69 Steering Components - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Hammer500 · 03-02-2010, 05:08 PM

Hi Guys,

I have a 1969 Chevrolet C-20 4x4 and I have one worn ball joint and steering arm or drag ling from the steering box is worn as well. The truck has power steering too. I can't find any listings for these parts. Always 70-72. Will the parts from the 70-72 work or are they different?

**Yukon Jack** · 03-02-2010, 05:42 PM

I would bet that the drag link ends would be the same but the 69 should have the closed knuckle Dana 44 and I don't think it has ball joints like a 70-72 open knuckle Dana 44 would have.

Here is my 1969's closed knuckle Dana 44

And here is a 1978 open knuckle Dana 44 (will be about the same as the 70-72)

Hammer500 · 03-02-2010, 06:02 PM

Yes it has a closed knuckle 44. Have you had to buy ball joints or drag link ends for your 69?

Hammer500 · 03-03-2010, 11:23 PM

I have been doing some more reading. Do the closed knuckles even have ball joints or are they king pins? I jack the front corner up and was moving the tire top to bottom and I have a lot of play on the bottom and my buddy looked in and said it was the lower ball joint. I have no experience with the closed knuckles at all. Can anyone give me some guidance.

**Yukon Jack** · 03-04-2010, 03:53 PM

Brief research I just did indicates the closed knuckle would be king pins rather than ball joints. I confess I don't know much about the closed knuckle even though I've had one for 10 years.

If it were me I'd start looking for a later year Dana 44, gain disk brakes and better turning radius plus better availability of parts. I recently blew up the bearings in my closed knuckle and just got done upgrading to a Dana 60.

As for the drag link ends, you'll be fine with ones listed for like a 71 or 72 axle.

msgross · 03-04-2010, 11:07 PM

ditto, I did the 10-bolt upgrade...

03-02-2010, 05:08 PM	#1
Hammer500 Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Location: Calgary, Alberta Posts: 115	69 Steering Components Hi Guys, I have a 1969 Chevrolet C-20 4x4 and I have one worn ball joint and steering arm or drag ling from the steering box is worn as well. The truck has power steering too. I can't find any listings for these parts. Always 70-72. Will the parts from the 70-72 work or are they different? __________________ 69 Chev C/10 350/200 4R LWB 69 Chev K/20 4x4 350/4sp LWB 69 GMC Sierra Grande 396/400 LWB

03-02-2010, 05:42 PM	#2
Yukon Jack Post Whore Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Rose Hill, KS, USA Posts: 12,686	Re: 69 Steering Components I would bet that the drag link ends would be the same but the 69 should have the closed knuckle Dana 44 and I don't think it has ball joints like a 70-72 open knuckle Dana 44 would have. Here is my 1969's closed knuckle Dana 44 And here is a 1978 open knuckle Dana 44 (will be about the same as the 70-72) __________________ 1970 Blazer with a 400 sbc and 4" lift 1980 Pontiac Trans Am, 455 Oldsmobile 2012 Kawasaki Concours 14 Last edited by Yukon Jack; 03-02-2010 at 05:42 PM.

03-02-2010, 06:02 PM	#3
Hammer500 Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Location: Calgary, Alberta Posts: 115	Re: 69 Steering Components Yes it has a closed knuckle 44. Have you had to buy ball joints or drag link ends for your 69? __________________ 69 Chev C/10 350/200 4R LWB 69 Chev K/20 4x4 350/4sp LWB 69 GMC Sierra Grande 396/400 LWB

03-03-2010, 11:23 PM	#4
Hammer500 Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Location: Calgary, Alberta Posts: 115	Re: 69 Steering Components I have been doing some more reading. Do the closed knuckles even have ball joints or are they king pins? I jack the front corner up and was moving the tire top to bottom and I have a lot of play on the bottom and my buddy looked in and said it was the lower ball joint. I have no experience with the closed knuckles at all. Can anyone give me some guidance. __________________ 69 Chev C/10 350/200 4R LWB 69 Chev K/20 4x4 350/4sp LWB 69 GMC Sierra Grande 396/400 LWB

03-04-2010, 03:53 PM	#5
Yukon Jack Post Whore Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Rose Hill, KS, USA Posts: 12,686	Re: 69 Steering Components Brief research I just did indicates the closed knuckle would be king pins rather than ball joints. I confess I don't know much about the closed knuckle even though I've had one for 10 years. If it were me I'd start looking for a later year Dana 44, gain disk brakes and better turning radius plus better availability of parts. I recently blew up the bearings in my closed knuckle and just got done upgrading to a Dana 60. As for the drag link ends, you'll be fine with ones listed for like a 71 or 72 axle. __________________ 1970 Blazer with a 400 sbc and 4" lift 1980 Pontiac Trans Am, 455 Oldsmobile 2012 Kawasaki Concours 14 Last edited by Yukon Jack; 03-04-2010 at 03:54 PM.

03-04-2010, 11:07 PM	#6
msgross Registered User Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Central PA Posts: 12,201	Re: 69 Steering Components ditto, I did the 10-bolt upgrade... __________________ The Garage: 1968 K-10 SWB - "Project Money Pit" 1996 Z-71 - "huntin rig" 1969 C-10 LWB (SOLD) "Project flip that truck or else" 1993 Passport, F@rd 1-ton (SOLD)"Project Cousin Eddie" My Garage Build "The 1,000 footer"



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