Boone83K10
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2013
- Posts
- 841
- Reaction score
- 42
- Location
- Boone, NC
- First Name
- Benjamin
- Truck Year
- 1983
- Truck Model
- K10
- Engine Size
- 350
I have not posted on here in a long time, just semi'lurked. I finally had to do a repair on my 83 K10.
The entire steering linkage had become so loose that I was steering 180 degrees and still going straight. It scared me even more when I was loaded down on the 8 ft bed with black locust. My truck drove very straight still but the steering wheel was off by about 30 degrees.
I bought all my parts on Rockauto. I selected the Mevotech Supreme for all my tie rods ends, coupler, and both sets of sway bar bushings. I also purchased a monroe steering damper.
Step 1: Stare in amazement at how loose everything was. The TRE moved freely within the pitman arm and steering arm. The TRE on the tie rod were not as bad. Sway bar bushings were non existent in the eyelets and brittle at the frame.
Step 2: Stare in amazement at the amount of rust. Boone NC receives more snow that most people realize, we use salt too...I drive this truck when it snows...rust ensues.
Step 3: Stupid cotter pins rusted to the nuts. Take your pliers, break cotter pins off, zip the nut off with cotter pins still there and move on.
Step 4: Curse at the factory worker who ran the passenger brake lines just off the frame at passenger side sway bar frame nut and you can't get a wrench on there to hold it from spinning. Wrestle with it until you get wrench on and curse again because you will have to put it back on somehow later.
Step 5:Measure measure measure
Step 6: New TRE stuff goes on easy including steering damper, yay
Step 7: Drill out old eyelet bushings in sway bar.
Step 8: Curse for 2 days because it is impossible to get one piece polyurethane bushing back into the eye of sway bar. Even a ball joint press I rented couldn't do it. I could get the bushing in w/o the metal insert but could not get the metal insert back in.
Step 9: Take sway bar and bushings to a shop with a 30 ton press. The bushings laughed at that too, they gave up as well.
Step 10: Buy Energy Suspension sway bar bushings that are 3 piece. They slide in separately from each side. Insert them no problem with your hands.
Step 11: Go to reattach sway bar, driver side bolt will not thread into axle anchor. WTH. Figure maybe new bolt. Go to hardware store, buy grade 8 bolts. Come back, same thing.
Step 12: Notice that eye of sway bar looks bent. Must have happen at shop with 30 ton press. GREAT!!!
Step 13: Offset eyelet bushing some, bolt threads in no problem!
Step 14: Drive truck, adjust steering arm so that steering wheel straight. Give steering box adjustment nut a 1/8 turn to tighten it a little. Measure toe in to 1/16 inch.
Step 15: All head orifices are filled with specks of rust from all your work including eyes. Sucks!
Step 16: Marvel at your work and be proud!
The entire steering linkage had become so loose that I was steering 180 degrees and still going straight. It scared me even more when I was loaded down on the 8 ft bed with black locust. My truck drove very straight still but the steering wheel was off by about 30 degrees.
I bought all my parts on Rockauto. I selected the Mevotech Supreme for all my tie rods ends, coupler, and both sets of sway bar bushings. I also purchased a monroe steering damper.
Step 1: Stare in amazement at how loose everything was. The TRE moved freely within the pitman arm and steering arm. The TRE on the tie rod were not as bad. Sway bar bushings were non existent in the eyelets and brittle at the frame.
Step 2: Stare in amazement at the amount of rust. Boone NC receives more snow that most people realize, we use salt too...I drive this truck when it snows...rust ensues.
Step 3: Stupid cotter pins rusted to the nuts. Take your pliers, break cotter pins off, zip the nut off with cotter pins still there and move on.
Step 4: Curse at the factory worker who ran the passenger brake lines just off the frame at passenger side sway bar frame nut and you can't get a wrench on there to hold it from spinning. Wrestle with it until you get wrench on and curse again because you will have to put it back on somehow later.
Step 5:Measure measure measure
Step 6: New TRE stuff goes on easy including steering damper, yay
Step 7: Drill out old eyelet bushings in sway bar.
Step 8: Curse for 2 days because it is impossible to get one piece polyurethane bushing back into the eye of sway bar. Even a ball joint press I rented couldn't do it. I could get the bushing in w/o the metal insert but could not get the metal insert back in.
Step 9: Take sway bar and bushings to a shop with a 30 ton press. The bushings laughed at that too, they gave up as well.
Step 10: Buy Energy Suspension sway bar bushings that are 3 piece. They slide in separately from each side. Insert them no problem with your hands.
Step 11: Go to reattach sway bar, driver side bolt will not thread into axle anchor. WTH. Figure maybe new bolt. Go to hardware store, buy grade 8 bolts. Come back, same thing.
Step 12: Notice that eye of sway bar looks bent. Must have happen at shop with 30 ton press. GREAT!!!
Step 13: Offset eyelet bushing some, bolt threads in no problem!
Step 14: Drive truck, adjust steering arm so that steering wheel straight. Give steering box adjustment nut a 1/8 turn to tighten it a little. Measure toe in to 1/16 inch.
Step 15: All head orifices are filled with specks of rust from all your work including eyes. Sucks!
Step 16: Marvel at your work and be proud!
