I'm gonna need to replace the upper control arm, does anyone know of a good place to get one?

Anyone know where there is a good tutorial for this up coming job?


Thanks, Tony

 

I got mine off ebay with ball joint pressed in for around $75. Good part has lasted long enough for me to trust it, and the job is rather straight forward to do once you get the tire off and look at what all is involved.

 

I bought mine from the dealer. Obviously, not the most cost efficient but with my 20% discount, I paid about $300 for the pair.

 

My truck got a dealer one on right before the ebay one. Lasted around 2-3 months before getting thrashed with the new ball joint reaming out the control arm and dealership said it wasn't their problem.

 

Mine have been on for over 2 years now. Not a single problem. I had the ball joints and bushings loaded by a local shop.

 

Thanks for the help guys.

Does it take some special tool to load the bushings?

Hmmmm I'm wondering if there is anything I need to do to the lower arm while I'm in there? Any suggestions?

 

The problem with the one on the truck now is where the upper arm bolts to the frame....or whatever it's bolted to. The arm is torn to where the tire leans in big time at the top.

 

There are a number of upper control arms out there that never came with the extra bracing on the upper control arm...around the area where the rubber bushings are located. As long as your new unit has this bracing you should be golden.

Some people have had their upper ball joints work themselves loose...a new control arm and then a few tack welds around the new ball joint usually solve that problem.

 

Replace the bushings and ball joint in the lower control arm as well would be my suggestion. You'll have it torn down that far, so you may as well just for the assurance.

All you need to load the bushings is a shop press. A good idea given to be by the shop that loaded my control arms is to put a couple of tack welds 180degs from each other on the lower control arm bushings. Only because in his 30+ years in the business, he's seen some that come in with the bushing cocked.