IFS Design Flaw, or?

[DA BIG ONE]

I have been putting off going to Bullet Proof tie rods, not a wise choice at all!

I have gone through many steering boxes, pitman arms, and tie rod ends over a short period of time.

I find that the sway bar and tie rod make a very forceful impact upon full extension of suspension, in turn the ball joints on the pitman arm, tie rod ends, & idler pull out of their sockets. I'm assuming this is why my steering boxes have failed too.

In 99 GM changed things a bit on some trucks by adding a different center link and inner rod ends to reduce suspension travel. This resulted in more bent/broken tie rods, but I do not know if it reduced other issues?

Impact of your suspension can be identified by looking at the area between the sway bar and tie rod, it will clearly show where the two parts smack each other.

[ 09-21-2005, 07:59 AM: Message edited by: DA BIG ONE ]

[rjschoolcraft]

228,000+ miles on mine... Only replaced one idler arm and one pitman arm. Can't complain about design flaws there.

Do you have your truck lifted?

[DA BIG ONE]

Originally posted by ronniejoe:
228,000+ miles on mine... Only replaced one idler arm and one pitman arm. Can't complain about design flaws there.

Do you have your truck lifted? No truck is not lifted, and maybe 8,000 miles since remanufactured steering box, pitman arm. Maybe 20,000 on idler arm and tie rod end.

Impact area is clear and outside tie rod is bent too!

I'm now wondering if the winch and bumper are too much for front suspension.

I have Bilsteins from Kennedy w/40,000 miles still in good shape. However, the front end dips more than before. I bought triple shock hoops for the front but found that I would have to raise truck to use them, found out too late to return them.

[rjschoolcraft]

The added weight could be the issue. Have you tightend the torsion bars to compensate?

[DA BIG ONE]

Originally posted by ronniejoe:
The added weight could be the issue. Have you tightend the torsion bars to compensate? No, Didn't know I could. About how many turns should I go?

I guess the extra weight is about 150lbs including IC, and air compressor, most of which is hanging off of front of chassis.

I gave the wheels and tires a thought, but they come in at about what stock steel wheel/tire weight is.

[JoeyD]

If my 1100lb plow does not make that stuff hapen then no way your bumper and winch are doing it.
I did a rebuild on my front at just over 100,000 miles and did all but the lower ball joints. I think thats great life out of a truck that does commercial plowing.
Is eveything installed correctly on the front? Is the center link centered with the wheels strait, it could only happen if the tie rod adjusters are not set close to each other meaning one is way out and one is way in.

[DA BIG ONE]

Originally posted by Joey D:
If my 1100lb plow does not make that stuff hapen then no way your bumper and winch are doing it.
I did a rebuild on my front at just over 100,000 miles and did all but the lower ball joints. I think thats great life out of a truck that does commercial plowing.
Is eveything installed correctly on the front? Is the center link centered with the wheels strait, it could only happen if the tie rod adjusters are not set close to each other meaning one is way out and one is way in. I'll look at that right now!
Thanks

[DA BIG ONE]

Originally posted by DA BIG ONE:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Joey D:
If my 1100lb plow does not make that stuff hapen then no way your bumper and winch are doing it.
I did a rebuild on my front at just over 100,000 miles and did all but the lower ball joints. I think thats great life out of a truck that does commercial plowing.
Is eveything installed correctly on the front? Is the center link centered with the wheels strait, it could only happen if the tie rod adjusters are not set close to each other meaning one is way out and one is way in. I'll look at that right now!
Thanks </font>[/QUOTE]1/4" difference, so one side has to come out 1/8", and other in 1/8".

[JoeyD]

I don't think thats enough of a difference. I would get the truck on a rack and see what is going on while turning the wheels back and forth. Any way you can take a picture of the point of contact? May help.

[tom.mcinerney]

This interesting--each time the front suspension/alignment issue is raised, the posts are skewed from 'no problem/hi mileage' to 'chronic probs/low MTBF'.

[JoeyD]

I have my bars cranked up some as well. I grease it every 3k with Mobil1 synthetic grease. Sometimes I grease it more often depending on usage same with the oil.
I have no frame touching or binding of anyparts though like his Burb does. I bet thats the problem.

[DA BIG ONE]

Well, upon careful inspection I find the drivers side torson bar is adjusted at half of what pass/side bar is (almost all the way out), wonder if it could back out by it's self, or? Strange because truck did not look to be lower on drivers side. Book calls for 34mm distance between inside of torson bar adjusting bolt head and bottom of nut. I now have em at 24mm w/truck sitting 1" lower in front, but thinking I should lower it some more to allow for loads.

Next, pitman arm nut and washer not tightened and halfway down shaft not even making contact w/arm, maybe never tightened at last replacement at a GM dealer.

Next in line, idler arm fell off center link when I removed nut, so it was never tightened to begin with, again at a repair shop.

As for the impact between sway bar and tie rod mostly drivers side, I'm thinking because of the torson bars had different settings that was the issue. Tie rod end was bent, and its ball joint was almost pulled through on drivers side.

I used GM parts, more $$$ but I'm thinking better than those cheap light weight chinese parts.

I hate @!#$ repair shops!

[JohnC]

Originally posted by DA BIG ONE:
...As for the impact between sway bar and tie rod mostly drivers side, I'm thinking because of the torson bars had different settings that was the issue.
I'm gonna go out on a limb here, because I really don't have anything to back this up, but I bet that the tie rod is not suposed to hit anything even if the suspension goes all the way to the bump stops. Anything less would be a safety hazard!

I'm having a little trouble visualizing your problem and am to lazy to go out and look at my truck, but could you have the wrong length links on the stabilizer bar? they are a common failure item and may have been replaces woth the wrong part.

[DA BIG ONE]

Originally posted by JohnC:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by DA BIG ONE:
...As for the impact between sway bar and tie rod mostly drivers side, I'm thinking because of the torson bars had different settings that was the issue.
I'm gonna go out on a limb here, because I really don't have anything to back this up, but I bet that the tie rod is not suposed to hit anything even if the suspension goes all the way to the bump stops. Anything less would be a safety hazard!

I'm having a little trouble visualizing your problem and am to lazy to go out and look at my truck, but could you have the wrong length links on the stabilizer bar? they are a common failure item and may have been replaces woth the wrong part. </font>[/QUOTE]Not hitting when suspension is compressed, it hits when fully extended! Checked my Tahoe same issue, steering parts replaced about 6 months ago are shot, and now remember I had the sway links changed in too.

It is a common problem, so much so, that aftermarket has some fixes, see; http://bulletproofsteering.com/gmifstierod.html

Been thinking sway bar links too, but can't find data on proper length however, will look into this more. I have been looking into quick disconnect sway links for off road anyway, surely cheaper than those bullet proof ends.

I find when I adjust tie rods to same length wheel goes off center, so do I center steering wheel and have 1 tie rod 1/4" longer, or, do I pull em make em the same lenght, or?

[MTTwister]

Steering wheel - Once you get the wheels aligned, then you adjust both tie rods, one in , one out, The Same Amount btw, to rotate the steering wheel to center.