I have a 2001 Dodge Dakota Sport V6 3.9L 4WD and experiencing squeaking in the front end, most likely front supension when going over bumps at lower speeds. There are two speed bumps that I drive over going on campus where I live and hear it everytime. I had this issue last spring and did the squeak test, lubricate one rubber bushing at a time until the squeak stops. Did that and the last thing lubricated was the upper control arm bushings, on both sides, after that the squeaking stopped. It went away until this winter now, not that it has snowed yet. But my upper control arm bushings are the only rubber bushings that are cracked, the part I can physically see looks like an almond cookie. I took it to a shop the other day, and didn't have time to get it looked at, but they quoted me $1000 for the repair, which they are reluctant to do until they can confirm that it is the bushings, which I understand, yet cannot afford. I know its not my shocks, those are new, I checked the ball joints last spring and those were still tight and not loose. Does any of this sound right? What should I check again for broken/cracked bushings? What should I be looking for in squeaks if the issue is my upper control arm, or any other squeaking part? I can upload a picture of my bushings later if that helps any? Thanks in advanced

 

A thousand bucks for a repair you can do yourself for about a hundred, Wow!! You can find new upper control arms together with upper ball joints for about $100 on fleabay. It isn't a terrible hard job to do either. Be brave and tackle it yourself.

 

Yeah I found a pair for about $115 on 1aauto which isn't bad considering they were going to charge $157 for just one control arm with ball joint. Is it worth the money and effort to just replace those and not have it checked out first?

 

What kind of shape are your sway bar bushings in?

 

That's what I was thinking. Being down low, they get all the road crud and often squeak to beat the band.

 

I took a quick look at those bushings last night and they seem rather fine? I took some pictures so you could see them too. I'm attaching two pictures of my upper control arm bushings, one for each side, and then four more pictures of my sway bar bushings. One of my sway bar bushing housings is covered in PS (ATF+4) fluid and has been like that for a long time because I have the tiniest of leaks that I cannot find, but setting out to find it this weekend. The housing covered in it is the X in pass to driver 0 0 X 0, and is the fifth picture I uploaded

Although I re-lubricated my upper (and then lower) control arm bushings when I was working on cleaning my breaks and noticed that the back end squeaked when jacking up the truck. The squeaking in the front end hasn't happened since I lubed up the bushings, but the back end has. I don't know if that helps or not. (Hopefully these images aren't as big as they are in the reply box..)

Thank you for your responses.

 

What you show behind the washer and nut does look a little dry rotted, but ive seen worse. Look at the bushings on the inside portion of the control arm and see if the shaft seems to be"off center".
control arm bushings are cheap and not hard to change. I wouldn't change control arms just for bad bushings. Change the bushings. I've done 4 sets this year for me and for others. You WILL have to take the truck and get it aligned afterwards ASAP. Those slotted bolts that hold the control arm to the truck is your adjustment for alignment. And you will never get it right back where it was before you started.
I put new leaf springs, shackles, u bolts, and shocks on the back and all new bushings and shocks throughout the front end of my Durango last month, including rack bushings sway bar bushings and upper/lower control arm bushings then took it and got it aligned, and I didn't spend a $1000 with all of that. I had replaced the ball joints a few years (and not a terrible lot of miles) before that, they were still fine. Add in my 4 new tires at the same time and with all the new. parts, the alignment and new tires and I might have scratched $1200 for all of it.

 

Thanks, I will definitely take a more in depth look at them tomorrow afternoon. If the inner bushing is 'off center' how would one go about that?

I have put new shocks on front end and back end earlier this summer and spring, but I will check all the bushings again.

 

not "inner bushings" there are no such thing. Just the "other side" of the control arm bushings you already showed. Between the inner portion of the control arm itself and the attaching bolts that hold it to the truck. Same solution, replacement of control arm bushings.

 

My control arm bushings are rather beat up and cracking, but as far as I can tell they are not off center. I will look at doing them myself. Additionally, I have a leaf spring bushing that has a big crack running in it, should that be replaced as well? Thanks for all your help.