I want your opinion - Full Front End Rebuild C1500

[alpinecrick]

So my thought behind not going to a u joint and just replacing it with new rubber. Since I drive to my almost every weekend and that’s a 3 hour drive on Michigan roads. I don’t want it being overly sensitive feeling in my steering wheel. Plus having larger 32x11.5r15 tires that will feel a lot more in the road.

Plus a new rag joint is under $20 and can come back and fab a u joint in later if I don’t like the rag joint and spend the $100 for a flaming River one.


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Matad,

I have a 96 K1500 ECSB with the Z71 option that has been in the family since new. On occasion I drove that truck and it's steering was excellent. The feel was perfectly heavy, returned to center, held a curve on our two lane mountain highways--it steered better than my 91 Light Duty K2500 ECSB that I bought with 10K on it. The 96 had LT245 tires on it for most of it's life.

By the time I took the truck over at 155k the steering wasn't nearly as good (nothing in the steering had ever been replaced), and it has been an adventure (and not cheap) trying to regain that original steering in this truck. Among every other part remotely related to steering I replaced the rag joint. I even clamped a BIG vise grip to the shaft below the rag joint and had a buddy turn the steering wheel with a little grunt on it with the engine running with the vise grip against the frame and I could not see any movement in the new rag joint.

In other words I'm a bit skeptical of the blame the rag joint is getting in these trucks.

The GMT400's were designed with 245 tires, and any tire larger seems to make them less precise. I run LT265 10ply on all three of my 1500's and my 2500. I have a 01 Sierra 1500 4wd ECSB that I bought with 32K on it about 7 years ago (that's not a typo). It still had the original XL245 OEM tires on it. It was "nervous" when driving on the road, and a small pothole felt like it was falling into the Grand Canyon. At about the 42K mark I put LT265 10 ply tires on it and it rolled MUCH smoother. But it didn't steer quite as precise.

It has been my observation going to bigger tires, steering issues become more of a challenge. Plus bigger tires wear out steering parts a LOT faster--BTDT.

 

[alpinecrick]

Man that's a horribly true statement! I used to ***** about seeing a part that said "henco en Mexico" lol now I'd happily put Mexico parts in before Chinese lol...how times have changed right?

Ain't that the truth..........

 

[HotWheelsBurban]

Since my truck was built in Mexico, does that mean if I can get "hecho en Mexico " parts that's OEM quality? LOL guys please don't take this the wrong way!

 

[454cid]

Since my truck was built in Mexico, does that mean if I can get "hecho en Mexico " parts that's OEM quality? LOL guys please don't take this the wrong way!

GM uses a lot of hecho in Mexico parts..... my rear springs, for instance.

 

[matad311]

Since my truck was built in Mexico, does that mean if I can get "hecho en Mexico " parts that's OEM quality? LOL guys please don't take this the wrong way!

Yep you are still buying OEM! Hahaha


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[matad311]

Matad,

I have a 96 K1500 ECSB with the Z71 option that has been in the family since new. On occasion I drove that truck and it's steering was excellent. The feel was perfectly heavy, returned to center, held a curve on our two lane mountain highways--it steered better than my 91 Light Duty K2500 ECSB that I bought with 10K on it. The 96 had LT245 tires on it for most of it's life.

By the time I took the truck over at 155k the steering wasn't nearly as good (nothing in the steering had ever been replaced), and it has been an adventure (and not cheap) trying to regain that original steering in this truck. Among every other part remotely related to steering I replaced the rag joint. I even clamped a BIG vise grip to the shaft below the rag joint and had a buddy turn the steering wheel with a little grunt on it with the engine running with the vise grip against the frame and I could not see any movement in the new rag joint.

In other words I'm a bit skeptical of the blame the rag joint is getting in these trucks.

The GMT400's were designed with 245 tires, and any tire larger seems to make them less precise. I run LT265 10ply on all three of my 1500's and my 2500. I have a 01 Sierra 1500 4wd ECSB that I bought with 32K on it about 7 years ago (that's not a typo). It still had the original XL245 OEM tires on it. It was "nervous" when driving on the road, and a small pothole felt like it was falling into the Grand Canyon. At about the 42K mark I put LT265 10 ply tires on it and it rolled MUCH smoother. But it didn't steer quite as precise.

It has been my observation going to bigger tires, steering issues become more of a challenge. Plus bigger tires wear out steering parts a LOT faster--BTDT.

Oh for sure! Bigger tires make a giant difference in front end wear and steering preciousness. There’s more for your steering to “swing around” with the larger tires. I’m rolling on 32x11.5r15s and those are way more beefy over the stock 235/75r15’s. But I’ve seen the videos on YouTube of how bad these rag joints do get and it’s amazing. They are a wear item that will eventually fall apart just like suspension bushings. Now I have no idea what condition mine is in, so for $18 I’m replacing it lol. Now my front end still has the original tie rods, idler arm and bracket, and control arm bushings. So I’m almost positive those are giving me about 90degrees of rotation slop in the steering along with the rag joint.


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[alpinecrick]

Since my truck was built in Mexico, does that mean if I can get "hecho en Mexico " parts that's OEM quality? LOL guys please don't take this the wrong way!

Look at the bright side—it sure beats being made in Coronavirusland.........

 

[Ehall8702]

Matad,

I have a 96 K1500 ECSB with the Z71 option that has been in the family since new. On occasion I drove that truck and it's steering was excellent. The feel was perfectly heavy, returned to center, held a curve on our two lane mountain highways--it steered better than my 91 Light Duty K2500 ECSB that I bought with 10K on it. The 96 had LT245 tires on it for most of it's life.

By the time I took the truck over at 155k the steering wasn't nearly as good (nothing in the steering had ever been replaced), and it has been an adventure (and not cheap) trying to regain that original steering in this truck. Among every other part remotely related to steering I replaced the rag joint. I even clamped a BIG vise grip to the shaft below the rag joint and had a buddy turn the steering wheel with a little grunt on it with the engine running with the vise grip against the frame and I could not see any movement in the new rag joint.

In other words I'm a bit skeptical of the blame the rag joint is getting in these trucks.

The GMT400's were designed with 245 tires, and any tire larger seems to make them less precise. I run LT265 10ply on all three of my 1500's and my 2500. I have a 01 Sierra 1500 4wd ECSB that I bought with 32K on it about 7 years ago (that's not a typo). It still had the original XL245 OEM tires on it. It was "nervous" when driving on the road, and a small pothole felt like it was falling into the Grand Canyon. At about the 42K mark I put LT265 10 ply tires on it and it rolled MUCH smoother. But it didn't steer quite as precise.

It has been my observation going to bigger tires, steering issues become more of a challenge. Plus bigger tires wear out steering parts a LOT faster--BTDT.

I'm sure y'all r tired if hearing my **** already lol, but all Detroit parts and tbmost of the way up and rolling 35s and 3 years and nothing tore up yet...knock o. Wood

 

[nobears]

Definitely MOOG for the steering stuff. Ball joints I got at my local NAPA. Mind you this was 80k ago on my Cummins. Price doing the whole arm before you commit to ball joints and bushings though. They weren’t that much higher for me and I ended up boogering up an arm getting one of the old ball joints out

 

[matad311]

Well I’m surprised but already 80% of my parts have arrived from rock auto. I got the inner tie rods and ball joints and I will say these mevotech TTX heavy duty’s are seriously beefy looking. Longevity is another story right now but I’m ready to start working on this thing.

Funny side note is my wife got to the door first after Fedex came. She was wondering what I ordered since I had so many boxes and giving me that stare... well I told her I’m rebuilding the entire front end on the truck, it should drive like brand new again. She said thank god! When will it be done because driving your truck is like a death trap right now for how much slop there is! Haha


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