Ball joint broke on the highway....help....

Just as long as you didn’t buy Mevotech lower control arms as a replacement for OEM. I could go off on a two page rant on how bad they suck.

 

I didn't buy anything front end wise on this truck but an inner tie-rod a few years ago and an upper ball joint. Probably MOOG, but I don't remember honestly. I guess I don't know if the control arms are OEM or not. Previous owners could have replaced them I guess.

 

New parts in hand.

Tertiary backup vehicle, a 96 subaru, died on me on the way to get them, I suspect fuel pump. Was able to get it restarted and limp out the rest of the trip.

 

You're having a bad week aren't you
Best of luck to 'ya pal.

 

Oh yeah, don't forget, I was on the way to town to get parts for my wife's primary car, 2005 subaru, with a wrecked engine....when my truck lost a leg.

 

You know what the best part about vehicles breaking on you?

Chances are you won't be dealing with failures again.

 

Truck......home......Didn't even drive wonky. Might be my imagination, but the alignment seemed better than it was before.

Thanks everybody. I mean it. Even I might have been able to get through this without techical support, I needed the emotional support.

I have to redo the brake line, and do the BJ's on the other side. And shop for tires. But at least it's home, where it can sit in peace while I work things out.

My wife mentioned this to me today, and I think its true, I think I'm in the 'valley of despair' on the dunning kruger diagram. I know enough, to think I don't know anything.

 

You know what the best part of being in the 'valley of despair' is?

The only way from there ... is up.

Holler if you need anything, you've got a lot of bretheren here, if you feel the inclination. And congrats on getting your truck home, I've met/known many a dude in my lifetime who would've simply said, "FUCK THIS SHIT!" and posted it on Craigslist "as-is". I've seen plenty of 1st gens with snapped LBJ posted on there and FB Marketplace and OfferUp since buying my 1GT. I'm often tempted to buy them, but I'd like to retire before I hit 55, and I'm running out of years

 

Re-plumbed the brake line last night.

Replaced the drivers side ball joints today.

Discovered a slight play in the inner driverside tie rod.

Who makes a good aftermarket tie rod end? OEM seems crazy expensive.

 

I’m afraid to ask. What are they charging now? Last time I paid $50-55 for each.

 

I went OEM last time. Paid $49 each

 

For the inner tie rods? I paid about that for the outers, but inners are almost $200 each Of course, there's 20% off right now at Serra and others.

 

He said inner tie rod. Those are crazy expensive. I went with Moog. They work but make a lot of unsettling noises.

Outer tie rods are not that expensive. Even cheaper if you order this week.

 

Let's be real: Inners are expensive enough that it's smarter to just buy a new OEM rack, which comes with new inners, than it is to buy the inners alone. Not dissimilar from how it's smarter to buy new OEM LCAs than it is to buy OEM LCA bushings, the bushings themselves cost damn near half as much as the assembled arms.

 

A tie rod end is the outer tie rod, not the inner. May be just a typo I guess though especially if the price hasn’t changed much.

 

My inners are Moog. Seem fine.

 

This is why I prefer acronyms of ITR/OTR. You'll see me use "TRE" for the OTR quite often.

 

My outers are fine. Yeah, inner whatever you want to call them are $180 each OEM. If I was going to buy OEM,s I see why getting whole rack would make sense as its only twice the price of a pair of inners.

But is also almost 1/3rd what I paid for the truck....as far as I can tell mine is fine so just getting ends.

But anyway, this is all because I have to buy new tires, as the one that came off is damaged. Still driveable, but it has a chunk ripped out down to the cords in one spot, and a flat spot on the corner/sidewall on the other. Makes a wawawa at low speed and sings at high speed now. Need to get everything in order though for new tires and an alignment at the same time.

 

You deserve a few days off with nothing to do but relax. Glad you're home

 

I do. Not getting it.
Starting today things get crazy busy at work....I might not sleep until the 7th.

 

Fireworks and alcohol........

 

Moog for inners. I’ve had mine for years; no issues.