Front end rebuilt.. (my turn)

[Prerunner1982]

If i had an adjustable wrench that size i would use it, i suppose i will just buy a larger adjustable wrench.. it would have more uses than the socket would...

[LOHRTBT]

I thought B Man was coming to help out??

[C&C Chevy]

Dang man, if I wasn't going to an OU/KU and Superbowl parties, I'd be there to give you a hand.

[79BIG10]

Originally Posted by LOHRTBT

I thought B Man was coming to help out??

If we could get our schedules to work together we might be able to do it. I've got my portable impact I can bring up there. It's the same one that helped in the exhaust pipe hitting my head.

[Slonaker]

BTW, I used a 33mm socket on the pitman arm at the box. I measured, then made several trips to the store getting sockets. I was surprised that a metric socket fit best, but it did...

Slonaker

[Prerunner1982]

Day 4... 08Mar06

Finally got around to working on the truck again, after a short delay due to other issues.. Used ball joint press to get lowers off... wasnt too hard... got the dremel out and went after the one upper that someone attempted to get off sometime in the past... the dremel did quite well.. so i feel like i have gotten back on track... going to take the control arms to work with me tomorrow and dip them in some chemicals to try and clean them.. then maybe friday take them to the shop to have the bushings taken off and new ones put on...

[79BIG10]

Glad to see you able to get back on the truck. Smart idea to take them to the shop. Make sure to paint the arms after they work on them. With them having to burn mine out I'm glad I waited as well.

[Prerunner1982]

Day 5 15Apr06 (wow its been a month since the last time i did work on it..)

Well, I dipped the arms awhile back and cleaned them up fairly well.. took them to a shop and had them do the control arm bushings.. $100 and saved me time and headaches. Painted the arms and coils black so they looked halfway nice..

TODAY! Got the ball joints on uppers and lowers and started doing tie rods.. first one went on fairly easy.. then i went to put the grease zerk on it.. and it wouldnt go, no threads on the tie rod.. i pull out the others and look.. 2 out of 4 did NOT have threads for the grease zerk to go into... i called AZ since my wifes cousin is the GM there.. and sure enough he pulls 2 and only 1 has threads.. ends up a certain brand doesnt have them.. so back off it comes so i can take it back on tues. I would do it today but the 1hr drive time round trip just doesnt appeal to me besides me tendonitis is bothering me today and between the truck and other things around the house i feel like i have been productive. Back to the tie rods... you would think the ones with NO threads would be made in china, or henco en mexico... NOPE... made in the good ole USA! oh well... i wont get that brand again.. not even sure what brand it is.. its in an unmarked box..

[79BIG10]

Sorry to hear the luck Jon. That's weird that it doesn't have threads. I guess the company's quality control was out to lunch that day. Glad to see you making progress. When you think you can have it all redone?

[Prerunner1982]

taking the parts back on Tues since i will be in town already, returning the ball joint press and picking up the pitman arm press and then hopefully wednesday i can get the sterring all put together, might try to get some of the suspension back on the truck, if not wed, then hopefully Sat. I also have to clean up around the house, so it also depends on what the wife feels is a priority that day. haha.

[79BIG10]

I understand about cleaning up around the house. My gf is on me about that as well. She can't go into the garage anything since getting the blazer has it all full.

I've never used a pitman arm press? I used a remover but to insall mine I used the nut to tighten it up once the splines were aligned.

[boxrodz]

Originally Posted by Prerunner1982

Day 5 15Apr06 (wow its been a month since the last time i did work on it..)

..., no threads on the tie rod.. i pull out the others and look.. 2 out of 4 did NOT have threads for the grease zerk to go into...

Pre-
When I rebuilt my front suspension, a few of the 'greaseble' parts that accept zerk fittings were not threaded. If I remember correctly, the outer tie rod ends were two of them. (I believe those parts that have the zerk fitting on the cast iron portion of the part were threaded.) Since the threads of the zerk fitting is sorta like NPT threads (tapered), I didn't have a problem tapping the hole with the zerk fitting. I used the proper size socket to maintain the alignment of the zerk while threading it into the hole.

[Prerunner1982]

Originally Posted by 79BIG10

I understand about cleaning up around the house. My gf is on me about that as well. She can't go into the garage anything since getting the blazer has it all full.

I've never used a pitman arm press? I used a remover but to insall mine I used the nut to tighten it up once the splines were aligned.

yeah i meant remover... long day.. haha..

[Prerunner1982]

Originally Posted by boxrodz

Pre-
When I rebuilt my front suspension, a few of the 'greaseble' parts that accept zerk fittings were not threaded. If I remember correctly, the outer tie rod ends were two of them. (I believe those parts that have the zerk fitting on the cast iron portion of the part were threaded.) Since the threads of the zerk fitting is sorta like NPT threads (tapered), I didn't have a problem tapping the hole with the zerk fitting. I used the proper size socket to maintain the alignment of the zerk while threading it into the hole.

yeah i tried... but if they have the right parts i would rather get them, than try and jack with it.. however.. when i took it back.. the part # came up as the same company that had the good parts that i was getting instead. dunno.. but got the right parts now.. just have to get back out there..