My neighbor's rice burner has over 60k on it and the front end is just like new: totally tight, responsive.
My 98 'Burb has 160 on it and I'm on my third front end (tie rods, bushings, pitman arm, and so-forth) and this time, even a new steering box.
Seems like mine gets really loose by 60k. Mostly freeway driving, what off-road I do is 99% beach.
Different materials? Different design?
Every 3-4K mile oil and filter change on my new '94 K1500 Suburban I would grease the lower balljoints, steering knuckle and tie rod ends. Every second oil change I'd do the uppers as well. Once a year I'd check the steering box as well as the front and rear diff's. How often have you maintained your front end?
Different WEIGHT! Different Driving Styles!
Per Augustus:
Good catch.
I change my own oil, but the only chassis lubing that gets done is by the shop - and right now, I wouldn't bet the mortgage money that I've been all that diligent about observing the recommended intervals.
How many miles do you have on yours and what's your take on it's tightness relative to a new vehicle?
My '99 Yukon (old style) has 99k on it and the front end is still OEM. Still feels good for a recric. ball variable steer box. It gets greased every 5k with oil changes with a semi. synth. grease. (Valvoline) Mostly driven on 500 mile weekends when it gets driven, nice weather and snowstorms to play with toys. The water pump, distributor, rear diff. cover rusting through, frozen caliper and Freon small leak are my main gripes with the truck. All stuff that shouldn't go with only this many miles.
I sold it 2 years back to buy an '04 Avavalnche Z71, but it had 175K on it and the front end was still able to be aligned and had little sloopiness in it.
"sloppiness"...lol....if I hadn't sold it at this point it was going to get a front end redo within 6 months or so.
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