Thanks folks for the info. I will probably tear into this on Sunday to see if I can see any signs of rubbing or feel/see any movement on the LCA bushings. I will probably order my control arms from RockAuto if I need to get them They've treated me well in the past. That's good info on the struts as well.

I'm trying to get issues resolved before we had out on a 10 hour drive to the beach in a couple of months. I've never had a car with front end issues like these before, so this is kind of new territory for me. I'll keep you updated on what I find.

 

Reading your description of your problem with brake shudder, knowing that you did a brake service with aftermarket pads, has me offering this advice:

Before you start tearing down the suspension, following the instructions in the Service Manual, measure the front brake rotors for lateral runout and thickness variation. If the rotors are outside GM specs for that, either machine the rotors (if they have enough thickness) or replace the rotors.

If the rotors are within specs, road test the truck and test the brakes by driving in this manner: find a longer straight stretch. Accelerate to about 30 mph then brake moderately until the truck is down to 5mph or so, then back of braking pressure such that you are braking lightly and hold that pressure until the truck comes to a gentle stop. If in the last 50 feet or so you feel a sort of "fore-aft" rocking motion, you may have a problem with transfer of pad material to the brake rotors.

Pull off the calipers again, remove the rotors and inspect the friction surfaces under a bright light. If you see dark areas along with brighter areas of bare metal, that's likely pad material which has transferred to the brake rotor's surface.

When this happens, as the rotor turns and the brakes are applied, the level of friction from the brake rapidly fluctuates. At most driving speeds, when you apply the brakes, this rapidly alternating level of friction sets up a shudder in the brakes and suspension. At very slow speeds you can feel the fluctuation in friction level as a fore-aft rocking motion.

I have solved problems with this by having the rotors machined a minimum amount. In some cases, I've also had to switch to a better quality brake pad.

 

Very interesting. Thanks for the info I will have to try that. The original rotors, I had machined the previous summer and replaced the pads. By last spring, there was shutter again so I purchased new rotors and pads. I do not have a service manual, how does one measure for burnout lateral thickness variations? Is that something a shade tree mechanic like myself can do?