@Rachel Loth We do have a passenger side one that we will sell that's stripped down and ready to go. Here's some pics: drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-16MqHqspLVI_4Igp24gBecQUOv-1vk-?usp=sharing
@G John Burke Gave a great answer "I just made another pretty big order on rock auto with the same parts except for the lower control arms. All mevotec parts, including ball joints upper and lower, upper control arms, pitman and idler arm with idler arm bracket, inner and outer tie rod ends with sleeves, also had to get a new power steering pump and steering intermediate shaft. Everything was around 1200. And definitely worth it on every obs I build
Best series I've ever seen. I have a '96 Tahoe 4x4 and this is exactly what's been on my heart to get done the rig...the Lord works in mysterious ways :) Bless you brother!
My old man passed in April and left me my grandfather's 89 z71. Gramps was at a dealership when the first order of z71s were delivered and bought it before it was unloaded. 😂 Glad I found your channel so I know to order those beefmaster ball joints when I do this to my truck.
Love how you showed the greasing of the ball joints. Never seen some one show it before. I always wondered how I would know when they were full. Now I do.
Thank you for putting together all these videos on the K1500. Just picked one up and I’ll will be taking on many of these projects either wrenching on it or taking it in. This is definitely top of my list of to dos.
Absolutely love your videos. You make very easy to understand and follow. I had so many questions, you've no doubt answered most of them by watching your videos. 🍺
I have an 03' F150, and I just did all this work using the same componants, and I installed a set of Bilstein 4600's......drives like new also. Loved these componants so much that I am buying a front end rebuild kit for my father in law's 98' Silverado that we use for hunting/fishing trips. It gets a fair amount of abuse in the fall when we drive on disked up cornfields hunting geese/waterfowl. I was worried the TTX line might ride too harsh, but in my FX4 they improved the handling and really woke up the tired front end of my truck with over 200K on it.
You CAN do it. I rebuilt my whole 97 Tahoe Z71 front end. Rides incredible now. I did use Moog parts but potato/patato. Mevotech and Moog are both better than OEM in my opinion
Thank you for the great video. Both Great job and appreciate the information about Mevotech. I have purchased Mevotech TTX all steering components for my 96 Chev K1500, and am installing. Just thought that i would share. If one does not have a reason to pull the torsion bars (like painting, adjusting, or replacing), one does not need to. I was able to pull the torsion bars sideways (down didn't work) by pulling the lower control arm out, then blocked (2 - 4x4s + 1 - 2x4 worked) between the torsion bar and exhaust, then I pulled the lower control arm forward, off of the torsion bar. I left the blocks in place and after updating the upper & lower control arms, it went right back into place without any adjustment.
Update: My apologies, I recognized that I forgot to mention that I let the lower control arm all the way down (while truck was still on jack stands), releasing all tension in the torsion bar before I starting this step.
one of the best videos I've seen. most videos are splotchy and don't really show as much or tell as much detail as you do in this video. I love it. keep it up man your videos are great!
I love mevotech products. They were the only company (aside from the dealership) that made my coilover caps. I could of used the OEM caps but I was worried about wear and tear.. honestly the parts weren't that expensive for the piece of mind i have. But I have a 06 Acura TL which has a ridiculous 20in rim (I went down to 18x9.5 +35mm) but my suspension felt way too bouncy and they were stock struts and shocks. After putting in some newer coilovers and getting my alignment I was stunned that I didn't even need a front or rear camber kit. Now my acura doesn't bounce like crazy (I also replaced a few bushings) it's a solid ride.
Just so you know, you don't loose torque with an extention on a torque stick, only with air or electric tools you loose torque, but great informative video! Love this brand stuff!
Excellent instructions, TY. I have read all the comments trying to see if you have a review of the Mevotech products you have used here. I have an 02 Avalanche with 260K miles and I need to replace pretty much everything like you did. Mine is 2wd so it will be a little less complicated. I have been reading up on OEM parts and Moog, Kryptonite, and Cognito, etc. The reviews on all are from one end of the spectrum to the other. I'm almost 70 but still very active and I don't see myself buying anymore vehicles. I also own a 98 3500 dually, with only 150K miles. I'm the second owner on both vehicles, owned them both for 18 years. At this point I like em both and don't want to go cheap on replacement parts, I just can't afford to shell out 3K on hi end front end suspension parts. I'm above Atlanta and the weather here is good for the undercarriage. Both vehicles are rust free. What brand would you recommend?
Thanks for your hard work with the video. You Did good job Talking about the job at hand . a lot of videos of drag and drag before they even get started.
I installed these ball joints 3 mo months ago. I have been about a total of 50-75 miles on dirt roads and about 3,500-4,000 miles in total of street & highway driving and they are already making popping noises and causing my tires to wear funny 🤯 I'm done with these crappy front ends in these years. SAS SWAP here I come!
What kind of paint did you use on the steering knuckle? It looks a little glossier that the paint you used on the rust repair on the rest of the body of your suburban.
Fantastic video, love the level of detail and clarity. Doing the same thing on my 96 Tahoe. I’ve not been able to track down a part number for the knuckle seal, do you happen to still have that handy? I know the videos are 3 years old at this point, but this is the gold standard.
I highly appreciate the effort this man puts into making these incredibly awesome videos What paint did you use for the chassis? Is there a video for that?
When talking about getting ready to install your torsion bars and keys, the lower control arms are being supported by wood blocks that look to have the control arm at ride height? Is this true? Were these blocks in place under the control arms when you installed the torsion bars and adjuster keys? When you used the torsion bar tool to install the key plates and adjuster bolt, were the control arms still supported by these blocks? I know the weight of the truck needs to be off when doing torsion bars but am having issues getting mine correct after installing new lower control arm bushings. My adjuster screws are way off when trying to get to stock height and was wondering if installing them from scratch has a few differences. Thanks!
Great video! do have on question the part #'s for the upper control arms CMS50120 and CMS50121 match but don't match according to the product picture the ball joint doesn't look like it can be removed with out grinding down the rivets. Is it maybe just not the actual pic?
@Christino Griego The ball joint on the control arms we received were just bolted in. I just checked a few retailers and they still appear to be bolted in.
I recently rebuilt the whole front suspension on my K1500 with this video as a big reference, so I would like to voice my gratitude in that regard. I did have a question for Suburban Ranch and maybe a word of warning for anyone else going into this. 11:03, did you have issues getting an alignment done with your truck?, The upper control arm bolts that double as the camber/caster adjustment with the eccentric washers are installed straight up here. I proceeded to do the same thing on my truck. The alignment shop was unable to spin them at all and stripped out the eccentrics trying to do so. I am now putting in some MOOG replacements pointing straight down with the hopes that that will get me my pre-rebuild alignment back.
We had no issues getting the alignment done. If they stripped out the bolts I think that’s on them. Shops screw up all the time, that’s why we do the work ourselves when we can!
@@SuburbanRanch definitely a possibility, more than likely I screwed up first in placing the camber bolts not facing outward like you indicated. I appreciate the reply!
@@SuburbanRanch I've got an answer that may seem incredibly obvious to most but a big help to others in my predicament, but my Tahoe still had its camber bolt knock-outs intact, meaning that my truck had never received an alignment in 27 years and 240,000 miles after leaving the factory. In my research on rebuilding my suspension I had failed to come across the information that I would need to remove the metal tabs that allow the eccentric bolts to rotate. The alignment tech who was an older fellow had told me he had never even seen them in person on one of these trucks before and was intrigued by it. Word to the wise because I certainly was not: make sure your camber knockouts have in fact been knocked out before putting in your new upper control arms!
@Suburban Ranch Thank you for these videos. Just finished up an engine rebuild/upgrade and got my truck back from the tranny shop with a rebuild/upgrade on that as well. Time to do this job. I do have some play in the steering and the truck does get a little squirrely on uneven pavement at cruising speed. I can see rotted grease boots on ball joints, leaked grease, missing long bolt bushings on the driver's side end of the sway bar, and at least one CV boot is split in half. Pretty sure all this stuff is 30 years old. Power steering system seems to be working fine. My questions: What part should I be checking/replacing on the steering shaft for play? And will that along with what you did in this video most likely get my handling issues corrected?
@Four-Eight-Zero Sounds like you need to do what we did in the video. As for the steering shaft, check out our video on the steering coupler assembly ua-cam.com/video/uITkNkFmlAk/v-deo.html
I’m curious as to how you know exactly how to install the uppers? The stock ones are mounted below the upper control arm, whereas you have these mounted ontop of the arm. Is this correct, if so how do you know? I have seen no technical service bulletin telling us how these are installed, nothing online, nothing from mevotech, and there’s not many videos of this. I have to swap both my uppers on my 94 k3500 but i want to know the correct installation.
those angled grease fittings are usually 2 piece. If that's the case, usually a 7 or 8mm socket to take off the zirc and then the main part you can use the appropriate socket on.
What was the paint you used for the lower control arm once it was cleaned up looks like its a new part also how many coats is needed for the look that new
@Scott Rankin We just had to search junkyards across the country eventually found some in Oregon. Then got them blasted and painted. Here’s one it might fit, I would compare it to yours to make sure. www.ebay.com/itm/324811972183?mkevt=1&mkcid=16&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0
I’m currently trying to fix up my 94 k1500 I got last year. But if only my torsion bars came out as easy as they did for you lol. I have been doing everything to get them out of the lowers but they will not come budge.
@suburbanranch When you install the toraion bars , do you leave the fron knuckles and parts jacked up on boards? If so do you lower them after you put the key in and get the adjusting bolt in? I cant seem to get them to stay tensioned or lower with tire on?
There would be more tension on the bars with the weight of the truck on the suspension. I’m guessing you have the bars off an entire flat if you have no tension with weight on the front suspension.
I'm looking to replace my front suspension with Mevotech. I've seen several complaints of fitment being off and overall quality of some of the components being low and wearing out quickly (after less than 15k miles). Have you had or experienced any of these issues?
@Jseen Fitment yes, we had to modify a bracket, I believe we mention it in the video. No comment on the longevity of the parts as of yet as we haven’t driven it much since the install.
Awesome videos! I’ve watched this suspension series about 10 times and taken notes. Do you have to replace the lower control arm or can you rebuild/refurbish it somehow?
For the torsion bars. They are labeled left and right. Which is passenger and which is driver side? Also, which way does the labeled left and right labeled side go( lower AArm or torsion key)? Thanks
hey guys... awesome channel great content please keep up the hard work. I do have a question though... I'm up in Canada and I'm trying to source out your mevotech parts. where did you order them from? cause their site doesn't have any purchasing options available. Thanks in advance
can i use all of these for my 1993 chevy k1500? Planning on buying a 6 inch suspension lift and a 3 inch body lift and having big (35+ inch tires on it). Will this be strong enough?
@DeletedDevil "How much did all that cost you?" All of the part numbers are in the description. I would check rockauto, they typically have good prices. @john burke Gave a great answer "I just made another pretty big order on rock auto with the same parts except for the lower control arms. All mevotec parts, including ball joints upper and lower, upper control arms, pitman and idler arm with idler arm bracket, inner and outer tie rod ends with sleeves, also had to get a new power steering pump and steering intermediate shaft. Everything was around 1200. And definitely worth it on every obs I build"
Hey Suburban Ranch. What are your opinions on swapping out to a 5.3 and 6L80 tranny into my 97 Tahoe 2door Z71 sport? I want just a smidge more power and with a 6spd transmission, gas mileage should improve as well. Would love your opinion. Thank you for taking the time to teach us gmt400 owners how to work on our trucks. Nothing is more satisfying than when my wife's Tahoe has an issue, I can fix it now from fuel sender, to suspension, to ac work. You make me look good to my wife and daughter and for that beer and steak is on me if you come to Orlando.
Super awesome video thank you so much I've been having a lot of trouble trying to find some of the right torque specs. Don't know if you'll see my comment but by chance what size were the torsion torsion bar bushing spacers?.
@Gary Wyckoff Sorry, not sure on the spacer. I assume you are talking about the spacer that goes in the rubber bushing for the crossmember. We just cleaned it a put it back in the truck.
Wow, you could eat off that frame! I have a 1990 K2500 and am doing a front end rebuild with almost the identical parts as you. One thing I am curious about: My sway bar link bolts are almost touching my upper control arms, while your bolts are about 2 inches below the UCAs. Wonder why that is? (I have not tightened the sway bar brackets yet, just started the bolts, so that could be why?) I was planning on tightening the bar brackets after the truck was back on its tires.
@Ken C. You should definitely have clearance between the sway bar end link bolts and the upper control arms. Are you sure you purchased the correct end links?
Hi. The links I had were Mevotech, but I ended up using Moog links instead, which were easier to install, so I was able to install it with the bolt head on top, as it should be. My front end rebuild is done, just need an alignment!
Does it matter how the lower ball joint bolts go in? The manual has bolts coming from under and even the Mevotech site shows the bracket mounted on the underside. Can't imagine it matters but idk. Maybe why the grinder was needed?
Thanks!!! I use your videos to replace all my suspension and steering. And your parts list (ALL OF IT) . Everything worked great, but the hub assembly. The flange with the studs is 1/6" to thin, my rotor rubs the dust shield and won't turn. Did you have this problem? I have a 1990 k1500 Silverado.
@Tommy Heist I did not have any problems with the hub contacting the dust shield. Does your truck have the heavy duty suspension option? If so, the hub has a different part number (H515001).
Can't tell no code sticker in glove box. It does now after all the new mevotech parts. I'm getting grades from bumper to bumper! Keep your awesome videos coming!
Wonderful video. I have a chevy suburban year 1997, C1500, meaning two wheel drive, several parts of the suspension were replaced, but I'm not sure if the technician made a good job when replacing the entire steering assy. On this video on the minute 31:00 shows the entire steering assy , showing that the nuts of the inner tie rod faces to the bumber, and the outher tie rod nut faces to the hood, however on my car the nuts of the inner rod faces to the engine. Wonder if the inner tie road has to be placed on the other way around because that my truck is two wheel drive and on your video shows a four wheel drive chevy or perhaps my technican made a mistake Wonder wich problem could ocurr by placing the inner tie rod on the wrong position. Any comment will be very welcome.
Very good detailed video! Watched it about ten times now. Quick question. Is all this stock suspension and stock torsion keys? I ran into a roadblock with my Tahoe. Had a 3 inch RC lift installed about 12 years ago and now tearing it apart to rebuild it and thank god I’m doing it. All my ball joints were done and my upper control arms were riding the top bump stop causing crazy preload on the torsion bar and keys. Were those keys stock keys?
What steering box are you using in on my 3rd Napa box loosing hope this truck will ever drive nice again lol and yes all tie rods have been replaced with acdelco parts wish I seen this video before.
I know this video is quite old but what was the process for removing and replacing Lower Control Arm Bushings? I picked up some poly lower bushings for simplicity and longevity so install will be slightly different than rubber bushings.
@James Barnhart The lower control arm bushings are tricky. You need a press and you need to be careful not to bend the ears that hold the bushing in place. We took ours to a shop to be pushed out.
The mevotech parts look well designed and a good upgrade over oem. I'll be doing all of the same parts on my 90' rcsb. How have your parts held up, and how many miles on the new front end?
@SuburbanRanch after some light reading it looks like the Mevotech ttx stuff is gonna be the best bang for the buck. Going to be ripping my whole truck apart and starting from the frame up. Maybe I'll do a series on it.
I ordered these upper control arms from rock auto. They just came in and they have studs in them no bolts, so I can’t swap the ball joints unless I cut the studs. I’m bummed
What are you guys doing about k1500 lower control arms? I’d like to replace my old ones but I can’t find any online. Would the suburban k1500 lowers work on a silverado? Mines a 1996 z71
@@SuburbanRanch cool, I truly can't see myself paying that much for my old reliable - upper and lower bushings on both control arms yes - but I truly appreciate your response, SB!
SOMONE PLEASE TELL ME WHERE I CAN GET LOWER CONTROL ARMS FOR A 1996 CHEVY K1500. I’ve done some research and I guess they are “stamped” arms and not “forged” however I CANNOT FIND THEM ANYWHERE
@Joe D’Alessio They do not make new lower control arms. We just refinished the original ones. Your best bet for a decent pair is a southern junk yard unfortunately.
I reposted the video for some edits, sorry about the mess with the comments
Where did you get the lower control arms? I can't find them.
@Rachel Loth Got them from a junk yard in Oregon. They don’t make them new so you have to search junk yards.
@Rachel Loth We do have a passenger side one that we will sell that's stripped down and ready to go. Here's some pics: drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-16MqHqspLVI_4Igp24gBecQUOv-1vk-?usp=sharing
How much did all those parts run you?
@G John Burke Gave a great answer "I just made another pretty big order on rock auto with the same parts except for the lower control arms. All mevotec parts, including ball joints upper and lower, upper control arms, pitman and idler arm with idler arm bracket, inner and outer tie rod ends with sleeves, also had to get a new power steering pump and steering intermediate shaft. Everything was around 1200. And definitely worth it on every obs I build
i love this. as a obs owner please please please share everything you do to this truck. liked this video and was a sub already.
I went through three oil pan gasket changes, because the major auto parts stores have a miscategorised part.
Same I have a obs fresh 5.3 swap recently got into the ons gang 🎉
Go follow me I'm rebuilding one now!
Best series I've ever seen. I have a '96 Tahoe 4x4 and this is exactly what's been on my heart to get done the rig...the Lord works in mysterious ways :) Bless you brother!
I agree!! So glad I found this video. Looking to do the same on my 99 Tahoe 4x4. Almost makes me think I can do this myself (maybe)
I’ll be putting my 96 Tahoe 4x4 back together tomorrow. All new!!
My old man passed in April and left me my grandfather's 89 z71. Gramps was at a dealership when the first order of z71s were delivered and bought it before it was unloaded. 😂 Glad I found your channel so I know to order those beefmaster ball joints when I do this to my truck.
Excellent video! I love that you do things the right way, paying attention to the details throughout the rebuild process.
Love how you showed the greasing of the ball joints. Never seen some one show it before. I always wondered how I would know when they were full. Now I do.
Thank you for putting together all these videos on the K1500. Just picked one up and I’ll will be taking on many of these projects either wrenching on it or taking it in. This is definitely top of my list of to dos.
Absolutely love your videos. You make very easy to understand and follow. I had so many questions, you've no doubt answered most of them by watching your videos. 🍺
I have an 03' F150, and I just did all this work using the same componants, and I installed a set of Bilstein 4600's......drives like new also. Loved these componants so much that I am buying a front end rebuild kit for my father in law's 98' Silverado that we use for hunting/fishing trips. It gets a fair amount of abuse in the fall when we drive on disked up cornfields hunting geese/waterfowl. I was worried the TTX line might ride too harsh, but in my FX4 they improved the handling and really woke up the tired front end of my truck with over 200K on it.
These videos are dangerous, got me thinking “Yeah, I could TOTALLY do that!” Lol. Great video very informative.
You CAN do it. I rebuilt my whole 97 Tahoe Z71 front end. Rides incredible now. I did use Moog parts but potato/patato.
Mevotech and Moog are both better than OEM in my opinion
Thank you for the great video. Both Great job and appreciate the information about Mevotech. I have purchased Mevotech TTX all steering components for my 96 Chev K1500, and am installing. Just thought that i would share. If one does not have a reason to pull the torsion bars (like painting, adjusting, or replacing), one does not need to. I was able to pull the torsion bars sideways (down didn't work) by pulling the lower control arm out, then blocked (2 - 4x4s + 1 - 2x4 worked) between the torsion bar and exhaust, then I pulled the lower control arm forward, off of the torsion bar. I left the blocks in place and after updating the upper & lower control arms, it went right back into place without any adjustment.
Update: My apologies, I recognized that I forgot to mention that I let the lower control arm all the way down (while truck was still on jack stands), releasing all tension in the torsion bar before I starting this step.
great video. ive had the TTX tie rod ends on my gmt800 for two years with no issues yet.
one of the best videos I've seen.
most videos are splotchy and don't really show as much or tell as much detail as you do in this video.
I love it. keep it up man your videos are great!
I love mevotech products. They were the only company (aside from the dealership) that made my coilover caps. I could of used the OEM caps but I was worried about wear and tear.. honestly the parts weren't that expensive for the piece of mind i have. But I have a 06 Acura TL which has a ridiculous 20in rim (I went down to 18x9.5 +35mm) but my suspension felt way too bouncy and they were stock struts and shocks. After putting in some newer coilovers and getting my alignment I was stunned that I didn't even need a front or rear camber kit. Now my acura doesn't bounce like crazy (I also replaced a few bushings) it's a solid ride.
Just so you know, you don't loose torque with an extention on a torque stick, only with air or electric tools you loose torque, but great informative video! Love this brand stuff!
Excellent instructions, TY. I have read all the comments trying to see if you have a review of the Mevotech products you have used here. I have an 02 Avalanche with 260K miles and I need to replace pretty much everything like you did. Mine is 2wd so it will be a little less complicated. I have been reading up on OEM parts and Moog, Kryptonite, and Cognito, etc. The reviews on all are from one end of the spectrum to the other. I'm almost 70 but still very active and I don't see myself buying anymore vehicles. I also own a 98 3500 dually, with only 150K miles. I'm the second owner on both vehicles, owned them both for 18 years. At this point I like em both and don't want to go cheap on replacement parts, I just can't afford to shell out 3K on hi end front end suspension parts. I'm above Atlanta and the weather here is good for the undercarriage. Both vehicles are rust free. What brand would you recommend?
@bill parker I really don’t think you can go wrong with Moog, ac Delco, or Mevotech.
@@SuburbanRanch Thx very much.
Great video. Appreciate you sharing the torque specs, peace of mind knowing things were done right.
Thanks.
Running same ball joints and tie rods. Definitely built well.
Thanks for your hard work with the video. You Did good job
Talking about the job at hand . a lot of videos of drag and drag before they even get started.
Love this video! Very detailed and easy to understand! Please keep them coming
This helped me a ton when working on my uncle's 96 1500 chevy. Thanks
I've enjoyed all the videos I've watched from yall. Very easy to follow/understand. Thanks for the great quality video series.
Currently planning to install 4x4 into my 97 C1500 please make as many videos on the entire front drivetrain, your awesome
I will definitely be using this video when its time to do mine!
I installed these ball joints 3 mo months ago. I have been about a total of 50-75 miles on dirt roads and about 3,500-4,000 miles in total of street & highway driving and they are already making popping noises and causing my tires to wear funny 🤯 I'm done with these crappy front ends in these years. SAS SWAP here I come!
looks great love the new parts,I think I will go that route myself.
Surgical precision and surfaces so clean you can eat off them. #goodjob
Good job..enjoyed it...cotter-pins were done right...some people loop both legs under the bolt head...both are acceptable bends & locations.
Your videos came up on my feed just in time when i was going to do this on my truck
You did a nice job both with the work you did and the video. Thanks
John is a buddy of mine and he has done axles for me for years. The last one he did was also from an '89 K1500.
I had him rebuild my axles, they look brand-new! He does great work, and was cool to talk with on the phone.
What kind of paint did you use on the steering knuckle? It looks a little glossier that the paint you used on the rust repair on the rest of the body of your suburban.
I had the steering knuckle sand blasted and painted by a local shop. I think it was equivalent to a gloss black rustoleum
I am wanting to do this with my 2000 Chevy suburban. It would be so nice to have everything you done on this, done to mine. Next project.
You would never make as a flat rate tech. With all that torqeing. Not rocket science!
Fantastic video, love the level of detail and clarity. Doing the same thing on my 96 Tahoe. I’ve not been able to track down a part number for the knuckle seal, do you happen to still have that handy? I know the videos are 3 years old at this point, but this is the gold standard.
www.amazon.com/National-710106-Oil-Seal/dp/B0012UCJ06#customerReviews
@@SuburbanRanch perfect, thank you!!
This truck here is built better than most new trucks today. Fucking beaut!
I highly appreciate the effort this man puts into making these incredibly awesome videos
What paint did you use for the chassis? Is there a video for that?
@Boss Mode We used Rustoleum primer and paint after sanding and prepping the surface. Sorry no video!
Man I went years not knowing what a spud wrench was and it is my favorite suspension tool
When talking about getting ready to install your torsion bars and keys, the lower control arms are being supported by wood blocks that look to have the control arm at ride height? Is this true? Were these blocks in place under the control arms when you installed the torsion bars and adjuster keys? When you used the torsion bar tool to install the key plates and adjuster bolt, were the control arms still supported by these blocks? I know the weight of the truck needs to be off when doing torsion bars but am having issues getting mine correct after installing new lower control arm bushings. My adjuster screws are way off when trying to get to stock height and was wondering if installing them from scratch has a few differences. Thanks!
@Sea Snake "What paint did you use??"
We used Rustoleum primer and top coat
Thanks looks great
Great video! do have on question the part #'s for the upper control arms CMS50120 and CMS50121 match but don't match according to the product picture the ball joint doesn't look like it can be removed with out grinding down the rivets. Is it maybe just not the actual pic?
@Christino Griego The ball joint on the control arms we received were just bolted in. I just checked a few retailers and they still appear to be bolted in.
I recently rebuilt the whole front suspension on my K1500 with this video as a big reference, so I would like to voice my gratitude in that regard. I did have a question for Suburban Ranch and maybe a word of warning for anyone else going into this. 11:03, did you have issues getting an alignment done with your truck?, The upper control arm bolts that double as the camber/caster adjustment with the eccentric washers are installed straight up here. I proceeded to do the same thing on my truck. The alignment shop was unable to spin them at all and stripped out the eccentrics trying to do so. I am now putting in some MOOG replacements pointing straight down with the hopes that that will get me my pre-rebuild alignment back.
We had no issues getting the alignment done. If they stripped out the bolts I think that’s on them. Shops screw up all the time, that’s why we do the work ourselves when we can!
@@SuburbanRanch definitely a possibility, more than likely I screwed up first in placing the camber bolts not facing outward like you indicated. I appreciate the reply!
@Flamehara The shop could have flipped them. They probably did not know how eccentric bolts worked and stripped them instead.
@@SuburbanRanch I've got an answer that may seem incredibly obvious to most but a big help to others in my predicament, but my Tahoe still had its camber bolt knock-outs intact, meaning that my truck had never received an alignment in 27 years and 240,000 miles after leaving the factory. In my research on rebuilding my suspension I had failed to come across the information that I would need to remove the metal tabs that allow the eccentric bolts to rotate. The alignment tech who was an older fellow had told me he had never even seen them in person on one of these trucks before and was intrigued by it. Word to the wise because I certainly was not: make sure your camber knockouts have in fact been knocked out before putting in your new upper control arms!
Those front sway bar end links are a pain to get a socket on for torquing.
@Suburban Ranch
Thank you for these videos. Just finished up an engine rebuild/upgrade and got my truck back from the tranny shop with a rebuild/upgrade on that as well.
Time to do this job. I do have some play in the steering and the truck does get a little squirrely on uneven pavement at cruising speed.
I can see rotted grease boots on ball joints, leaked grease, missing long bolt bushings on the driver's side end of the sway bar, and at least one CV boot is split in half. Pretty sure all this stuff is 30 years old.
Power steering system seems to be working fine.
My questions: What part should I be checking/replacing on the steering shaft for play? And will that along with what you did in this video most likely get my handling issues corrected?
@Four-Eight-Zero Sounds like you need to do what we did in the video. As for the steering shaft, check out our video on the steering coupler assembly ua-cam.com/video/uITkNkFmlAk/v-deo.html
I’m curious as to how you know exactly how to install the uppers? The stock ones are mounted below the upper control arm, whereas you have these mounted ontop of the arm. Is this correct, if so how do you know? I have seen no technical service bulletin telling us how these are installed, nothing online, nothing from mevotech, and there’s not many videos of this.
I have to swap both my uppers on my 94 k3500 but i want to know the correct installation.
I need to do this on my 95 . At 193k nearly everything stock all round.
those angled grease fittings are usually 2 piece. If that's the case, usually a 7 or 8mm socket to take off the zirc and then the main part you can use the appropriate socket on.
Mans rock auto cart was filled up before he checked out
What was the paint you used for the lower control arm once it was cleaned up looks like its a new part also how many coats is needed for the look that new
When adjusting for camber which direction do you go to get positive or negative camber?
Awesome video! Where did you find the lower arm? I have 97 K1500, and I cannot find a new arm anywhere.
@Scott Rankin We just had to search junkyards across the country eventually found some in Oregon. Then got them blasted and painted. Here’s one it might fit, I would compare it to yours to make sure. www.ebay.com/itm/324811972183?mkevt=1&mkcid=16&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0
Curious, why would you need to replace the lower control arm? Was it damaged? Can they be cleaned up and have new bushings?
I’m currently trying to fix up my 94 k1500 I got last year. But if only my torsion bars came out as easy as they did for you lol. I have been doing everything to get them out of the lowers but they will not come budge.
@Joey Robbins I’ve seen someone on UA-cam us a jackhammer…
Great video. Would these part fit a 95 2 door Tahoe 4x4? Looking to up grade my front suspension.
I assume they would work on a 1995 Tahoe, but I’d go to the Mevotech website and double check.
Thank you so much! So cool video
I think that a Kryptonite center link would have been a nice touch here but excellent build. Very nice
Thanks for the video, great work. what coating/paint are you using on the frame and parts? I'm working on cleaning up my 96.
@JFOutdoor We used Rustoleum primer and paint.
@suburbanranch When you install the toraion bars , do you leave the fron knuckles and parts jacked up on boards? If so do you lower them after you put the key in and get the adjusting bolt in? I cant seem to get them to stay tensioned or lower with tire on?
There would be more tension on the bars with the weight of the truck on the suspension. I’m guessing you have the bars off an entire flat if you have no tension with weight on the front suspension.
@@SuburbanRanch im sorry , im confused witb the entire flat thing ? ,
There are 6 flats on the torsion bars (like a hex), are you indexing the key at the correct spot?
I'm looking to replace my front suspension with Mevotech. I've seen several complaints of fitment being off and overall quality of some of the components being low and wearing out quickly (after less than 15k miles).
Have you had or experienced any of these issues?
@Jseen Fitment yes, we had to modify a bracket, I believe we mention it in the video. No comment on the longevity of the parts as of yet as we haven’t driven it much since the install.
I had the same problem with painted threads on my inner tie rods, and also used a die grinder with wire brush to clean the paint off.
Nice video. You didn't show or mention that you tightened the hub nut after lowering the vehicle. Hope you did!
Thanks. And yes we tightened the hub nut.
any tips on replacing the bushings on the lower control arms?
They are very hard to get in and out without bending the thin parts of the control arm that hold the bushings. We had this done at a local shop
Awesome videos! I’ve watched this suspension series about 10 times and taken notes. Do you have to replace the lower control arm or can you rebuild/refurbish it somehow?
If the bushings look bad I would replace them like we did since you can’t buy new lower control arms
For the torsion bars. They are labeled left and right. Which is passenger and which is driver side? Also, which way does the labeled left and right labeled side go( lower AArm or torsion key)? Thanks
hey guys... awesome channel great content please keep up the hard work. I do have a question though... I'm up in Canada and I'm trying to source out your mevotech parts. where did you order them from? cause their site doesn't have any purchasing options available. Thanks in advance
We ordered them from RockAuto
@@SuburbanRanch Thank you!! Do you happen to know the part number for those Bilstein front shocks you installed?
@LeelandDomino Bilstein 24-104050 B6 4600 - Shock Absorber
can i use all of these for my 1993 chevy k1500? Planning on buying a 6 inch suspension lift and a 3 inch body lift and having big (35+ inch tires on it). Will this be strong enough?
These parts should fit your 1993, but I’m not sure about using them with a lift.
So you had to grind the ball joint to fit the control arm? I wish that it was shown. Thanks for the video.
@MrSarge99 We did some grinding to the bolt carrier to better fit the contours of the control arm.
@DeletedDevil "How much did all that cost you?"
All of the part numbers are in the description. I would check rockauto, they typically have good prices.
@john burke Gave a great answer "I just made another pretty big order on rock auto with the same parts except for the lower control arms. All mevotec parts, including ball joints upper and lower, upper control arms, pitman and idler arm with idler arm bracket, inner and outer tie rod ends with sleeves, also had to get a new power steering pump and steering intermediate shaft. Everything was around 1200. And definitely worth it on every obs I build"
Absolutely outstanding!
Hey Suburban Ranch. What are your opinions on swapping out to a 5.3 and 6L80 tranny into my 97 Tahoe 2door Z71 sport?
I want just a smidge more power and with a 6spd transmission, gas mileage should improve as well.
Would love your opinion. Thank you for taking the time to teach us gmt400 owners how to work on our trucks.
Nothing is more satisfying than when my wife's Tahoe has an issue, I can fix it now from fuel sender, to suspension, to ac work.
You make me look good to my wife and daughter and for that beer and steak is on me if you come to Orlando.
@Just Passing Through Glad you are enjoying the content! I love the idea of a 5.3 swap, but it’s not going to be cheap or easy!
Super awesome video thank you so much I've been having a lot of trouble trying to find some of the right torque specs.
Don't know if you'll see my comment but by chance what size were the torsion torsion bar bushing spacers?.
@Gary Wyckoff Sorry, not sure on the spacer. I assume you are talking about the spacer that goes in the rubber bushing for the crossmember. We just cleaned it a put it back in the truck.
Wow, you could eat off that frame! I have a 1990 K2500 and am doing a front end rebuild with almost the identical parts as you. One thing I am curious about: My sway bar link bolts are almost touching my upper control arms, while your bolts are about 2 inches below the UCAs. Wonder why that is? (I have not tightened the sway bar brackets yet, just started the bolts, so that could be why?) I was planning on tightening the bar brackets after the truck was back on its tires.
@Ken C. You should definitely have clearance between the sway bar end link bolts and the upper control arms. Are you sure you purchased the correct end links?
Hi. The links I had were Mevotech, but I ended up using Moog links instead, which were easier to install, so I was able to install it with the bolt head on top, as it should be. My front end rebuild is done, just need an alignment!
Does it matter how the lower ball joint bolts go in? The manual has bolts coming from under and even the Mevotech site shows the bracket mounted on the underside. Can't imagine it matters but idk. Maybe why the grinder was needed?
@s2k I can’t imagine it would matter which direction you mount the bolts, but I’d go with what they have on the website!
Looks like you’re using a 99 front lower control arm do you know if it’s a direct fit?
@LIFE OF DANIEL The lower control arm we used is the original to the truck. The 99 probably looks similar but I doubt it’s a direct fit
Thanks!!! I use your videos to replace all my suspension and steering. And your parts list (ALL OF IT) . Everything worked great, but the hub assembly. The flange with the studs is 1/6" to thin, my rotor rubs the dust shield and won't turn. Did you have this problem? I have a 1990 k1500 Silverado.
@Tommy Heist I did not have any problems with the hub contacting the dust shield. Does your truck have the heavy duty suspension option? If so, the hub has a different part number (H515001).
Can't tell no code sticker in glove box. It does now after all the new mevotech parts. I'm getting grades from bumper to bumper! Keep your awesome videos coming!
Wonderful video. I have a chevy suburban year 1997, C1500, meaning two wheel drive, several parts of the suspension were replaced, but I'm not sure if the technician made a good job when replacing the entire steering assy. On this video on the minute 31:00 shows the entire steering assy , showing that the nuts of the inner tie rod faces to the bumber, and the outher tie rod nut faces to the hood, however on my car the nuts of the inner rod faces to the engine. Wonder if the inner tie road has to be placed on the other way around because that my truck is two wheel drive and on your video shows a four wheel drive chevy or perhaps my technican made a mistake Wonder wich problem could ocurr by placing the inner tie rod on the wrong position. Any comment will be very welcome.
@NEMIAS MEJIA I would suggest you look for pictures of a 2wd suspension and compare your setup
thank to the good video !
i have a one question !
the torsion bar position R to the ride side and L to the passenger side ? is correct?
thanks
@Carlo Corradini Right to the passenger side would be my guess, it’s been a while since we did it.
Very good detailed video! Watched it about ten times now. Quick question. Is all this stock suspension and stock torsion keys? I ran into a roadblock with my Tahoe. Had a 3 inch RC lift installed about 12 years ago and now tearing it apart to rebuild it and thank god I’m doing it. All my ball joints were done and my upper control arms were riding the top bump stop causing crazy preload on the torsion bar and keys. Were those keys stock keys?
@Marco Limon Yes, this truck has stock keys.
Great video only thing I would do differently is to put sway bar link bolt threw the control arm first threads up
@ערן תומר"are you sure that the torsion bars go with the arrows and R and L signs to the front?" That's how they came out of the truck
What steering box are you using in on my 3rd Napa box loosing hope this truck will ever drive nice again lol and yes all tie rods have been replaced with acdelco parts wish I seen this video before.
@Anthony C Blue top steering gear
I know this video is quite old but what was the process for removing and replacing Lower Control Arm Bushings? I picked up some poly lower bushings for simplicity and longevity so install will be slightly different than rubber bushings.
@James Barnhart The lower control arm bushings are tricky. You need a press and you need to be careful not to bend the ears that hold the bushing in place. We took ours to a shop to be pushed out.
What’s the part number for the steering knuckle seals. Can’t find it anywhere. Thank you!
www.amazon.com/National-710106-Oil-Seal/dp/B0012UCJ06#customerReviews
The mevotech parts look well designed and a good upgrade over oem. I'll be doing all of the same parts on my 90' rcsb. How have your parts held up, and how many miles on the new front end?
They seemed like good parts, I did not put a ton of miles on the truck. I would stick with Mevotech, Moog, or AC Delco for front end parts.
@SuburbanRanch after some light reading it looks like the Mevotech ttx stuff is gonna be the best bang for the buck. Going to be ripping my whole truck apart and starting from the frame up. Maybe I'll do a series on it.
Do they have the ball joints for a 2500 8lug or make any of these parts for one ? Looks like a nice upgrade. I’ve got a 98
I’m not sure. I would check the website.
How are those ttx parts holding up? I'm on the fence about getting some lower ball joints and outer tie rods. Have read so many mixed reviews.
TTX parts are fine so far, but not a ton of miles on them
How did you calculate the “Z” height from the lower control arm pivot bolt to the bottom of the steering knuckle?
The z-height was listed in the manual
I have the Haynes manual and the original owners manual and it’s not listed in either one 🤦🏻♂️. I’ll have to search the internet I guess
We had the Chilton manual
How well did all this mevotech suspension stuff hold up for you ?? I’ve heard mixed reviews
I ordered these upper control arms from rock auto. They just came in and they have studs in them no bolts, so I can’t swap the ball joints unless I cut the studs. I’m bummed
@Cody Wow, they must have changed them.
Didn’t you have a video of you painting this frame? I can’t seem to find it now.
@dillon stackhouse We don’t have a video of us painting the frame but we have a video reviewing rustproof M/D
What are you guys doing about k1500 lower control arms? I’d like to replace my old ones but I can’t find any online. Would the suburban k1500 lowers work on a silverado? Mines a 1996 z71
@Dylan Haynes Just keep searching the junk yards or clean up the set that you have. I wish they made replacements!
How are these ball joints hold up?
Had to rewind, then replay and the siren sound is on your end.👮
What is an approximate cost for all you replaced including labor??
@olnappy I would guess 3-4K with labor
@@SuburbanRanch cool, I truly can't see myself paying that much for my old reliable - upper and lower bushings on both control arms yes - but I truly appreciate your response, SB!
How are the bushings and ball joints holding up?
Stuff looked good the last time I saw it!
Hello, one question 🙋🏻
How long did it take to get the Cv Axles back from “CVSource” Thanks
@Reynaldo Damian Took a week or two if I remember correctly
Thank you, I really like this video. I’m doing the same rebuild on my truck.
Its been 2 years. How are the mevotech holding up? I am between mevotech and Acdelco on my 1995 Suburban K1500
The Mevotech stuff held up pretty well, but I didn’t put a ton of miles on the truck
SOMONE PLEASE TELL ME WHERE I CAN GET LOWER CONTROL ARMS FOR A 1996 CHEVY K1500. I’ve done some research and I guess they are “stamped” arms and not “forged” however I CANNOT FIND THEM ANYWHERE
@Cdog Plumskie Unfortunately no one makes them, the junkyard is the only option.
Are the lower control arms off a 92 to 05 Astro found then online and they look exactly like what you installed
@Austin Barton They are the original lower control arms that have been cleaned up.
How you liking the Mevotech TTX? Looks fairly strong and durable
@TurnThenWheels Mevotech stuff seems to be fine, don’t have a ton of miles on it.
@@SuburbanRanch okay 👌
Nice truck. I have a 94 that needs the same treatment with the painted frame. Did you do a cab lifted off the frame project? Looks nice!
@jay dee Never lifted the cab! There is a little space between the cab and the frame to paint.
How do you out the seal in the back of the knuckle I don’t know if I have the wrong one or what but I can’t get it in
Drive it in!
@@SuburbanRanch is there a certain tool or makeshift way of doing it cause I’ve tried just about everything and can’t get it in
Just tap around the edge gently.
I have a 99 Yukon 5.7 4x4 I cannot find lower control arms anywhere can you help?
Great video! love it!
Do you have a part number for the front lower control arms? I cant find it anywhere and even your video doesnt have it listed!
@Joe D’Alessio They do not make new lower control arms. We just refinished the original ones. Your best bet for a decent pair is a southern junk yard unfortunately.
@@SuburbanRanch wow! That would explain my dilemma!