The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Front end rebuild

Been looking at an LMC cat listing of a front end suspension kit, consists of sway bar bushing set,upper and lower a arm bumpers, upper and lower ball joints,and 2 outer tie rod ends for a buck fifty...

Is this a decent price and would it be enough to tighten up the front end or should pittman and idler arms be added too?

wonder what I could expect to pay a shop to put these pieces in?

once on a 63 gmc 3/4 I had back in '95 had a ball joint failure going into a curve about 50mph...wheel folded up underneath and lost steering...missed a farmers cow by a scary margin
as I careened off the road...ever since I have been phobic about weak ball joints in old trucks...(how to tell if they are weak before they fail?)I got scalped on what I paid for new ones after that sadly...I'd like a good tight front end but I'm not real well versed in it and don't want to get robbed getting it squared away...

oh yeah... current truck is a 67 c-10 250 almost forgot...

tia

I would get under it & find out what actually needs replaceing & make a list. There probably will be more than whats in the kit & you may not need a everything in the kit. Jack each wheel up under the a-arm. Put a pry bar under the tire & pry up watching for any loosness especialy in the lower ball joint. Grab the tire with both hands both vertically & horozontily & pull back & forth. There should be no play in any linkage. A helper will make it a lot easier.

sounds good...how much play could be attributed to linkages/ball joints vs sloppy wheel bearings and do you think you could distinguish between them?

tia

Loose wheel brgs. can confuse you. If they have any play remove the cotter key & snug them down before checking the rest. Then readjust them after checking everything else.

I appreciate the pearls of wisdom as always...
I also appreciate all the help this place affords in general...I have had several old trucks over the years...I mostly always enjoyed driving them more than wrenching them...this latest one (67 c-10) is in need of a lot more than most of the others and having the guys here being as generous with sharing their hard won knowledge is a great help to guys like me who get in over their head at times

sure I will have another issue to address with it soon...I have a lot of stuff to deal with on this one...

If I knew how to post pics here I'd put one or two up if somebody wanted to see them...

thanks again

I would reccomend highly going thru the whole front end even down to the lug bolts!(they will break also, I know been there, dun that. NOT GOOD!) It will be expensive but what price can u put on your life or someone elses? build it rite and feel safe and enjoy your ride. Ill get down from my soap box now. lol I use to own a '66 and I put a sway bar w/ brackets from a '86 silverado. the holes in the a arms matched up and the only thing you have to do is drill new holes for your frame brackets. also buy new poly bushings dont use the ones from the donor. Good luck!