LCA replacement

You're not derailing at all. I sent a quote request. This may be a very good solution for me as my mother in law already has a hard time getting in when I'm taking her places. If I can get the extra capacity without extra height I'd be a very happy camper.

 

basing your ride height on your mother in law’s ease of use is quite nice of you

 

Noises are not necessarily issues. Does the truck drive ok? If so, there is likely no issue except maybe a lack of lubrication.

I suggest you inspect your lower control arm joints before you replace them. Follow the inspector procedure in the service manual or have a trustworthy shop do it.

Watch some videos made by good mechanics on how they troubleshoot and fix problems. This channel is about dirt bikes and not trucks, but I came across it recently and learned some good troubleshooting techniques.

https://www.youtube.com/@2vintage

This is another hood channel mostly about old cars.

https://www.youtube.com/c/vicegripgarage

The stock leaf springs are fairly flat from the factory. That doesn’t mean they are “crap” just because a few armchair engineers on the internet say so.

Do your due diligence before spending money on new parts. If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.