Recently had the Dakota inspected and they said itd be the last year it passes because it needs new upper control arm bushings and they're afraid if they try to replace them with as old as it is that it'll bust the mount off the frame so my question is:

Are there any replacement mounts out there or does anyone have any ideas on how to go about this. It only has 180,000 miles on it and runs sooo dang good I'm not ready to give it up yet.

 

Ummm ...

I just (well, within 2015 spring/summer) did the UCA bushings on my 1988. And if they're afraid to bust the mount, how in HECK are they aligning it? That's where you align it ... Well, presuming 2WD and I THINK the 4WD upper mount is the same.

Or do they mean the cross arm? News flash - That stays in the UCA.

I also did the Energy Suspension poly bushings. Truck rides nice.

RwP

 

It's a 4wd and they said they are afraid of the mount breaking pretty much it seemed like to me that they just didn't want to put all the work into it. Which is disappointing because its probably the best garage around where I live.

My dad and I may try to do it ourselves in the spring/summer if anything happens we know a fantastic welder that we've had do work on it before. Just shaking my head at this garage

 

I just looked at both my 1988 manual, and the copy of the 1995 manual I have.

On both, the UCA mounts identically for both the 2WD and 4WD models.

Two T-head bolts up from the frame, in a pocket so they CAN be replaced if necessary, bolt into the cross arm, which goes with the upper control arm.

I have NO idea what they were talking about. I think they don't have any idea how that actually works, since nothing current works the same way ...

RwP

 

I agree with Ralph. Now if they were talking about trying to screw the upper ball joint out, they may have an excuse there, but even at that, if your able to brake the frame mount off replacing the ball joint............ well better with a wrench then the mount breaking when your going around a turn!!

 

That's why you take the UCA off, put it in a big honkin' bench vise, and use two techs on the Earthquake 1" impact wrench!

(Takes two, one just whips around with the impact wrench ... Or did on the UCA for my 1988, anyway!)

RwP

 

I took the ball joint out before I removed the upper control arm. My vise or workbench would not have began to hold that much pressure!!

 

Heh. After the two days of me and my stepson fighting it, I took the UCA off and took it to a front end shop.

I felt better seeing the two skinny mechanics having to double-team to keep from being whipped around *grins*

(The OTHER side wasn't as tough. And I got a bit perturbed, they flat rated a R&R at about $80 each ... )

RwP

 

Actually come to think of it I'm pretty sure they welded the ball joints in last time it needed those because they kept coming loose??

How hard is taking the control arm off to do these bushings??

And does anyone know if there's a thread that shows you how to do them?

 

If they welded the ball joints in - I'd say it's time to haunt the boneyards or hit up car-parts.com and order a new set of UCAs.

Taking the control arms off? First, pop the ball joint loose from the stud (previously set it up on jack stands, remove the wheels, etc. to gain access.) Don't use a pickle fork unless you're also removing the ball joint - and it sounds like that's not a choice anymore.

Then, clean the mounting area, take a grease pen and mark where it is now, and then use a deep throat and an impact wrench to remove the two nuts. Keep track of them ...

Lift the control arm and presto, you've got it in your hands.

(Big ratchet wrench or a breaker bar will get the nuts loose, then a 1/2" drive ratchet will back them out - but I'm lazy, and electric impacts are usually on sale at Harbor Freight for around $35 or so.)

To do my bushings, I used the Energy Suspension bushings and so had to torch out the old rubber bushings (ES uses the old shells, so you don't just drive them out.) For that, it's the impact wrench to remove the nut, remove the washer, and hit it with the propane / MAPP torch to burn the old bushing out. If replacing with the rubber ones, remove the nut, clamp it into a bench vise, and use the air hammer/chisel to remove the old bushing. Pressing the new bushing in isn't too hard, there was enough nut on the shaft so that I could just use the impact to pull it in (bushing pressed in by hand as far as it would go, a few love taps with a deep socket on it, put on the big washer, slip on the nut, and go to town.)

Here's one video on YouTube on removing bushings, but if you're going ES or Prothane, you won't be able to do this:
RwP