Hello fellas,

Currently sitting at 78,xxx I am gathering parts to do my front end suspension. I will be subbing the installation part out.

So far I have purchased brake rotors from stoptech, pads from wagner, and ordered fox 2.0 coilovers. My question Is it too early on to replace upper and lower ball joints, and hubs/bearings? I replaced sway bar end link on the drivers side with moog last week....

I run my truck on the highway accumulating roughly 500 miles a week so shop time holds me back. First time truck too, so novice asking others opinions.

Thanks in advance guys

 

If you only do mainly highway chances are they problem still have another 10-15k left in them. However doing 500 miles a week, it won't be too long until the truck will need to go into the shop again to have them changed and since you'll be getting an alignment anyways by going to the fox coilovers now, it may be worth it to just get it out of the way versus paying for a second tear down and alignment later.

 

With the front end torn apart, I'd check them and replace them if there's play.

My truck has 94k miles, and never goes off the pavement (had chrome 22s when I bought it) with OEM ball joints/UCAs, but I assume they aren't original because they're beyond tight as a rock. Ford tech words verbatim "I couldn't get any of the ball joints to move AT ALL. Tight as a rock." So it's possible that yours are fine.

 

Hi buddy!

Wellsir (IMHO) if'n yall gots the means ( and I believe you do ), the opportunist's approach would be to R&R the entire front end and be done wif it:

(A) you'll have it all apart anyway
(B) you'll need an alignment anyway
(C) OEM components can/will fail at any time - @ yer mileage, it's aboot time anyhoo
(D) MOOG replacements are greasable

Once yer done you kin fergit aboot it and be assured you needn't have to worry aboot repeated disassembly of the same parts, replacing components piecemeal as they fail. Tierods, the works. Life's too short, and it ain't Ed Zachary the funnest thang to be doin'...

As fer the hubs/IWE's - at least inspect/regrease (assuming it's a ferXfer). This'n's a good article:

https://www.f150online.com/forums/ar...er-shocks.html

Best o' luck!


MGD

PS: Don't expect to git any hep from our Derp Moog sponser - MoogProblemIgnorer. Awol, MIA, don't give a fek, I dunno WTF his problem is....

 

What's up Pizza how is it going?

10-15K puts me at about another 4-5 months of driving. I would love camburg uppers and $700 plus isn't very feasible due to money constraints right now but who knows 2 weeks from now.

I will say I purchased bilsteins and received a shipping date followed by a revised shipping date, which led me to withdraw and get a store credit, and requested to put an order on FOX only to be told its a 3 week wait as well. At this point I'm like "SAY WHAT?" Expected ship date of 10-22 was given to me, so I'll find out if its the manufacturer or the retailer I selected which happens to be a site sponsor on here...false shipping advertising.

Any who, i'm going to go through a local ford dealer through an acquaintance on instagram, who is willing to write a labor only ticket and replace 4x4 axle boot as well. Thinking I'm about due for differential fluid-flush service as well....

Hey Buddy, what's up?

Your not the first that tells me its a bit early. If I can squeeze the life out of them I will, I would like to save up and get superior-to-stock parts like moog and camburg. Truck is tight, turns and responds well, just had that little hiccup of the sway bar end link, which I know I'm due for an alignment adjustment.

All this has me thinking I can make it to Christmas break (off school) to do ball joints then, but I need brakes sooner then the other.

Your truck came out great by the way. Still wish you would of done x12's and 3" spacers I kid I kid...

 

Hey ol' Pal! Nice to see you around still, I trust everything is just dandy.

I know what your saying and that would very ideal but my college budget and being close to graduation has my money tied up in school MGD. Would the dealer be able to press in the moog baill joint on the lower control arm? I sure hope they do, If so I'll get the moog lowers, and possibly wait on uppers because I want fancy uniballs.

P.S. Of course Ill provide pics of the 2.0's...if they do ever get here...no reservoir option or nothing fancy just thought it would not have a three week wait...

 

One thing I've learned as I've been doing my own work more and more over the years.

Absolutely, positively never ever "assume" that a part is ok or think it has 'x-amount' of miles left. My dad has this mindset. Parts go bad, the wear funny, or just crappy luck. My front end was junk at 70k. I've had it since rebuilt. I heard "That's got another 20k left" Nope, sure didn't. If it's apart, replace it all. Parts are cheap. 500 bucks is cheap, it's the labor. Exactly why I've been doing it myself now.

Hope all is well bud

 

What's up?

I'm not saying it IS a bit early, but it might be. I've seen an entire front end trashed all to hell at 20k miles, but others be fine over 100k. I'm just saying I'd check all the parts thoroughly before you assume they're bad. You've been running bigger wheels/tires and a level for a while, so obviously ball joints don't like that haha. I'd definitely do all Moog stuff over factory.

I feel like if your tires are wearing evenly and the truck drives fine, there's no harm in waiting another 2 months. I need to have my gears done over Christmas for sure.

I'm worried enough about my truck as it is! No spacers I'm glad I got 10s though, cause they stick out as much as I wanted without stretching the tires. I'd definitely rock 20x12s if I could fit 37x12.5s though!

 

Well after taking the maximizer approach, I pulled the trigger on the camburg uppers. Waiting on a shipping confirmation.
I am also going to send Fox an email to see if they know about my order for my coilovers. Thanks for the advice John, hope all is well over there too

 

Truck been 10 wides and 33s since it had 34K on it so I went ahead and purchased the camburg. Need Moog lower ball joint so all I have to worry about is greasing.

Yours looks great as is now I would leave it alone unless you went with a body lift

 

FWIW I just replaced factory ball joints on a 99 V6 with only 270k on it

 

Well now you have some bad A uppers!

Just curious, why didn't you get a lift instead of spending just as much on coilovers and UCAs?

I already want a BL . . . But gears and NFAB bumper come first.

 

Have a tear in mines facing the tire. Getting new coils figured why not.

 

Scratch that. Placed my order to get an email later saying camburg wont produce any for another 2-4 weeks. I canceled it man.

A lift wont replace balljoints, Plus if I ever lift I still use the stuff I am putting in now.

The other manufacturers of control arms do not convince me as I know Camburg are longer and 1.25" uniball. Going to check some stores around and see who has some laying around+

Kmac whats your mileage at with 35s. I'm still throwing pennies down the wishing well over a 12" and x14s

 

No, it won't, but Moogs are like $150 for uppers, so you could still put a Rough County on with new ball joints and be spending less than you are now haha. Just pointing it out. But obviously you wouldn't have coilovers, just the ugly spacers.

Some companies have been putting out CRAP recently. Like ball joints grenading in 2k miles and almost causing accidents. Camburg and Total Chaos are the only one's I'd buy.

Keep in mind that mine is 2WD, so it should be better than a 4x4, and the speedo is accurate. Driving conservatively, I get right at 9 in town and can squeeze 12-13 cruising at 60 MPH on flat Texas highways Got 8.2 and 10.3 average on the last two fill ups cause "driving conservatively" doesn't always happen haha