Hi all,

The title says it all. My vehicle has issues, and I need to fix it....I sincerely appreciate any and all input you're willing to provide to help me get it there.

My 99 4x4 LS has 182k. I've done a lot to this vehicle myself as well as had a lot done to it over the past 3 years. Scroll to the bottom for the back story...as it stands now, it looks like I've got a lot more to do if I'm going to keep driving this thing.

I HAVE done a little bit of browsing through the DIY sections, but with so many parts of this vehicle needing attention, I'm afraid I'll miss something. On the flip side, I don't want to get in over my head from a time management standpoint. I know I can fix probably just about anything given time, tools, and manuals, however time is the one thing I'm considerably short on.

Brakes/front end info/question:

I've been told I need a pittman arm, and idler arm, and I'm more than confident that I need new front brakes. I notice a light "bump, bump, bump" as I drive down the road. It is not loud, but it is noticeable if you listen and don't have the radio on. It increases and decreases with the speed of the vehicle.....not sure what it is - bearings, CV, something else?

I'm considering doing all of this myself at the same time - am I crazy?....

1. front brakes
2. front wheel bearings
3. replace front rotors (if they can't be turned)
4. pittman arm
5. idler arm
6. front shocks

Is there anything else I need to be considering here? (I know I'll need an alignment afterward)

I'm going to need new tires soon, and I don't want to spend good money on tires just to have them wear out prematurely because one of the above items needs to be replaced.

Is it feasible for one person to do all of this in a weekend, and is there anything I should be doing in addition, or that I should break up into smaller jobs over several weekends? I don't want to tear something apart, put it back together, and then have to tear back into the same components a month or two (or six) down the road. I need this vehicle for work, so I have to be able to do this in 2 or 3 days tops. I won't have any help, and I don't have any specialty tools to speak of.


4WD info/question:

A year or two ago I noticed that it would no longer properly switch into/out of 4WD. When I would switch it into 4WD, after a bit of driving, the check 4WD light would come on. If I stopped and turned the car off, I was able to switch it back into 2WD. Not a huge deal down here in NC most of the time, but nice to have on occasion. Regardless, due to funds, never had it cheked out. I digress.

(side note - and long story short, I replaced the original motor with a Jasper @ 166k.) Within a couple of months, the service 4wd light came on, but then went out - this was as I was driving in 2WD - it was summer time and I had no need nor had I attempted to switch into 4WD. It would come and go, seemingly at random, until at one point it came on and stayed on. Presently, if I start the vehicle, the light does not come on, but once I start driving, it comes on and stays on. The vehicle seems to run ok (from a transmission shifting perspective), though it may take a bit for it to shift when I first start driving it in the morning. That seems to go away once the vehicle is warmed up. One interesting thing is that when I put it in reverse, say to back out of or into a parking space, it feels rough, almost like it is in 4WD on dry pavement. How should I go about troubleshooting the casue of this 4WD light, or should I just take it to a transmission shop?

Airbag light:

As mentioned above, the engine was replaced, and not long afterward, the airbag light started coming on and going out seemingly at random. now it is pretty much on all the time. How do I troubleshoot this, or should I just take it to the (shudder) Chevy dealership? (shudder)

Rough running:

The vehicle starts without issue, and doesn't make any strange noises. When I'm driving (whether it is down the street or down the interstate), it seems to run a little rough, almost like it is skipping, but it never throws a check engine light or runs absolutely terrible. Once I've been driving for a while (10 minutes or more), it seems to run fine for the most part. Since the engine, fuel pump, fuel filter, plugs, wires, rotor, and cap all have less than 30k miles, where do I begin? MAF?

Vehicle history (AKA - Back Story):

• 144k - May 2009 - replaced upper driver side ball joint (Chevy Dealership)
• 155k - May 2010 - replaced the radiator due to a leak, along with the water pump, thermostat, and all hoses myself. Switched from Dex Cool to Prestone.
• 156k - June 2010 - Replaced the fuel pump (it finally died) and filter about a week later, and then spark plugs, myself.
• 166k - May 2011 - had a local independent shop replace the original engine with a Jasper. At that time the shop doing the work also replaced the dist cap, rotor, and spark plug wires as well, and had the transmission flushed. Oil cooler lines were also replaced. (Since I had already replaced the spark plugs as mentioned above with AC Delco plugs recommended on this site, so I saw no need gto buy new ones all over again).
• 168k - July 2011 - replaced the driver side O2 sensor myself

My car repair background, in addition to what I've done to my Blazer:

I own a 1976 Triumph Spitfire. I've R&R'd the transmission, brakes, clutch, carbeuretor, exhaust manifold, muffler, driveshaft, rear leaf spring, front shocks, and starter on it by myself. I've done a lot of shade tree mechanic work successfully, and I don't like doing things twice - I have an engineering background and I'm a big proponent of doing things right the first time.

If you've gotten this far, thanks for taking the time!

Jonboy
1999 Blazer 4x4 LS 4.3L V6
182k miles as of March 2012

 

It would be best, to keep confusion to a minimum, to split up the issues into separate threads. ie, brakes, steering/suspension, 4WD, air bag, rough running.

 

Thanks Captain Hook. Thought about separating them out before I posted, but figured I'd keep them together, possibly just because it was late and I was tired. I have a tendancy to ramble under those conditions - my apologies

Anyway, after spending some more time on this site, I've found answers to some of my questions.

On the rough running on the highway, I'm going to clean the MAF and EGR, as per the DIY links here under the "Engine & Internal" section:

Tech Article (DIY) Index - Check here first!

On the questions about ball joints, shocks, and idler arm/pittman arm, I've found information I needed here:

https://blazerforum.com/forum/2nd-ge...nt-time-68060/

https://blazerforum.com/forum/steeri...all-how-68718/

(Under Steering and Suspension)

Pittman/Idler Arm:

https://blazerforum.com/forum/steeri...acement-30568/

Chevrolet 4WD S10 Blazer 1999, Moog Suspension Parts.

As for the air bag light, I'm hoping I'll be able to pull a code or two with a scan tool so I have an idea of what it is....here's hoping that it is simply a loose wire....

Finally, I still have questions about the 4WD...I'll open another post to simplify things.

Thanks,

Jonboy

 

save yourself alot of time and headache and buy the control arms new with ball joints and bushings installed. I promise you will not regret one red cent. Also this will take more than one weekend. Pitman arm requires a large wrench and is very stubborn just beware.

 

Save yourself ALOT of time and order new control arms online with the ball joints and bushings already installed. You will not regret one red cent of that purchase. The Pitman arm is a pita and requires a large wrench so beware. Also this will take time so seperate the job and be very careful taking off your torsion bars as you can really mess with the ride.

edit: stupid phone.

 

Actually This is such an undertaking it really could be listed in a 'build'.

NOTES:

- at 185,000 complete control arms are a good idea. If it were 110,000... different story.
- I cant see any reason why replacing T Bars should be all that difficult to set up for proper ride.
>>>>>Just remember to disconnect the sway bar when you set ride height. <<<<
I had thought that was obvious... evidently, from reading several threads on here, it isnt.

 

Thanks guys. I've found some complete control arms on Rock Auto - Raybestos brand, Professional Grade, 24 month/24,000 mile warranty, however they do not appear to have zerk fittings. Is ther another source for professional grade assemblies that have zerk fittings, or sould I just not sweat it? I'd like for them to be serviceable, but I suppose they don't have to be....

RAYBESTOS Part # 5021141 Professional Grade
Complete Arm With Ball Joint; Front Right Upper; AWD; 4WD
$127.79
RAYBESTOS Part # 5021140 Professional Grade
Complete Arm With Ball Joint; Front Left Upper; AWD; 4WD
$127.79
RAYBESTOS Part # 5071317 Professional Grade
Complete Arm With Ball Joint; Front Right Lower; AWD; 4WD
$143.79
RAYBESTOS Part # 5071316 Professional Grade
Complete Arm With Ball Joint; Front Left Lower; AWD; 4WD
$143.79

Thanks,

Jonboy

 

From personal experience on other vehicles, If you're not offraoding much at all, then they are okay.
But take it from me, before you seal them all up, pack the boots with molybdenum/lithium grease.

 

On the transmission/reverse issue, I had the exact same symptoms on my '96 Sonoma. This would go away when the transmission warmed up. The solution, and I have no idea why, was to flush the tranny fluid and change the filter. I was also having problems with the torque converter going in and out at highway speeds, causing about 200 RPM fluctuations from about 45 mph and up. I changed the tranny fluid & filter at the time the torque converter issue came up, but it didn't help. It was the second fluid/filter change (about 40k miles later) that solved all of the tranny issues...no idea why. It's been perfect ever since (about 3 years and 20k miles now - it's not my daily driver anymore).

On the 4WD, do you have manual or push-button? Most of the complaints I hear do not make mention of the Check 4WD light coming on, and much of what I read is from folks with the electronic shift transfer case. I believe there is a sensor in the front hub (or thereabout) that keeps track of the hub position. It may be trying to tell you the hub isn't properly locking.

 

Thanks Pettyfog & Nickitp. I hadn't even thought about the Torsion Bar yet, so thanks for mentioning it. (I've never done anything this serious on a 4x4, so this is new territory for me). I don't offroad at all - this is a daily driver and I *occasionally* pull a trailer, but that's it.

Since I'm replacing the brakes (and probably the rotors) and looking at doing the control arms and shocks too.....is there.....(hesitate asking).....anything else I should be replacing while I'm in there that far? I have no idea what kind of shape the CVs are in....and with my "Service 4WD" light issue, I'm wondering if there is anything else I should be doing since I'll have the axle pretty well exposed....

And yes....now that I'm into this, I probably should have put this under builds... *sigh*....

Thanks,

Jonboy