Every so often, but randomly and not 100% repeatable, I get a slight clunk from the right front. Pretty faint, but it is there. Replaced top ball joint and cleaned/repacked bearings. No play in the tie-rod end or pitman arm (bushings good inside there). Can't feel any play in the lower ball joint.

POSSIBLY it is happening in the driver's side and I just think it is the passenger side. But the passenger ball-joint was definitely shot and causing some clunking before I replaced both. I now can't get anything to move on either side from 12 to 6 or 9 to 3.

Also, possibly related, there is a slight pull to the left when braking lightly or moderately. When I stand on the brakes it seems to straighten up. Does that sound like some kind of braking imbalance? My theory being that if I mash the pedal hard enough whatever left-right imbalance there is gets washed out in the hard braking.

For example, if I stop and then kind of pump the pedal to inch forward the steering wheel usually wants to turn left by a few degrees each pump.

I have replaced the calipers and pads and flexible lines and bled the whole system. More bleeding required? Rotors? Oh, and the master cylinder looks pretty new but I have no real knowledge of it.

 

Are you inspecting the steering components with the vehicle on stands or atleast jacked up?

 

All three! There are methods of testing various components while on the ground, jacked up, on stands, on stands with jack under the lca, etc, etc. Not that I'm an expert on it, but I have tried a whole bunch of them.

 

what about taking a pair of vise grips and squeezing each one of the ends to check for play that way? I know that's what I got to do with mine to get any play out of them.

 

its really difficult to check for a lower ball joint issue by shaking the wheel with your hands. it works great for the uppers and the wheel bearings but with the lower, you should get a pipe or a pry bar and the truck resting on a jack or a stand under the lower control arm, put the bar or pipe under the wheel at 6 o'clock and pry upward. watch for movement and listen for noise. xxxtreme's method also works to find even the very slightest movement. a big pair of vise grips or channel locks.

 

Well I will have to try harder on the lower ball joint exam. Thanks clydehatchet. Finally noticed that the right front rotor was pretty scored/ridged (it had a ridge around the entire edge) so I went ahead and replaced it. The left rotor looked spanky new and it seemed like a decent bet that a bad right rotor might give less brakeyness on that side. No joy. Still pulls on braking.

New info. Tried sorta hard and locked up the rears on a parking lot. Doesn't this thing have rear anti-lock? It has the light that goes out when you start it up that says "Rear Anti-Lock".

Related?

One other thing I have noticed. This truck rides a good 10-20 mm higher than the standard per the manual. Front and Rear. In fact, I adjusted it more higher in the front to make the framerails read level because the back is high. No saggy rear springs, but no lift either. Just a set of "wrong" rear coils?

 

shocks or shock mounts? sway bar end links?