[gmagictsp]

I have a 2008 Chevy silverado 3500 HD with a 10" CST lift, that the lower ball joints keep fracturing the uniball pins. The lower control arms appear to be custom fabbed and have a FK 16T uniball bearings and a uniball pin that I have not been able to find other than getting one fabricated. I have now broken two of these pins one on passenger and one on the driver side.

I have pictures if anyone is interested.

 

[gmagictsp]

ImageShack Album - 9 images

 

[gmagictsp]

right

 

[gmagictsp]

Ok so I am just looking for some help not looking to hang my dick out and see how big everyone else's is. I bought the truck as you see it for a price that I couldn't turn down. I want to get the truck running to where I don't have to worry about breaking shit running down a straight paved road.

 

[gmagictsp]

Much better... I actually did have the pins made out of a little higher grade metal 4140 and not heat tempered so it will be a bit more elastic. The FK bearing will allow for a bit more thickness on the pics if I get the ring stop turned with the pin instead of sliding over the pin.

I was really hoping that someone else has possibly run into this problem and could offer some advise. All the ford and dodge peeps tell me to rip out the IFS and put a straight axle but the engineer in me wants to figure out how to make this work.

 

[gmagictsp]

I posted some better pictures with more exposure. The uniball pin has two slip over stoppers that allow the bearing to rotate without limiting the bearing rotation if that makes sense. The pins show rust on a portion of the break so I am certain that the pin cracks and then once it is cracked enough it just shears off.

A couple of the pictures are of the drivers side that I already replaced and is fully assembled the passenger side is the shots without the tire.

http://imageshack.us/g/1/10007382/

 

[gmagictsp]

Thanks for the advise I will work with my machinist and see if maybe we can come up with something to step this thing down and get that lower control arm more aligned, which will lower the tension on the joint significantly I think.

Like you said I am already breaking shit but just very lucky that this has happened while I was at lower speeds and able to pull off to the side of the road. Who knows maybe I can put a damn patten on the piece and get rich off of stubborn chevy owners like myself that want to raise their trucks and not put a straight axle in.

 

[gmagictsp]

Might have something here because the crack where the rust is to the outside and must be putting a lot of torque on the pin.

A couple more pictures with a close up of the pin that is still in the passenger side.

http://imageshack.us/g/1/10007406/

 

[gmagictsp]

Shorten the limiting straps. I would highly suggest you let the front down some. I know you probably dont want to hear that but dropping that front end 1-2" by lowering the torsion bars would do wonders for your range of motion with wheel travel.

To be honest with you I don't really care about losing 1-2" in lift to get a safer ride.

 

[gmagictsp]

Shorten the limiting straps. I would highly suggest you let the front down some. I know you probably dont want to hear that but dropping that front end 1-2" by lowering the torsion bars would do wonders for your range of motion with wheel travel.

am I missing something, or can't the OP just drill out the knuckle and run a bolt?

I wanted to do exactly as you state but the pin is tapered and didn't know if that made any different what so ever. Can anyone suggest other wise if I took the knuckle and just drilled out the taper to fit a solid both through the knuckle and bearing assembly?

 

[gmagictsp]

it never actually touches but is very close like you said. There are not wear marks on CV housing.

 

[gmagictsp]

I talked with the machinist today and he is going to turn 4140 and I asked him to turn one of the misalignment spacers onto the pin so that I can get more girth in the spot that I keep breaking (hopefully this will buy me some time to figure out what is wrong). I also talked to the lift manufacture to see if they can give me any suggestions on how I can get the geometry right.

I found these but they are pricey.

http://www.rcvperformance.com/categories-cv-axles.aspx?catID=RCVP_ULT_IFS_CV_AXLES_ALT

I have read quite a bit about the IFS vs straight axle and I really want to make the IFS work but I just need to get some pointers on how to measure all the geometry correct. Most of the stuff that I have read state exactly what you say about the straight axle guys all what to rip out IFS even though the IFS is superior technology. Just depends on how much money I want to spend to get the truck set up right.

I paid 15K less than KBB for the truck for whoever what asking.