ChevyPro1

Bought a 2010 Chev 4x4 z71 ext cab 4 door, 5.3 liter eng, 6.5 bed Model.
Truck was cupping inner wearing front end tires.
alignment was perfect, would not steer off side of road to either side.

took it to midas, they said the outter tie rods were bad, the upper and lower ball joints were shot.

So I took it to the GM dealer to have them verify this..
they said it didnt have all that what Midas said it needed.
Just the one lower ball joint, and the outter tie rod ends.

So i got the entire front end kit for 135 bucks... couldnt go wrong there!
took the parts to Big O.
They Replaced the entire front end which consisted of two upper control arms with ball joints, lower ball joints, inner and outter tie rod ends, for 8 bones. with the alignment, and new struts and shocks i supplied as well, also later i came back in and had them replace my tires with my take offs i found. yes I am a wheel and deal finder.
and I noticed something was loose or clicking sound the steering column.
Took it back to Big O, the guy who did the work said, as long as it doesnt fall off it wont hurt anything.
That is when I knew they knew what was wrong and did not want to tell me.
So, I took it to a different GM dealer, and their Service Guy said it was a bushing not the bearing in the steering column.
And it was a process of elimination trying to find the noise. Me being a Refer Mechanic, I know when something is not right and loose.
I pick up on noises and such.
So, I took it back once more to the guy i trusted at Big O the mgr. He put it up on the rack drove it, and called in another mgr, they both spoke and one pointed to the rack and pinion drive and whispered to the other.
I then.... thought it confirmed what i believed , they fkd something up, or they found it, and didn't want to pay for it, or they fkd it up to make more money.
Because, the CV boot was throwing out grease as well.... after we put the whole front end together. Arrrrrrgh ! why did he not see it or replace it then. or even mention it.
So, now I gotta go buy the rack and pinon gear drive rack assembly, and pay to have it installed now.
and they also over tightened the lower ball joints than torqued them and it wont allow the steering to return to center when changing lanes for the alignment.
My question is to anyone here who is experienced enough to say, Is it possible that, when they changed the outer tie rod ends they broke the gear drive, now that it makes a clicking sound ? and I never noticed it before when hitting bumps? because it only makes that clicking sound like something is loose when it hits a bump.
Also, originally Mechanic who changed everything and said its ok unless something falls off, it would cost 250 to change the cv boot after he fkd it up. Because the day before, i took it to jiffy lube and it was not there.... the grease was not there. but big o, said they would replace the cv axle for 40 bucks... so i am holding them to that one. and can get the axle for 74 bucks. but the rack and pinion alone is going to cost me new 225. but used would put me back 150 used.
for the part only. Big O did not say how much it would cost to replace the Rack and Pinion, only that the cost of a rack and pinon gear rack drive is expensive. Is there any normal decent mechanics left out there in the world? or is everyone out to break something or just make someone broke to replace everything lol although, the truck has 300k mileage. the truck has had nearly everything serviced and replaced, according to the fleet service records i have found, except what i have had too, because some used car dealer breaking up with his wife, decided to go into the mountains and beat the **** out of the 4x4 four wheeling it. hes a fkg drunk, and his kid monkey see monkey do beat it with a pipe on the body . so I got a good deal on the truck and am willing to fix it up. some.

ChevyPro1

Bump.... ready to go trollistic... if i cant get any help.