just started the bolts for the sway bar clamps (I had to undo the clamps in order to wrestle with getting the end links assembled). Is it correct to wait until tires are back on the truck, and tires are back on the ground (full weight on front suspension) before I tighten the sway bar brackets? Also, these are rubber bushings; I've read poly bushings should get silicone lube to prevent squeaks, but should rubber bushings go on dry?

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Next, I noticed that the end link bolts are very close to hitting the upper control arm. Will this correct itself once the bar brackets are tightened?
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Another thing I noticed was that although the front suspension is hanging, the upper control arms are not resting on the metal bracket (there is no jack under the LCA). What is keeping the UCA from resting on the metal bracket? I thought it was supposed to, when the vehicle is up in the air.
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Now for the tie rods. I torqued the tie rod nuts to factory specs. The nuts on the outers were ok, and I was able to use the fancy cotter pins supplied by Mevotech.
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But, the nuts for the inner tie rod ends went down pretty far below the cotter pin hole, so that the cotter pin could not rest in the groove in the castle nut.

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Mevotech provided two styles of cotter pins (I took a photo of them, but I could not post it in this response, since the forum apparently has a limit of 5 photos per response or post - the photos of the cotter pins are in another response). I also have some conventional cotter pins. I'm not sure what to do about the two nuts that are way below the cotter pin hole. Any suggestions?
 
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Kens1990K2500

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1. First Guess: They have no idea about various grease formulations not being compatible with one another, so...
2. ...all they understand is squeezing in some additional chassis grease (LB*, or LB/GC**) of the correct viscosity (#2***).
So, I took a sample of grease from a Mevotech tie rod end. To my surprise, it is caramel colored, and looks a lot different from the red chassis grease I use (see photo). I hope these two greases are compatible, because it would suck if the parts I just installed wore prematurely due to incompatible greases. I'm really leery now ....
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Also, here is a photo of the two styles of cotter pins from Mevotech. I tried to post it with an earlier response, but was space-limited. Is one of these styles intended for use when the nut is way below the cotter pin hole? The parts did not come with instructions.
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