....2009 Silverado 3500HD, DRW, CC, 4x4. 32609 miles, it's not a daily driver and sees mostly camper hauling or trailer towing duties. The idler arm and pitman arm are toast. /rant off.
I had great luck with my old 97 GMC 2500.....I did all those front end parts sometime around 150K miles as preventative maintenance......my 2005 Kodiak has run 110K now with only one steering part replaced (the link from the steering box and I am not even sure I wasn't "sold" that by an out-of-town place that wanted to find something else to do on it.) Seems like they must have cheapened the front-end parts in the regular pickup truck line in the 2000's?