Info on 93 f250n/a front end repair

Jason1377

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Trying to figure the most costless way with out renting tools n lil know how on my part to refresh my front end.heres the list

1.breakes/rotators
2. Tie rod ends in/outer
3.shocks
4.anything else that needs greased n tighten up.

My budget is around $400 my lil brother who is a vehicle guru suggested parts/labor to be about close to that amount, lil brother built his first motor with no knowledge at age 14 so any who he is tied up with work n side projects.

Wife will murder me if my budget is more right now due to mid way updating her 1999 olds Delta 88 ls

Thanks for all the help/tips.
 

Clb

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Sell the olds for parts money, buy her a car???
Yep I'm lit, sorry.
 

frankenwrench

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Don't forget twin I beam bushing, ball joints, control arm bushings, and sway arm bushings. I'm sure all that hit budjet already but did all that as well as some customizing on steering shaft and replacing rag joint and u joint and almost no play in steering. Well worth it to me
 

DrCharles

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My truck drives straight and doesn't wobble, and so far the tires aren't wearing funny... but there's about three inches of play in the steering wheel. I suspect most of it's in the box. Some of the tie rod boots look bad though, and a set of four from Rock Auto is only $105 shipped (from their "Daily Driver" category).

There's a pretty impressive range of prices from $3 each for the cheapest "Economy" to $30+ for "Premium". Don't buy the $3 ones unless you like frequent replacement and re-alignments.
 

Jason1377

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Rockauto and the 20% off coupon at advance auto is your friend
my lil brother just the district manager of advanced Auto here in northeastern AR.

Sell the olds for parts money, buy her a car???
Yep I'm lit, sorry.
Lol I'd be divorced that is the wife love child plus I can work on that n she stays happy n life is east with a happy wife.


The number 4.etc was bushings n such my stearing is great n truck has 159k miles on it n I'm the 3rd n final owner just figured while I have the brakes n tie rods done might as well do the rest
 
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mblaney

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If you are doing tie rods and ball joints check prices for XRF also... some good prices out there and I think the best quality.

Due to your budget, I would find the source of the play. Crappy boots don't cause that so if your steering box is done there goes your budget... for now! I have not used them but Redhead seems to be the go-to brand for boxes.
 

franklin2

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The best way to save money is to do some troubleshooting and checking. You may not need tie rod ends, they may have been replaced at some previous time, and if they are still good, why waste money and time replacing them?

Jack one front tire up and grab it at six o clock and 12 o clock, and try to wiggle it. Then grab it at 3 o clock and 9 o clock and try to wiggle it.

Play at 3 and 9 indeed may be a tie rod problem, but is it all of them or only the inner or outer? You look while someone is wiggling the tire. Don't see a problem? Do you have play at 12 and 6? Check that way also at the ball joint area, you may need balljoints(very common). If you do not see any play, play at both 3 and 9 and 6 and 12 could be a wheel bearing out of adjustment.

You can visually check the pivot bushings in the middle, and the shackle bushings on the springs. Lots of things to check on the ttb, which is why people get frustrated with these axles, they do not go over them good enough. Your list is good enough for a dana 60 straight axle, not good enough for a ttb frontend. And I would not replace good parts with new parts.
 

Jason1377

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The best way to save money is to do some troubleshooting and checking. You may not need tie rod ends, they may have been replaced at some previous time, and if they are still good, why waste money and time replacing them?

Jack one front tire up and grab it at six o clock and 12 o clock, and try to wiggle it. Then grab it at 3 o clock and 9 o clock and try to wiggle it.

Play at 3 and 9 indeed may be a tie rod problem, but is it all of them or only the inner or outer? You look while someone is wiggling the tire. Don't see a problem? Do you have play at 12 and 6? Check that way also at the ball joint area, you may need balljoints(very common). If you do not see any play, play at both 3 and 9 and 6 and 12 could be a wheel bearing out of adjustment.

You can visually check the pivot bushings in the middle, and the shackle bushings on the springs. Lots of things to check on the ttb, which is why people get frustrated with these axles, they do not go over them good enough. Your list is good enough for a dana 60 straight axle, not good enough for a ttb frontend. And I would not replace good parts with new parts.

Inner tie rod rubber is cracked n going around a corner so fast makes the truck death wobble n po before me never replaced it he is a welder n gone most of the time,the other items had the front/back tires replaced front passenger side wiggled back n forth lil brother suggested either shock or joints he was not completely sure n his tire guy called him/ I hear a noise like a creeking time to time when hit a bump on passenger side.

I'm a lil OCD on rigs is one reason I asked advice on front end
 

DrCharles

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And I would not replace good parts with new parts.

If one tie rod end has worn out, and the other three are the same age, why not replace them all at the same time? The extra parts cost is worth not having to change another one and pay for another alignment a few thousand miles later...
 

chillman88

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If you decide the steering box needs to be replaced, I think I paid $100 at RockAuto for a Lares Reman gear, I have no complaints on it. All my looseness is in the column now except for the cheap piviot bushings I can see wiggling around when I move the steering wheel when parked.
 

franklin2

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If one tie rod end has worn out, and the other three are the same age, why not replace them all at the same time? The extra parts cost is worth not having to change another one and pay for another alignment a few thousand miles later...

Most of these trucks have storied pasts. You do not know what has been replaced and what hasn't. So to your point, yes replacing it all will be a guarantee it's all good. But if his budget is only $400, he may not make it. Most of these trucks need the balljoints replaced, and that is a big job requiring a balljoint press, which you can get reasonably at Harbor Freight. But this all starts to add up. But, there is the slight possibility the balljoints have already been replaced?
 

DrCharles

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True... but weigh the cost and time of having to do the job partly over again vs. the extra money to know it's right. Whatever the OP can afford, I suppose.
I'd look very carefully at any parts I was planning to reuse.

Don't Autozone and other chain stores loan out the ball joint press (100% of your deposit returned when you bring it back)? I did them on my '84 F-150 2WD using the loaner set a few years ago.
 

franklin2

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Speaking of ball joint presses, has anyone bought the $90 "Maddox" set from Harbor Freight? With the common 20% coupon that's down to $72. The reviews are mostly positive but some had trouble with the c-clamp bending on first use...

https://www.harborfreight.com/ball-joint-service-kit-for-2wd-and-4wd-vehicles-63279.html

That's what I used. As with anything from Harbor Freight, you have to realize it's limitations. I didn't have any problems with mine and have done several trucks with it. But I always oil the threads on the clamp before use, and if it gets a lot of pressure on it, I use a hammer to help persuade it rather than bearing down too much on the clamp.

If you broke it, I am sure you could take it back and get another. I broke their 3/4 drive breaker bar the other day, and they took it back and exchanged it. I twisted the end right off. But I did have a 5 ft pipe over it with all my weight on it. I was trying to get the packing nut loose on a backhoe cylinder, the factory tightens them to 750ft lbs, and they have loctite on them also. I ended up taking that to a big truck shop to get it broke loose.
 

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