Dodge Ram 4x4 Control Arm Removal/Installation and Bushing Replacement! - DETAILED
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- Pardon the blooper in the beginning, took me almost three year to catch!
This is a very detailed guide on how to remove all 4 of your control arms, as well as replacing the bushings. This applies for most Dodge Ram 4x4's, as well as many other vehicles that have a straight axle. The vehicle in the video is a 1998 Dodge Ram 2500 with the 12 valve Cummins.
This job is fairly difficult, just because most of the bolts are seized up in the bushings, forcing you to have to cut them out.
When I was going to start this project, I noticed that there wasn't a lot of information on this job, which surprised me because these bushings can cause many driving problems if not replaced.
If your bushings look cracked at all, it might be time to replace!
The before/after ride was a big difference! The vehicle wandered wayyy less, especially when going over bumps in the road!
Hopefully this help! If you like this video please comment, like, and subscribe for more tutorials!
Bushing Kit: amzn.to/2UvFU4a
Disclaimer:
I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL
Due to factors beyond the control of myself, I cannot guarantee against improper use or unauthorized modifications of this information. I assume no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Use this information at your own risk. I recommend safe practices when working on vehicles and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of myself, no information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Jake.
This video is very long but walks you through the whole job. TAKE NOTES!!! Some of the items are expensive but it will save you time and money. This guy is good. Mad props buddy. If it wasnt for this video i would have spent 500-1000 bucks for this job, that inculded the alignment. Its a hard job but with this video you can save a lot of time and money. I want to say thank you for the video. Fyi you should recommend a red bull and and a power food to do this job lol. Its so satisfying doing a job like this when its finished. TAKE NOTES!!!!!
Thanks a lot for the comment, means a lot. This job really sucked, I'd rather drop my tranny twice than to do this again haha. There really isn't much about this job on the internet, so I figured I'd make a very detailed tutorial on how to do it. Feels good to know that this video is helping a few people. Thanks again for the feedback!
Watched this as I did mine on the ground. Installed adjustable arms, one at a time and didn’t have no issues. I also have a south Texas truck so luckily the bolts were all fairly easy to remove.
Are all the bushings the same size?? Both upper and lower
Did a great job on the video very thorough. I appreciate the details and tips a bunch man. Usually look up some info on a job before i get into it and after watchin your video i need not look any further. Thanks again!
Glad I could help!
Awesome advice. Thanks for taking the time to share. I use the ball joint press to press the bolts out.
Bushing are $15 each, the entire control arm with bushings brand new is $50 on Rock Auto!!!!!!
Agreed, top 1%. Good video man.
Great detail!! I got lucky in my 97 Ram. Bolts all came out without cutting. I just bought new arms with the bushings in them too, took a shortcut but cost be a little more.
Take the control arm off, lay it in a safe area, and hit the rubber with a torch until it lights up. After a couple of minutes the rubber will push out. It really stinks, but is much faster and easier.
For what it's worth.. I've had good luck bracing a back-up wrench against the axel (with the truck on jack stands) and using a floor jack to work the other wrench. Yay!!
Why even press the bushing out of the control arm in the first place. I would think it would be easier to just skip that step and and you would be able to hold on to it easier.
Why not just upgrade the arms to adjustable tube type
Fought with this for 3 hours today. Should have watched this before. New control arms were only 75 bucks. So after I got the dam bolts cut, I'm gonna just replace the whole arm. I bent the shitnout of the bracket that holds the arm closest to the axle from smashing it.
These bolts are a pain in the ass to remove the control arms are very poor quality replaced mine with Core4X4 adjustable control arms with johnny joints very beefy
Well Done . Just finished mine wish I watched your vid before my R&R lol would have saved me some time keep up the good work. thank you
Why Press the cup out if you are reusing it?
Where did you get the cam bolts from im having a hard time to get them
Wow that's a lot of work I really wish you could have afforded to just buy new control arms would have been a lot easier that's what I'm going to do mine broke thanks.
I would recommend buying bushings that are molded into the shell. For me it doesn't make sense to buy bushings that require you to drill out the rubber from the old shells.
I made a big mistake I took them all off because I was waiting for the moog ones to get here still. My axle shifted so far forward I had to use my atvs winch and winch it back into place it was so far forward that the splines of the front driveshaft dropped out of the yoke. Whoops the front end looks just fine though. I was in no rush though anyways I just finished restoring it for winter ready, I replaced the bed, the leaf spring shackles, the front fenders, checked on the fuel pump, and emptied the old crap out of the tank, cleaned up and recoated the frame as much as I could, serviced the transmission, etc etc etc.
I’ve seen a ton of these auto “how to” vids and this is in the top 1% Great job with the details. I’ve got the same OTC kit and it saves you a lot of grief on the RAM ball joints too. The Diablo saw all blades are far better than the milwaukee blades
Where did you buy the new cam bolts at im having trouble finding them
I've purchased a new set of aftermarket control arms and it says to hold the frame up with jack stands and let all the pressure off of the front springs to install. I'm hoping I can just put jack stands under the axle and do one side at a time like you've done.
Torch and a air hammer took me 10 min
White Hat what did you heat?
Bryan Hauschild use a drill bit and make some holes through the rubber, knock it out then heat the pressed in piece
I in the process of installing a 2001 front axle assembly in my 95 4x4. This is to have 3rd generation brakes ..while I am doing this I upgraded the steering and track bar . So I was thinking I could buy control arms for a 2001 and the bolt kit and drill out the holes in the frame for the larger bolts . I not sure how bad the bolts are froze up but I assume badly on my truck . Thanks for your video and advice
You said you marked the ends of the control arms but how do you know which end goes where since mine were destroyed??
Why wouldn't you just take the Bushings out without removing the metal casing? I mean, you took it out to remove the rubber portion. You can do that without removing the entire bushing. Just put the arm in a Vice and drill away. Maybe use a hole saw and wd-40 on the rubber. Thank you
Your truck looks to be leveled. My 98 12v cummins has a 2” level lift with a new red box, brace, tie rods, ball joints, & torque bar, and now terrible tracking. Twice aligned, and still doesn’t track. Looking at control arms next. Any thoughts as to what could be causing this steering issue? Truck when purchased had a very loose front end.
You needed finer tooth blade!!! And oil..
This video is so loaded with SMAP ADDS. I won't waste my time looking at commercials.
You can't cut with hacksaw blades fast you half to cut slow and they will last for a long time
These bolts are metric right 12mm and 14 mm. I tried standard but they did not fit. I guess dodge dealer for the new ones.
my 2007 3500 are 16mm lower 14mm upper
How do u till if there bad
To remove the bushing torch the center metal pin until is will push out. Then the bushing will press out easy.
Not sure what bushings he is using but OEM replacement bushing from Moog and similar companies are a complete piece with the outer steel sleeve attached as one piece, much easier to use this type than have to reuse the old sleeve.
So basically just buy new aftermarket arms lol
Thanks. I appreciate the video. I need do this on my 98.
A torch is a must if youre in the rust belt. Heat em up and slap your impact on them.
This is one of the best and detailed video's I have seen for my Dodge.
So I had the upper control arm rust through completely on an 03 2500 I picked up recently, I have the upper on and ready to go but I can't get the bolt to line up, do I need to drop the lower control arm to be able to get it to line up?
I'd try jacking up the pickup and put a jackstand on either side on the frame to get all the weight off your front axle. Then you might be able to get the play that you need.
what bolts did you use to replace the lower bolts?
Jake do you by chance know the part numbers for those poly bushings
Hello ,are the bushings from jeep grand cheroker zj are the same ??
Take a shot everytime he says um
Did these help at all with handling compared to stock ones
So you don't even jack the truck up. I have oversize tires and was thinking of taking them off for easier access
Also would having the tires off and using jack stands under the front axle work thanks.
This is the only video on RUclips? Really?
1) what were the symptoms of the bad bushings? 2) how do you like the poly bushings?
One of the main things I noticed is when you hit a bump in the road the pickup would pull to one side or the other. The poly bushings are pretty good I guess, but I think a guy would be fine with going to a factory replacement
Just buy a cheap Air Chisel, I went through 6 sawzall blade's on one side, bought a 40 dollor air hammer took 5min
Dave James so you hammer on the bolt to work it out or you cut with air chisel?
@@bryanhauschild4376 take the nut off hammer on the bolt to push it out
Nice vid!
Does that same OTC kit fit the ball joints?
I'll answer my own question; Yes, that kit works great for the BJ's. You have to stack two of the adapters but that's no biggie.
Any kits for replacement Cam bolts and all the other bolts. I got new control arms because mine were crushed. Didn’t come with new ones but I have new bushings.
Yeah there’s a kit on eBay for about 80 bucks, just search it you’ll find it.
They sell kits online for like 80 bucks. Do a quick google search and you’ll find iit
Hey man so I bought some cam bolts from oreilly and the aliment shop said they were the wrong ones when it told me it was for my dodge if I buy the ones from Ebay will I have the same problem, did you have any problems with your bolts from Ebay?
@@ws9430 just alignment yourself.. tape measure..
Deja Vue
where did you find the bolts for the control arms can't find them anywhere
Check it Spohn Performance. They have all the bolts.
i just ordered some 16mm and 14mm 10.9's from bolt depot
What difference did it make for the truck once new bushings? My truck is all over the road. 99 model 3/4 ton. Always thought it was from dead bushings.
I noticed that when I go over bumps in the road the pickup doesn't wander so bad afterwards, like it did before I replaced the bushings.
If your bushings are really bad, it could be your problem, but I think in your case it could be something in the steering such as drag link, steering shaft, gearbox or even ball joints. You'll have to check everything to eliminate the possible causes. Bad control arm bushings alone usually do not cause the pickup to be all over the road from what I have read in forums, unless they are that bad.
Nick I have a 97 3/4 cummins and it is all over the road also. I have rebuilt the front end completely added stabilizer frame box you name it. I do have 16.5 hummer tires and aftermarket rims. Don't know how much that matters. It still goes where it wants dam right scary. If you get a handle on it let me know.
t watson any play in the steering or is it tight?
New intermediate steering shaft also helps with the death wobble. Advance Auto can get em for bout $200. If there's play in your steering wheel.
God damn it! Take 2
Hahaha oh the joys of learning how to film and edit video back then
@@j-bobsgarage7535 yeah. That was priceless. I thought I hit the back button for a second
What are the exact size and type bolts used on the replacements (minus the cam bolt of course). Also those cam bolts are not for alignment purpose, they are ment to pitch the axle only, but people use them mistakenly for allignments. The bushings +°- at the top of the ball joint are replaced, or eccentric bushings are used. I have caster/camber eccentric bushings like the MOOG k8709 that allow full adjustment within there relative ° numbers.
I can't remember the exact size sorry about that, but all the bolts were purchased in a kit that included both top bolts and cam bolts
hydrashocker these are called cam bolts look them up before u call a parts store because they wont be able to find them they are almost 50 bucks they are special bolts and yes u need them
K7397 and k7394 from Moog 60ish $ on amazon for the complete arm with both bushings installed
That looks to come up as ball joints on moog.com and amazon
Where did you get the hardware?
Genos garage
U freaking serious get to the point bru fr
So are alll the bushings the same all 4? Upper and lower?
If I remember right they are all the same. Been a few years though since I did this video