I have a 87 4wd and would like to replace the ball joints, control arm bushings, steering linkage etc.
I seem to be able to find most of the stuff except I don't see any of the upper control arm shaft bolts available. It appears in the FSM to be a special bolt and I worry about getting it to separate. Does anyone know of a source or a different solution for this?
Also, the (control arm bumper?) The orig. one seems to be different from what I am finding online. The pictures of the ones on line are cone shaped mounted with a stud. The factory bumper is triangle shaped and mounts at an angle with a plate of steel.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

I reused the old cross bolt on my 1988 2WD. I also used the Energy Suspension poly bushings - which, due to how sorry the old rubber ones were (truck has over 273,000 miles on it, I really think they were original!) ride much smoother than the old ones did.

For a 4WD, they don't list the suspension bushings - but that may be because it's a kit for upper and lower, and the lower bushings are different.

That rubber bumper is what the 2WD vehicle uses. They were "fun" to get on with the locknuts.

So far as I can find out, the upper ball joints are all thread-in (or screw-in), and you'll want a really big impact wrench and the proper sized socket to take it off or put a new one on the control arm.

RwP

 

From what I have gathered, nobody is currently making the LCA bushings for the older 4WD Dakotas. Maybe this has changed recently. I remember seeing several threads about making later ('97+ ?) bushings work.

I'm not sure about the triangular 4WD bumpers. I have found the 2WD ones like you have mentioned but haven't looked too hard for the 4WD ones. I'll be curious to know what all you can find.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by RalphP

I reused the old cross bolt on my 1988 2WD. I also used the Energy Suspension poly bushings - which, due to how sorry the old rubber ones were (truck has over 273,000 miles on it, I really think they were original!) ride much smoother than the old ones did.

Hello Ralph, thanks for your advise. For one thing, I thought the ball joint pressed in on the upper. That is what the FSM shows, but it seems to be wrong.
After pressure washing the suspension as best as I could, I think I will start with the upper control arm bushing bolts and see if I am going to be able to separate them. If so, I will then try to see if the ball joint is going to screw out.
I don't want to tear it apart, and then break something that I cant fix or get parts for. So I am going to go slow, soak parts etc.
27 year parts don't come apart easy!!
But again, thanks for your advise.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by wjohn

From what I have gathered, nobody is currently making the LCA bushings for the older 4WD Dakotas. Maybe this has changed recently. I remember seeing several threads about making later ('97+ ?) bushings work.

This forum has a lot of information in it!! I also read about the 97 energy suspension bushings being used.
The 4wd bump stops or what ever they are called, I may be able to get some from energy suspensions. They have some that look like them. I will have to measure and see what I can make fit, hopefully.