Back to speculating on the subject at hand,
Check for frame cracks around the steering box, and panhard rod brace.
Another maybe is slotted holes in the radius arm brackets on the front diff housing. Loose bolts here can eventually cause holes to wear into an elongated hole.
You assume wrong.
That is a TuRD special.
Factory fitted high performance goodness.
It's what gives all the 80 series engines that neck snapping performance . . .
or not.