I just passed my tech inspection for another year, and the mechanic said that I need to replace my lower ball joints (and he's right).

My 06 FX4 truck has 104K on what I think is the stock suspension (I only swapped the shocks and sway bar links). Recently in some mud, I felt the steering wheel "knock", so I think it may be more than just the ball joints.

I'm looking at doing a full front suspension rebuild with the MOOG Problem Solver kit. Everything looks pretty straightforward, maybe the inner tie rods will throw me off a bit when I have to reattach the boot. However, I'm concerned about the Lower Control Arms.

I'd read about how the torsion bars can get really seized in there and even saw a video of a technician cutting into the old LCA to get the torsion bar out. I'd prefer to not get into that, especially since I'll be on jackstands only.

Since the LCA ball joint can be pressed out, I'm considering just doing that, but I'm just not sure how much longer my LCA bushings have in them. I'd prefer to do a full rip and replace for longevity, peace of mind, and safety (and not having to go for multiple alignments if I do more suspension work.

How long do most people get out of their LCA bushings? Is there a good way to remove stubborn torsion bars from the LCAs? Anything else to be aware of before taking on this project?

 

I recently replaced my front suspension entirely, minus new T-bars and New inner rods. I DID have to cut out the torsion bars from my old ones however this was not hard to do. Your already removing the old arm anyway to replace it, just take your T-bars off too (real easy, like 5 bolts each) and cut them out with a grinder blade. Floor jack and jack stands is all I use 🤷🏻-♂️