My first truck! 04 Chevro...no wait...yes...no...wait..

Idk how to start diagnosing the problem other than to set the front of the truck on jack stands, pull the wheels off, and cycle the suspension and look for any binding or limiting.
 
Huck said:
Could be your ball joints too. I heard one from my front end for the first time about a week ago and I know my ball joints need replacing. Just trying to decide Cognito or stock replacements

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DO NOT REPLACE ONLY BJs, REPLACE ENTIRE ARM WITH BJs.
 
1st hour
3f84fa46666559d8d0d664172c86fe65.jpg


3rd hour
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4th hour
effd4100a7fa254c9aec72f6431cb4c0.jpg



:crazy: Idk if it actually took that long but mother of God it took forever. So not worth the little bit of savings over buying complete, loaded arms

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Huck said:
1st hour
3f84fa46666559d8d0d664172c86fe65.jpg


3rd hour
0eb937c592cdcbf7505f28d6e419d154.jpg


4th hour
effd4100a7fa254c9aec72f6431cb4c0.jpg



:crazy: Idk if it actually took that long but mother of God it took forever. So not worth the little bit of savings over buying complete, loaded arms

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Click to expand...
Like I said UCAs replace all day. LCAs and you gotta pull the t-bars (need an unloader). When I did my upper and lower I ground the tops off the lower and used a ball joint press and some bfh persuasion. Took a little bit but they popped
 
That's what we were trying to do....didn't work lol. In his defense, Tony said he'd done them like that before with no problem. But after that day, not on your life will I ever press balljoints in or out of these trucks when the loaded arms aren't much more
 
Cleanoh4 said:
Like I said UCAs replace all day. LCAs and you gotta pull the t-bars (need an unloader). When I did my upper and lower I ground the tops off the lower and used a ball joint press and some bfh persuasion. Took a little bit but they popped
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Huck's just giving me shit because the 2wd lower bjs are riveted in. When we dropped the truck I wanted to just replace them instead of the entire arm. Did it twice on two different trucks and they basically fell out. On the GMC it literally took about 5hrs to drill/beat/pound/curse them fuckers out.
 
BOO5TED said:
Huck's just giving me shit because the 2wd lower bjs are riveted in. When we dropped the truck I wanted to just replace them instead of the entire arm. Did it twice on two different trucks and they basically fell out. On the GMC it literally took about 5hrs to drill/beat/pound/curse them fuckers out.
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I swear mine were riveted in too bc until I ground off the tops they weren't going nowhere. But I know the struggle, they're sure as hell no walk in the park
 
With the right tools and ample air/cfm LCA BJs are cake, like 1hr for both sides. Ive done wayyyy too many for some reason lol. Cut X in rivets with grinder, drill out rivet until the heads come off easily, then alternate with an air hammer and a drill straight down into the rivet hole. Can use BFH and punch to help along the way too. The jobs still a bastard, but fuck buying $250 loaded LCAs.
 
Adjusted said:
With the right tools and ample air/cfm LCA BJs are cake, like 1hr for both sides. Ive done wayyyy too many for some reason lol. Cut X in rivets with grinder, drill out rivet until the heads come off easily, then alternate with an air hammer and a drill straight down into the rivet hole. Can use BFH and punch to help along the way too. The jobs still a bastard, but fuck buying $250 loaded LCAs.
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Exact same thing I said and have done but came back to bite me in the ass. Just glad they are done so if I ever have to change them it's just three bolts.

Never again will I change lower BJ's on OE arms. My time is worth more than $250, entire arms it is.
 
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