Check this out. How does she get away without a spring compressor or any other extra precautionary method? Skip thru. At 5:50 she drops the LCA and the spring does not pop out. At 13:00 she puts the spring back in. Again, no compressor, no extra precautionary methods. Are 2nd Gen Dakotas that different vs 1st Gen?

 

I'd have to trial fit the 6" isolators; they may need to be trimmed to fit also.

As to that installation video - That SHOULD work, but I'm a couple of noids (paranoid) myself.

SUPPOSEDLY, and I'm quoting from a guy on Facebook here - we all know how accurate THAT place is! - the 1997+ suspension parts will swap onto our trucks, but they have to be frame-out; individual parts won't swap due to different ball joint stud sizes, different tie rod stud sizes, etc.

So I would not be surprised for that video to work; I'm just scared of losing body parts

RwP

 

I'm with you. I want to live! I'm going to need a viable compressor to put the springs back in. Looking at my options. I see Advanced has a double hook compressor that uses removable hardware. Could pull one of the hooks and go thru the upper shock hole like the other one. That's a possibility. I could also sacrifice the AutoZone compressor I have by mowing down the corners of the hook block to make it fit. Wouldn't take much. Or I could trim out the shock hole to make it a little larger (not my preferred choice but I'd at least get my $$ back for the compressor). Or I could press out the pivot pins and replace with removable hardware.

I ordered the Rare Parts OEM isolators. They're coming from Oregon and he only ships ground. So it's gonna be awhile and now I have time to figure out the compressor. I subscribe to Dirty Harry's tenet, "A man has got to know his limitations". I'm no coil expert but smart enuf to know OEM will work.

Ralph, you also talked me into KYB Gas-A-Just shocks. I ordered those from RockAuto this morning (4 shocks gets you a $25 rebate). They're not ridiculously expensive to begin with. I researched them. I like the monotube design and there isn't a person I saw who bitched about them. Quite the contrary. Good recommendation!

EDIT: You know, I suppose it's possible to put the spring back the way I took it out...with the rebar passed thru the shock holes. If the bottom of the spring kicks out and wedges the rebar against the lower shock hole I would think I could hit the spring back into the pocket. I proved to myself that rebar is more than safe. Hell, could be safer than the compressor.

EDIT UPDATE: I can grind the corners off that hook block on the AutoZone compressor to get it to fit in the lower shock hole. And I wont have to grind much off because it almost fits as is. Hell, I'll grind all four corners and finish file it with a hand file. It will look like it was supposed to be that way.

 

And if I had to do it all over again...

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...=10401&jsn=765

 

Not sure that was such a good marketing decision. How do they define "premature"? Not to mention it raises the specter of what happens when it DOES fail..... No fun at all. And it only 'inhibits' failure, not prevent it...... So, are they saying that it WILL fail at some point?

Yeah, yeah, I am being nit-picky.

 

I find you come out ahead when ignoring marketing ploys.

I feel more confident in rebuilding my UCAs using my own choice of aftermarket parts but there is something attractive about getting the arms as a complete assembly...especially if you know (and trust) the component brands they used. I really hesitate when they don't tell you the brands of the components. I assume they're made in Weimakedung, China when they don't say. E-Bay is famous for that and why you have to be extra careful when buying automotive parts off E-Bay.

BTW, those fender well splash guards (the ones that shield the engine) are really getting crusty on my truck. I'm guessing it's impossible to find those replacements and especially at a price that I could live with. Is there some generic material I could purchase and then use the existing splash guards as a template to cut my own?

 

I just had to comment on it. Moog used to have a really good reputation. I would like to know which specific product line the ball joints are from though. Some of 'em are really good, others, not so much.... The fact they are design with a bit more travel is interesting though. Something to consider on slightly lifted trucks??

I think you can actually get sheets of reinforced rubber, in whatever thickness you want, for a reasonable cost. Just cut to fit, and bolt it in.

 

I’ve heard that about Moog several times. It’s a shame.

 

Tomorrow I will probably start putting the poly bushings in the control arms. I can wait as I have plenty of time because It will be late next week before I get my coil isolators. Anyway, I admit I have a slight bit of trepidation with the poly bushings (I stress slight). I have zero doubt they will outperform rubber bushings. They will also outlive me. Those are the pluses. What concerns me is the squeak, squeak, squeak over time. Ralph uses the teflon spray and expressed he has very good success with that...at least on the upper control arm bushings if not more. Gotta go with what works so I will be picking up a can of teflon to do the same thing when I change oil. Looove those tips! And truthfully, I'm not really concerned about having to go back to disassemble and re-lube the poly bushings if necessary if they are the upper control arms, sway bar bushings, endlinks, or even the leaf springs whenever I get around to changing them out. It's not that hard. But having now gone 1/2 way thru changing out the lower control arm bushings (and knowing there is potential of those coils still kicking myass when I reinstall them), I have no desire to tear that all out again to relube LCA bushings.

I don't expect you to predict what I will experience using poly bushings. That would be ridiculous and asking way too much. But I would be interested in how the poly bushings (specifically in YOUR lower control arms) have performed from the squeak squeak squeak standpoint. I sure would like to use them there. This is my last chance to change my mind. And once I install bushings in my LCAs I aint looking back!

BTW, the pivot bolts on my UCA's do not pivot with my arm strength. Those bushings have become one with the truck.

 

Just be really generous with the lube when you assemble them. It's a fairly closed environment inside the bushings.... so, should last quite a while.