After replacing all ball joints, all tie rods, dampner, track bar, steering box, adding DSS and RSS, my truck would still hunt the road. It was more of a dip or roll in the lane. Well, last night, I replaced all 4 swaybar bushings and end links with suspensionmaxx products. Problem solved. I can't beleive I was getting that much wander with worn swaybar bushings and end links. Now I can enjoy driving this thing again.

 

How many miles did it take to wear all that stuff out?

 

190K

I did have the pass. side upper joint replaced twice before (don't remember the mileage) and replaced my 1st trackbar at 177K. Other than that everything else was stock and lasted 190K. Not too bad I guess?

 

do you have to replace whole track bar or you can just replace bushing?

 

No you can use one of these> http://www.lukeslink.com/

They work great, lots of folks use them.

 

Then I dont have to buy whole new track bar?

 

It looks like you just have to buy their new end piece and install on the old bar, i have never seen these before, but with mine on the way out i am now interested. Im tight on the $ and this is defently a cheaper fix. If that "lukes link" is a legit option i will defently be keeping it in mind.

would like to hear from any that have one or have used one.

 

I have them on everything on the front of my truck. They won't work on most aftermarket track bars. Stock ones you got to do a little grinding on the end of the bar where the ball socket is. Not hard at all to do, and definately saved me a lot of money. I have had the one on the track bar for three years now i believe, and it isn't showing any wear. If it does I just have to add a shim to it. I've heard if you are a major off roader they are not as strong as some of the aftermarket complete track bars. But they have worked flawless for me, towing horses,hay,firewood,etc. And some off road through the woods to get firewood. Definately worth it to me.

 

I've installed over ten Luke's Links on various trucks, no complaints.
I asked one fellow about the one I installed on his truck over four years ago and he said he hasn't even had to adjust it over 100k later.
Granted his miles are on pavement towing a travel trailer.
It's the potholed, washboard dirt roads that kill the trackbar ball joint fast.

I would have used a Luke's on my own truck except my stock bar wore out before they came out. I bought a lifetime warranted bar from Napa that I have to replace about every 50k miles.
No questions asked, I just bring in the old bar and they give me a new one.

With the Luke's it's pretty much required you have an angle grinder and vice to get the old ball out.

 

IMO the luke link is a quick and cheaper fix. but nothing is going to fix your stock trac-bar from being bent. all of the ones I went throught prior to getting my DSS set up were damaged due to being bent. make sure your bar isnt bent. when I replaced my trac bar for the last time I decided with DSS. I'm in the current situation of taking part of my DSS trac bar bracket and part of my aftermarket drop bracket kit from my lift and morph them together so i can use my DSS with the 6" lift. I will post some picts when I get it welded this afternoon. should be intresting. my friend is going to assist me. my welding skills are a 10 in my book but he calls me a "stevie wonder" welder. that is why I'm having him babysit me with the welder. back to luke's they are rebuildable. they will handle above average on a stock truck that see's little hard roads. will work fine for freeway. just make sure what ever you do it hopefully will be the last purchase for a long time. take word from some of us that have spent the money and found out this and that product was bad. good luck

 

okay fixed and welded the bracket old upper from the DSS and made it stronger. but I think this still needs addressed more down the road. I know thuren makes a trac bar that has everything that you can use up 9 or 10 inch lift but I dont think it is adjustable. DSS you suppose to only go up to 3 inches and that is why I did what I did. I need to call DSS rumor is they are in the R/R stage of building a upper bracket to use there trac bar for lifted trucks higher than 3 inches.

 

I have the Thuren 3rd gen on mine. Well built & adjustable. I don't use it hard & have only 20,000 mi on it. No problems. I suggest talking to Don to see what he has that goes with what lift.

 

WOW. ldornak, I have do the exact same thing to my 98 even tried different tires and its still wandering. I am going to give the sway bar stuff a try didn't think it would make that big of a difference but if it fixes it I will be extatic and a little bit ****** thats all it was haha.

 

I confused, as swaybar's control body roll, not veh wander????? FWIW I made 4 swaybar links out of two 1996 dodge carivan swaybar links. I basically cut the threaded end off the old truck swaybar link and welded it to the Carivan swaybar link that I had cut in half, the Carivan links cost me 25$ each and are greasable, vice the factory ones which were 70$ each,
so to summerize 50$ vs 240$,

The orginal rears seem to fail quite quickly, they ALWAYS look like they are good until you actually touch/pull on them and you find out that the only thing holding them together is the rubber boot


I can PM pic's of finished DIY swaybar links if any one is interested

 

I just got to the point of the Lukes link today. I downloaded the instructions and sure enough, mine has the Moog bar. The one of three bars that the fix won't fit. Lukes says to call them on their bar exchange program if Moog equipped. Is anybody familiar with this option?