Sway bar link angle and popping noises..etc

[scott2093]

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

Pretty sure they are the ones that came with the ball joint. My old ones were riveted. Whatever that means....

or they were never tightened properly to begin with.

Maybe... I'm sure I used the same torque wrench but I think the german spec would be good in this area at least? Thinking about doing that anyway..

 

[454cid]

Pretty sure they are the ones that came with the ball joint. My old ones were riveted. Whatever that means....

I've had some pretty cheap hardware come with ball joints before. I replace it, if it's sub-par.

 

[scott2093]

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

Steering didn't move at all when shaking 3&9..but pitman arm did as before.....wife was holding steering tight.... she said she didn't feel anything fighting back but I'm sure it would've been slight anyway....

 

[Orpedcrow]

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

Ah, I missed this video. So there is slop in the steering box.

 

[scott2093]

Ah, I missed this video. So there is slop in the steering box.

Yes.... I think it's gotten progressively worse over a couple of months but that's for another time. I did mention it in some other threads about the Borgeson....maybe I hurt it with these other issues....

 

[Orpedcrow]

It also looks like the pitman arm moves the same in relation to the nut so that tells me the pitman arm is tight on the serrations so the slip is in the actual box it’s self.

I see you have a factory service manual, I don’t remember where, but there should be a section outlining the procedure of adjusting the box. There’s 2 adjustments. Pretty sure the box has to come off to do them properly though.

 

[scott2093]

I see you have a factory service manual, I don’t remember where, but there should be a section outlining the procedure of adjusting the box. There’s 2 adjustments. Pretty sure the box has to come off to do them properly though.

Thanks. I was actually planning to reach out to Borgeson since I still have a bit of time left on my warranty. Hopefully they'll tell me if this is something they recommend vs returning it. But, if they see this thread they probably will say do what you want, it's yours now..lol...

Just trying to figure out this shaky feeling at higher speeds...

 

[scott2093]

Just got back from hwy test. Didn't go well. Definitely can't feel good about driving this until I figure out the high speed shake. it used to be around 60 mph, now it's maybe 70 since re-torquing that lower ball joint....

Happens when in neutral too so I'm assuming it's suspension related..... almost feels like it could be motor mounts or something...It has that kind of feel... The steering wheel doesn't move...Just transmits the feel.... like tires are uneven.... just had them rotated and balanced the other day.... Pretty sure nothing changed.....

I noticed when I lift the truck and then load the lower control arm, the slop in the pitman arm/gearbox isn't as bad but still there....
Idler arm at the box has some movement when shaking 3&9...

I'm supposed to go oot this week...not going to happen in this truck for sure.......Can't believe this seemingly appeared overnight but I've only been city driving for several weeks so, over that time....
Really need to get this figured out...

 

[Orpedcrow]

All the lug nuts tight? If you don’t feel the shake in the steering wheel, then it’s typically something in the rear.

Check u joints. Carrier bearing. Lug nuts. Try rotating the the tires front to rear and see if the vibration follows.
Give the pinion yoke a good shove up and down.

 

[scott2093]

thanks....thought crossed my mind about drive shaft areas...although usually that felt more like a faster vibration to me in the past......this is more of a shaky feeling... .... lug nuts are torqued way past where they should be afaik....tire place just rotated and balanced them the other day and I checked a couple of the tires just to be sure....
can feel the shake in steering, just can tell it's not the steering moving at all....feel the shake there as well as generally everywhere up front....cup holder dancing etc....

one thing I just noticed and it happened the other day once is that, when I jacked up the passenger front tire to give it a shake at 12 & 6, I got one pop/clunk or something but can't replicate it again....

note---I know I have some play in the pitman arm but, before I replaced everything, the entire front suspension was shot including the steering box and pitman arm.....and, although it was loose and wandery, I never had issues with this shaking I'm getting now. idk...

driveline is tight....
Transmission mount shot.....