I had plans to be on the road on the first of this month. It was a goal that I set for myself, I took the step van out on a drive and the front brakes got really sloppy and it was hard to get stopped at highway speed and the steering was also kinda sloppy and I knew something was not right. So I started looking at what could be the problem with the step van.
I bled the front brakes and the brake pedal was good but over the course of me using them I found problems, the brakes lines were starting to weaken and they were not holding the pressure when applying the brakes. I had just redone the rear brakes and thought that was the fix for my brakes. I was wrong! On further inspection, I found that one of the brake calipers was totally frozen up and the other was stuck at moving in about halfway and would jam sideways and not move in any further. So I replaced the brake lines and the calipers, along with new pads.
On to the steering issues. I got to moving the hubs while I had the front end up in the air and I noticed that the upper control arm bushings were shot, I loaded them with grease hoping that was the problem, no such luck. Also, the bushings in the pitman arm and the idler arm were bad too. Checked the other bushings in the tie rod end and they looked to be good still. So I was going to change the upper control arms and the idler arm and the pitman arm. The lower control arms looked fine. It was just one thing after another.
I got them all replaced and it took me a few days to get it all done. I am sore and hurting but I am glad I found all of this before I had to do it in an auto parts store parking lot. It would have not been fun as some of the parts had to be ordered and it took a day or so to get them all in. Those hubs do not get lighter the more you move them. LOL. I will drive it and see how it is doing now, I will without a doubt, have to take it in and get a front-end alignment done on the step van also. I want to make sure it is all good first because I do not want to do an alignment and find something else and have to get that done again.
SO as far as starting out the first of the month, it did not happen but I am glad I found these problems now instead of later. Much harder to deal with on the road as opposed to being someplace I could take my time and get it done and not be rushed to finish it up. So not going to set a time to get started on the road, it will be when I am confident everything is good with the step van, do not want to rush, and wish I would have got all my ducks in a row, dotted all the I's and crossed all the T's, hope you understand. It is a little cold to get started anyway right now. LOL. I hope everyone is having a great day/night, whatever it is in your part of the world! ALWAYS FORWARD!
