I am replacing all 4 ball joints and the upper and lower control arm bushings.


Am I going to need a coil spring compressor?


The repair manual is not exactly clear on that point.

 

I've never used a coil spring compressor when replacing ball joints on coil sprung suspensions. You will need to support the lower control arm with a jack once you remove the spindle otherwise it will fall to the floor.

 

I'll have to remove both control arms to replace ball joints and all the bushings. Is there an issue there or does the spring just come out when the lower control is lowered all the way?

 

Oh, in that case, it would be safest to use a compressor. You don't want that thing flying out when you drop the control arm.

 

Do yourself a gigantic favor DON'T DO IT

What I mean is buy complete new loaded control arms 300% easier faster and better than spending hours drilling or grinding hard rivets out and taking the old arms to a shop to press out the bushings then the new bushings in.

 

To get the springs out remove the spindle with a floor jack under the bottom arm. Then slowly drop the bottom arm by the jack the spring should just drop out. This all depends on how high you set your Dakota on the jack stands if to low the bottom control arms don't have room to unload the spring.

Dont try a spring compressor extremely dangerous

You will need new spring isolators as the old ones will be trash

As you can see by my pic I did it the hard way not new control arms

 

I thought about the option of getting the fully equipped control arms but they totaled over $600 when the parts were about $150 so I opted for the hard way. Won't be my first rodeo as I've done front end work on old Fords and the springs work the same way. I just needed to confirm that.

By the way, 98, I'm in Phoenix.

The first picture is my truck when I bought it.

The second pic is after new tires, brakes, and painting the wheels.