Have an 03 that I’ve owned since day one. Truck has an issue it has had since around 100k miles. Truck has 242k on it now. Truck pulled my TT very very well with no sway whatsoever. Ball joints were changed at 100ish and the truck has never been the same pulling wise. I’m currently on the 4th set of ball joints. Fresh ball joints, Thuren track bar, later style steering linkage, 6 bolt steering box, King stabilizer. All of this has 4K miles.
Anyway…since the ball joints were originally changed, the truck just doesn’t control trailer sway near as well. I’m not really sure how to describe it. But trailer def controls the truck. Trailer will make a move and steering input is needed to control the sway. Trucks feels sort of floaty at times. It isn’t a trailer issue as it does it with two different trailers. Last week I put one of my trailers on a Chevy and no issues. Hitch height was not right on the Chevy as I Didn’t want to reset hitch. Still pulled fine with very very little side to side movement of trailer.
I’ve been told that solid axle trucks are hard to get back to new pulling wise. Also read that front axle position is paramount in a solid axle truck.
I’m close to selling her and getting another rig. But still feel this issue should be fixable.
The control arms/bushings are still original. I have to think that if axle placement is a big deal that possibly they need replaced?
What I don’t understand is what could have been changed so much, geometry wise, from the original ball joint replacement? Alignment was done wrong and has been wrong 3 more times since?
Shackle bushings do need replaced, but not sure if that is the cause of the current issues. They weren’t bad at 100k miles.
Thanks in advance for any help!!
Anyway…since the ball joints were originally changed, the truck just doesn’t control trailer sway near as well. I’m not really sure how to describe it. But trailer def controls the truck. Trailer will make a move and steering input is needed to control the sway. Trucks feels sort of floaty at times. It isn’t a trailer issue as it does it with two different trailers. Last week I put one of my trailers on a Chevy and no issues. Hitch height was not right on the Chevy as I Didn’t want to reset hitch. Still pulled fine with very very little side to side movement of trailer.
I’ve been told that solid axle trucks are hard to get back to new pulling wise. Also read that front axle position is paramount in a solid axle truck.
I’m close to selling her and getting another rig. But still feel this issue should be fixable.
The control arms/bushings are still original. I have to think that if axle placement is a big deal that possibly they need replaced?
What I don’t understand is what could have been changed so much, geometry wise, from the original ball joint replacement? Alignment was done wrong and has been wrong 3 more times since?
Shackle bushings do need replaced, but not sure if that is the cause of the current issues. They weren’t bad at 100k miles.
Thanks in advance for any help!!
