Or as my Dad would call them, "profits".

 

Even funnier !

 

Wish I knew what they are supposed to be for. I'd like to modify one of those washers for one that is missing on my upper control arm...if it works.

 

I'm guessing here but under the castle nut? or possibly these ball joints have more than one use and those washers go on the other vehicle/s they fit.

 

Why does my '93 Dodge have some SAE and some metric? Grrrrr!!

 

Because.

It was made during the swap from SAE to metric for everything.

And some replacement for SAE sized parts are now metric.

RwP

 

If it's any consolation to you my '92 model year was the same way--part metric part sae.

 

It’s a little frustrating. You put an SAE socket on a bolt head and it feels snug (especially with a little crud around the bolt head) only to find out it’s a metric that is a perfect fit. Oh, well. It is what it is. Just got to remember we have bi-sexual trucks and proceed accordingly. It’s when you assume everything is SAE when you get in trouble.

 

OK Ralph, here is where you could potentially be of most use. I’m asking a lot of you to try and remember and on a model 5 years older that may not be exactly the same as mine. But here goes.

I see two basic approaches to getting that spring back in. One, attach the LCA first and go from there. Two, attach the LCA after the spring and LCA is lined up. The latter is what the FSM kinda suggests. They use two jacks…one at the outer side and one at the inner side of the LCA. Jack them up accordingly and fit the arm into the frame receivers, then bolt. I see merit with both methods.

Can you recall how you re-installed yours?

In the first method I mentioned (my current preferred method), can the spring be compressed enuf going thru the upper shock hole such that the LCA can pivot up to be square with the coil and no interference?

I’d rather not reinvent the wheel here when I have an experienced Dakota guy here.

 

That's where I used the compressor to reattach, yes.

It may have been a different model I rented; it was awkward fitting through the spring, but I managed to get the hooks through the spring. (Didn't care for how offset they were, but eh, it worked.)

I used the compressor to bring the spring up enough that I could attach the LCA/frame bolts first, then the spindle to the ball joint.

RwP