96 S-10 5" Trailmaster lift

[mrwilsonsfc66]

I have a 96 S-10 with a 2" body lift and a 5" Trailmaster suspension lift I have replaced the entire set of ball joints uppers, lowers as well as drag link joints and wheel bearings twice within about 30K miles I can't figure what is stressing these parts so much that they wear out so quickly is there any hope? if I go back to the stock wheels will that make enough of a difference I have AR's with 5" back spacing and 32x11.5 tires everytime I replaced all parts were replaced with GM factory parts Not Cheap autozone junk

[b1lk1]

You need the upper control arms that are modified for lift. I cannot remember the exact brand off the top of my head, but they reposition the upper ball joint to prevent excessive wear.

[old_master]

Incorrect front chassis ride height is what's causing the problem. Ride height is the vertical distance between the lower-most inboard point of the steering knuckle, nearest the lower ball joint, to the center of the lower control arm pivot bolt. The factory spec is approximately 4.5". If you measure the distance from the knuckle to the ground, and subtract it from the control arm to the ground measurement, you should have 4.5". Measurment, and adjustment to ride height, is done with the torsion bar adjusters when the vehicle is on a perfectly level surface. Increasing or decreasing front ride height out of factory specs adds stress to all 4 CV joints, all 4 ball joints, both of the outer tie rod ends, and both torsion bars. They all have a range of motion that they are designed to operate within. Keeping front ride height within factory specs keeps all of the components within their range of motion. In short, the problem is caused by the suspension lift and any adjustment you've made to the torsion bars. The body lift has no affect on chassis ride height.