I have a 2001 Dakota 2 wheel drive. There's a part on the front lower control arm that I can't find listed in any of my service manuals. It's a rectangle shaped piece of hard foam and is mounted to the front corner of the control arm in between the coil spring and the back side of the steering knuckle. I think it's some kind of a bounce stopper. It makes contact with a flat tang shaped metal piece that's part of the frame in that area.

This part on the driver's side has a big chunk taken out of it. I saw it while changing my oil today. It's only made of a hard styro foam like material anyway. It's mounted in a metal holder and riveted to the control arm like a ball joint is riveted. I think I could drill out the rivets and replace it if I could find out what it's called so I can find somebody who sells it.

Truck rides OK, is a little rough but is alright for a pickup with 95K. I would like to replace the part before it causes problems but I really don't want to buy a whole control arm and go thru all the trouble just for this one part. If I could find out what it is and where to buy it I would replace both left and right parts.

Thanks everybody for any help you can offer.

Jimmy

 

its a bumpstop, not really important, keeps your frame from slamming into your control arm on hard bumps

 

generally it's a rubber compound, and to take care of the riveting issue, just drill out the rivets on the only one, and installed the new one with bolts

 

Thanks. Do you know where I can buy a new one?

Thanks

Jimmy

 

Thanks again. Napa has a universal set that looks like it will work OK. $12.39 for the pair. I'm planning on fixing it tomorrow.

Thanks

Jimmy

 

cool, mine rotted off, and im most likely never gonna replace them, maybe in the back i will

 

Well after looking at it again today with the truck up on Rhino ramps instead of jack stands, there looks to be enough material there for the bump stop to do its job. The Napa parts are too big to mount on the control arm and there is no way to make it angle up and contact the frame in the same area as the OE part. No way that I can think of anyway. It looks OK and I am going to leave well enough alone and just watch it for a while and see if it gets worse.

Noe I gotta make a trip back to Napa and return the poly bumpstops I got there today.

Thanks again for all the help.

Jimmy

 

as long as its mostly there,
i've never hit mine, even in the rough