Time for Ball Joints, etc?

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donjetman

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Our Denali now has 185k miles. Runs and drives great. The only deferred items are: load adjusting rear shocks and the heated steering wheel.

All 4 tires are Falken brand and were on it when we bought it in Oct of 2018 w/130k miles. I recently rotated the tires. All 4 tires are nearing the end of life with only 4 or 5/32nds of tread left. But I noticed the frt left tire was wearing more on its inside. So I checked and discovered the upper and lower ball joints are a little loose. Same on the right side.

My plan is to:
change all frt upper and lower control arms (4) that come complete with ball joints, bushings, and hardware.
change frt bearing hubs (2)
change tie rod ends (2)
change constant velocity axles (2)
change all frt brake components (see below)
Get an alignment
Get new tires (4)

3 yrs ago I purchased all new frt brake components (calipers, pads, rotors, brake lines). I didn't install them because the existing front brakes weren't worn out yet. I'll install them now.

What am I forgetting?
 

Sam Harris

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Our Denali now has 185k miles. Runs and drives great. The only deferred items are: load adjusting rear shocks and the heated steering wheel.

All 4 tires are Falken brand and were on it when we bought it in Oct of 2018 w/130k miles. I recently rotated the tires. All 4 tires are nearing the end of life with only 4 or 5/32nds of tread left. But I noticed the frt left tire was wearing more on its inside. So I checked and discovered the upper and lower ball joints are a little loose. Same on the right side.

My plan is to:
change all frt upper and lower control arms (4) that come complete with ball joints, bushings, and hardware.
change frt bearing hubs (2)
change tie rod ends (2)
change constant velocity axles (2)
change all frt brake components (see below)
Get an alignment
Get new tires (4)

3 yrs ago I purchased all new frt brake components (calipers, pads, rotors, brake lines). I didn't install them because the existing front brakes weren't worn out yet. I'll install them now.

What am I forgetting?
Hellwig sway bar and end links.

You’re welcome. :cool:
 
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donjetman

donjetman

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My lower control arms are made of aluminum.
Do I need to replace them with aluminum?
 
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My lower control arms are made of aluminum.
Do I need to replace them with aluminum?
No, but I think the aluminum arms use a different steering knuckle/spindle. I may be wrong

EDIT: Same knuckle is used. I'm thinking that different ball joints are used but that won't matter if you're getting arms with ball joints already installed.
 
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Trey Hardy

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Our Denali now has 185k miles. Runs and drives great. The only deferred items are: load adjusting rear shocks and the heated steering wheel.

All 4 tires are Falken brand and were on it when we bought it in Oct of 2018 w/130k miles. I recently rotated the tires. All 4 tires are nearing the end of life with only 4 or 5/32nds of tread left. But I noticed the frt left tire was wearing more on its inside. So I checked and discovered the upper and lower ball joints are a little loose. Same on the right side.

My plan is to:
change all frt upper and lower control arms (4) that come complete with ball joints, bushings, and hardware.
change frt bearing hubs (2)
change tie rod ends (2)
change constant velocity axles (2)
change all frt brake components (see below)
Get an alignment
Get new tires (4)

3 yrs ago I purchased all new frt brake components (calipers, pads, rotors, brake lines). I didn't install them because the existing front brakes weren't worn out yet. I'll install them now.

What am I forgetting?
I’ve had GREAT luck with my kryptonite suspension (tie rods ball joints wheel hubs)
And they are the only company I know that has a true lifetime warranty
On the box it says (lift it lower it race it mud it flip it jump it if you can break it we’ll replace it)
If they handle the abuse I throw at them with my wheel and tire setup and miles I drive they must be good

I’ve had horrible luck with moog stuff in the past as a wheel hub split apart on me going around a curve…

And kryptonite might be overkill but from what I seen they were the same price if not cheaper then the moog stuff at AutoZone
And I’m the type of guy who wants a job to be ONE AND DONE and never have to touch it again!
 

zissou

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The list looks good. It covers all the things you'll touch except the struts. Might want to consider inner tie rod boots too if doing inner tie rods. I used Moog K150419. Cheap and you don't need them til you realize you need them.

If you do the sway bar bushings, hit the 4 bolts with plenty of heat before trying to remove them. My truck has no rust but those bolts were incredibly tight and I snapped the first one and had to drill it out. Next 3 I hit them with tons of heat and they came out much easier.

I just did this job 2 months ago on my 231k mile '07. Did ACDelco upper arms, inner/outer tie rods, and end links, but did Moog lower arms. Then did alignment, tires, and brakes. Phenomenal change in every way.
 
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donjetman

donjetman

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If you do the sway bar bushings, hit the 4 bolts with plenty of heat before trying to remove them. My truck has no rust but those bolts were incredibly tight and I snapped the first one and had to drill it out. Next 3 I hit them with tons of heat and they came out much easier.
I've had those bolts in & out a couple of times. They have plenty of anti-seize on them. I installed new sway bar bushings and end links 4+ yrs ago when doing rear main seal, pickup o-ring, etc. Dropped the sway bar and exhaust again April of 2022 when doing trans filter/fluid change.

Ordered today:
Upper (Fe) and lower (AL) control arms w/bushing, ball joints & adjusting hardware.
Frt wheel hubs & bolts
Cv axles
Inner & outer tie rods w/boots
I already have all new frt brake components.
I'll install everything sometime this yr

We have at least 1 too many cars. Something's got to go. Use of our Yukon is changing. I recently bought a low mileage 02 C5 Corvette Coupe and plan to do all our warm weather TX-CO-TX trips in the Corvette instead of the Yukon. So, the Yukon will get a lot fewer miles/yr. Maybe 1 or 2 TX-CO-TX trips/yr

I need to figure out a way to tow our awd Yukon Denali 4 down behind our motorhome. If I do? Our Toy FJ Cruiser will be going bye bye.

Toyota and others said we couldn't tow our FJ 4-down and we have been towning it 4 down since 2010.

If I don't? Maybe we'll trade it for a 4x4 TYE that I know can be towed 4 down.
 

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