pipefitter

I had a brake issue on my '96 4x4. It has around 135,000 miles, but I had a caliper stick and it ate up the rotor on the drivers side. I never heard a peep until it was too late. I replaced the bearing assembly at the same time. I rested the truck on jackstands, under the front lower control arms. I assumed they had an "anti-crush" sleeve in them, but they don't. The driver's side crushed together a little bit and the passenger side has a slight bend. When I test drove the truck, the wheel is a few degrees to the left when I go straight. Could this amount of damage make it uncentered? And yes, I feel like an idiot.

AlpineRAM

Replace those control arms immediately!
Crushing them can lead to cracks, and you do not want them go let go while driving!

After doing that you will need to get the truck aligned.

pipefitter

Nuts. They show no sign of breaking, but look more like they were "pinched" together in the center. I may try to straighten them, if only to see if it affects the steering wheel position.

AlpineRAM

Well, just my opinion...

Those buggers have been stressed for 21 years, they have corroded for 21 years, and they have been deformed in a way that is visible on the steering wheel...

I am grateful that I am on the other side of an ocean if you want to drive like that....

pipefitter

As I said, "If only to see if it affects the position of the steering wheel". The truck has but 135,000 miles, and there is no corrosion on those arms. If they need replacing, they will be replaced. Chickenshit design for a 3/4 ton 4x4, in my opinion. They easily bent back with nothing more than a medium length pry bar. I didn't have a chance to drive it yesterday, but plan to this morning. I still don't know if that is the reason the wheel isn't centered.

texasprd

It would be interesting to see some pics of each control arm. You said the passenger side had a bend - in what direction?

If you bent the control arm, then you probably moved the ball joint location slightly relative to all the other steering points. If you've ever separated the steering knuckle from either ball joint and noticed how that caused the knuckle to "turn" a bit left/right when the knuckle flops over - I would think this was similar.

Let us know what happens.

pipefitter

The "slight bend" I referred to was that, unlike the driver's side, only one side of the arm was pinched. Neither was bent either left or right. The driver's side was pinched in the center. I drove it today, (after having straightened the arms out), and there is no real difference. I took it to a local frame shop, and the owner took a look and saw no reason not to drive the truck, but agreed it needed to be realigned.

SIXSLUG

You re-center the steering wheel by turning the union on the tie rod coming off the steering box....put it up on jackstands,,,under the axle tubes this time, place a bright zip tie at 12 o'clock on the steering wheel and turn the sleeve til the zip tie is straight up.

Test drive it and tweak a bit to perfect....

pipefitter

Thanks for the information!