My buddy and I just spent 2+ days rebuilding the front end of my 2000 Jimmy 4x4. We didn't have a lift, so everything was done with the truck up on jackstands, except for the pitman arm, which I had my shop install. Every single front suspension or steering part with either a bushing or ball joint was replaced with a new Mevotech Supreme part from Rock Auto. The ball joints on the tie rods weren't too bad, but all the control arm ball joints were completely shot, and here's a pic of one of the bushings in the old passenger side LCA, which was the worst.




After an alignment, I installed the N3 steering damper kit from Rough Country. The old truck now rides and drives great! At least as good as it ever did, maybe better, thanks to the steering damper absorbing most of the kickback.

The Mevotech Supreme parts we used all carry lifetime warranties, which is nice. Here's a list of all the specific parts we used for those who may be interested in undertaking a similar project:

1. MEVOTECH CMS20354 – Upper Control Arm, Left
2. MEVOTECH CMS20355 – Upper Control Arm, Right
3. MEVOTECH MES2004S – Tie Rod Adjusting Sleeve, pair
4. MEVOTECH MES3462 – Tie Rod End, Inner, pair
5. MEVOTECH MES3584 – Tie Rod End, Outer, pair
6. MEVOTECH MK6600 – Sway Bar End Link, pair
7. MEVOTECH MK6457 – Sway Bar Bushing, pair
8. MEVOTECH MK6251T – Idler Arm
9. MEVOTECH Pitman Arm – Pitman Arm
10. MEVOTECH CMS501159 – Lower Control Arm, Left
11. MEVOTECH CMS501160 – Lower Control Arm, Right
12. MEVOTECH MS50465 – Torsion Bar Mount, pair
13. Rough Country #8732430 – Steering Damper Kit

As I mentioned above, the pitman arm was the only part we didn't install ourselves. We had my shop install that one and flush the steering system when they performed the alignment. Parts alone ran me nearly $1K. Add another $450 to that for shop labor.

I don't even want to think about what the cost would have been to have the shop provide and install everything. I'm just thankful I can still turn a wrench, even at 76.


Proud gearhead buttoning up everything

 

Great work! This is really helpful, I'm doing the same but I didn't think of the sway bar end link and torsion bar mount till now. How much did play in the steering wheel change?

I had a shop change the pitman arm, and not long after a severe leak in power steering fluid appeared. I think they destroyed the seal in the gearbox removing the pitman arm. So in the end I removed the gearbox, installed a seal kit, and replaced the new pitman arm. Such a waste!

 

Nice work. I really want to replace my control arm bushings as well. It's hard to keep a decent wheel alignment when the control arm bushings are worn out.

 

As you can imagine after seeing the condition of that LCA bushing, the reduction in steering play was dramatic. Prior to the rebuild, the play had become so bad that it was more like herding the truck down the road than steering it. I'd estimate at least 15 degrees of free play in each direction. I'd say it's now less than +/- 3 degrees. Since the rebuild, driving the truck is so different that my wife and I are both having to be careful to avoid oversteering it around corners and over-correcting in general.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience with the shop that installed your pitman arm. I've had a tough time finding a one or two local shops that I trust, myself. Even now, I'll turn one of my vehicles over to them only for work that I do not have the equipment to tackle myself. This is primarily because shop rates so high these days, and I need to be more frugal since I've retired. But to a lesser extent, I can't shake the belief that no flat-rate tech is going to be as careful as I am to ensure it's done right. For example, I've had to drill and tap two of the six threaded frame holes that secure the modesty panel around the remote oil filter due to too many years at the hands of ham-fisted mechanics with impact wrenches. Those two spots now take 12mm bolts instead of 10mm.