Front suspension and brake suggestions

Cool! my brakes feel so soft right now, I'm hoping that changing the pads and rotors will stiffen them up some.

 

I got the cheapest tie rod ends from ebay at the beginning of the summer... they were really cheap.. Came in cheap packaging.... But once i got the parts..the part numbers were identical to moog parts... Havent had a problem since

 

nice! im going to have to look for those. is it a good idea to change my tie rods with my balljoints? i was planning on doing it, but if there isnt a reason to, im not going to. How do i know if i need to change them?

 

one thing i want to clarify from reading other posts...

when changing out your ball joints, both upper and lower, there is a slight difference. the upper bj's need to be replaced w/ the Upper Control Arm (UCA) as it is a 1 piece unit. However, the LBJ can be pressed out and a new one pressed into the LCA. This is the route I went when i replaced my front suspension. and Moog is definitely the place to be. Try finding great prices at RockAuto.com, and remember, we get 5% off since they are a sponsor on the forum.

also, if you already have a leveling kit, then adding the Rancho Quicklifts will eliminate the use of your current leveling kit. The reason Rancho made the Quicklift is so that the spring would be located at the top of the shock as it is from the factory, providing a better ride quality then your standard leveling kit.

if you add the Quicklift to your leveling kit, you would have a 4"+ level in the front, and if the 3" tears up angles and tie rods, 4" is gonna kill everything even faster. i removed my leveling kit when i installed my Quicklifts.

 

Ok, good to know about the ball joints. thats what I had figured for them but now im 100% on that. Also, Im not looking to install quicklifts, but i need new shocks. I was wondering if i can find shocks with the spring already installed on them so i dont have to press the spring to install them. do you have any recommedations on shocks vano? have you heard anything about kyb gas-a-justs?

 

when it comes to shocks, you get what you pay for. i am in the need for new shocks too up front after putting a hard 50k on these QuickLifts. I don't need springs because I swapped them when I added these (it was before Rancho made the QL a pre-assembled shock). I have looked at the gas adjusts, and a few others, but it all boiled down to this for me: if I went w/ anything other than the QL's, i'd have to buy a level kit and mount that. i have decided that i'll just drop the coin for the QL's again, and try to gain some cash back on selling my springs used. i know its not the cheapest, but i know this route will handle the abuse i throw at it because its been tried and tested for the past 50k+. go w/ what ya know i always say...

but the bilsteins are a great choice too. but either way, i say get a shock that is already lifted, like the QL or Bilsteins. if you arent, then just get a standard shock from RockAuto and throw your level kit on it.

 

Thanks for the advice man! i think im defintely leaning towards keeping my level i already have though, so i suppose that i should just look for shocks like monroe, kyb, etc?

 

monroe is a great shock. i even think they are pre-assembled like you are wanting. like i said, check out rockauto.com if you never have. they offer many options, from mild to wild, and you also get to see the image of what you are buyin, so you will know for sure if its what you want or not. and as always, i'm hear to help so just drop me a line whenever.

 

thanks for the help vano!

 

I put the Rancho QuickLift coil-overs in the front, Rancho RS9000 in the rear, Moog ball joints upper (the UCA and ball joint are one piece) and lower, stabilizer end links with grease fittings from NAPA. All is good and the Ranchos ride great.

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