Any luck with this? I'm having the same issue. I did the 9-3 test, which revealed the play is happening where the Pitman arm meets the right inner tie rod. What I'm trying to figure out is whether the problem is the Pitman arm, the tie rod, or both. I don't want to waste money replacing the wrong thing -- but I also want to fix it ASAP, before something breaks and I have an accident.

I'll probably check everything one more time, but this time I'll have someone else turn the wheel while I'm under the truck.

This is so frustrating, considering my lifestyle involves driving all over the place. I need to know exactly what's happening.

 

UPDATE: so I spoke to my mechanic who's reputable and a very fair mechanic with the expierence to back it up..


he said bad front end damage and my passenger side wheel is ready to fall of and can't believe I drove it.. it needs 4 ball joint and Hub bearrings .. the price tag.. 1000 dollars

 

Yeah, you should definitely take care of that. It turns out my problem is not the tie rods, but the Pitman arm. It is non-critical but should be replaced fairly soon.

 

So then what do call that big disc shaped thing made of some type of cloth material that's located under the black plastic case? We definitely don't have a solid shaft, like what's found on some Jeeps.



Edit: you can replace the hub yourself. Remove the wheel, caliper and bracket. The hub is held on by three or four bolts. I don't remember exactly. Installation is reverse of removal.

 

Well, well, they've hidden the little bugger. How many of them have you worn out, have you ever had to change one, or even heard of anyone having to replace one on a truck that age, under normal conditions? Not likely, that wasn't the his problem. I did a search for the ball joints and hub, the highest prices I found on the parts was $432.20. I could shave about 200 and still get AC Delco parts. So, I think I can do the job in 4 hours, 5 at the most. Does $1000 sound like a reputable price?

 

$1000 sounds reasonable. Since I've been in school, we've had to do repair orders on everything we work on. You'd be suprised how quickly the money starts stacking up.