Walchit's 2000 XL

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Walchit

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Hey guys, figured I would move on out of the introduction part of the forum and ask a couple questions. Here's my intro for anyone who didn't see it.

I'm about to fix the ball joints, thinking about just doing the whole control arms instead of messing with pressing out everything, because I've never really done that. I have the Moog parts in my cart, but I read here that moog's quality is going down.

The better Moog arms are right at 500 with shipping, which is already more than I really want to spend, but I don't wanna have to replace them again. How much more would it be for genuine gm? I'm not seeing them on RA. Or is there another aftermarket that is better than Moog? I've seen people post about polyurethane bushings also, what are your thoughts on them?
 

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Joseph Garcia

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GMPartsDirect.com and GMPartsGiant.com are 2 vendors that I used, in addition to Rock Auto, to collect all of the genuine GM parts parts for my suspension rebuild project.

Yes, at your truck's mileage, I'd strongly recommend that you replace the entire control arm, which will include the ball joint.
 
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Walchit

Walchit

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Thinking about this leveling kit, while I have the arms off. Anyone used the rough country 2"?
it has 3/4" spacers for the back also. And would I want the adjustable camber UCAs if I am leveling it?


 

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My whole front end is pretty much moog (problem solver or whatever the best parts are) and I had no issues in the last 37,000 miles
 
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Walchit

Walchit

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If I get 37k I will be happy lol. Are you at stock ride height?
 
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Walchit

Walchit

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@Tonyrodz
Are all stock sway bars the same size? I need to order the bushings and I noticed a 1 1/4 and a 1 5/16. Saw one of my brackets dangling for one of the rear ones. Or are front and rear differ sizes maybe? I'm probably gonna have to just crawl under there. I used to have a little measuring caliper, but I don't know where it would be.
 
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Walchit

Walchit

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Oh, I can also pop this wheel off and see where the brake leak is now. But it's storming and I'm not trying to waste my shop access right now lol
 

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Tonyrodz

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@Tonyrodz
Are all stock sway bars the same size? I need to order the bushings and I noticed a 1 1/4 and a 1 5/16. Saw one of my brackets dangling for one of the rear ones. Or are front and rear differ sizes maybe? I'm probably gonna have to just crawl under there. I used to have a little measuring caliper, but I don't know where it would be.
Thanks for asking me, but honestly I'm not sure. I swapped both of mine for Hellwigs.
 
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Walchit

Walchit

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I don't think I can talk the wife into helwigs right now lol
 
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Walchit

Walchit

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I tightened the bleeder valve on the caliper, and fixed the leak, then stabbed a hole in my radiator trying to see why this latch wasn't working. Guess I'm headed to pick and pull in the morning...
 
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Walchit

Walchit

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Anyone know if these radiators are the same in similar GM vehicles?
 
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Walchit

Walchit

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Got to looking and it was actually the condenser. Didn't notice the Silverado one was smaller until I got back from KC and tried to put it in. Barely had time to make it back up there and got one. Its back in, I need to buy some ac gauges and a vacuum pump and see if I can charge the AC. Grabbed a new windshield washer fluid reservoir while I was there.

I'm gonna measure these sway bars tomorrow, and get some parts ordered.
 

Fless

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@Tonyrodz
Are all stock sway bars the same size? I need to order the bushings and I noticed a 1 1/4 and a 1 5/16. Saw one of my brackets dangling for one of the rear ones. Or are front and rear differ sizes maybe? I'm probably gonna have to just crawl under there. I used to have a little measuring caliper, but I don't know where it would be.

They're not all the same; my year has three different sizes IIRC.

To measure yours, use a strip of paper or painter's tape and mark an index line near one end. Wrap it around the sway bar and mark where the overlap starts. Remove it and measure the distance between the marks. Use an online converter (https://www.calculator.net/circle-calculator.html), or divide the measurement by pi (3.1416) and convert the result to a fraction. Diameter = circumference / pi.
 
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Walchit

Walchit

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I actually did the tape trick today, thank you. I had 1.27 front and 1.19 on the back, ordered 900 bucks worth of Moog stuff off of rock auto. They didn't have the 1 3/16ths bushing with the bracket, even checked the part store. So I'm gonna have to hit a junkyard for the one bracket that I still need.

Hopefully, I don't need to fix anything else for a while, I feel really stupid about stabbing that condenser, and even more so that I thought it was the radiator and rushed to KC for one, lol.
 
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Walchit

Walchit

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So yesterday I pulled the front diff down, dropped the pan and puta black fel-pro o-ring on the pick up tube. It fixed my low oil pressure for about a minute or two, then went back to 20psi. I wish I would have went and bought a red o-ring like I saw on the YouTube videos, because I really don't want to tear it all back apart. Probably took us about 8 hours of crawling around under there. There was a little sludge, and definitely some metal in the pan, plus some stuff that looked like welding spatter stuck to the bottom of the pan. Idk wether to keep ******* with it, or just drive it till it blows up and drop a rebuilt motor in. I wish I would have seen the extra 2quarts of oil trick before I did all of that work. Definitely not the 7k mile motor the guy told me it was, hopefully the tranny isn't junk too.
 

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Walchit

Walchit

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Coming home last night and the turn signals quit working, did some research this morning, pulled the relay/flasher whatever it's called. Took it apart and fiddled with the switch a few times, then put it back together and they work. Probably better buy one from the junkyard to keep in the glovebox or something.

Oil pressure was right at 40 when I started it today, 60 with a little throttle. Then it wiggled it's way back to 20, but still hits 60 with some more throttle.

I think I'm gonna do another oil change, and maybe throw 10w30 in to see if it makes a difference. I'm half tempted to grab some stock wheels and throw it back on marketplace to try to get my money back.
 
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Walchit

Walchit

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Turn signals quit again, changed the flasher and they still don't work. Now it's telling me to check my oil level, but it's like maybe 1/4 quart low at the most. This Is starting to stress me out for sure
 
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Walchit

Walchit

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Got under the dash and taped a couple of these remote start wires better and moved some stuff around a little, I wand to re-route everything, but I don't know **** about car alarms, so I'm probably gonna leave it for now.
Grabbed a bottle of engine flush, a quart of Lucas oil stabilizer, and another oil change. Gonna give it a couple days to make sure the pan isn't leaking before I do it.
 

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