2nd Gen Durango 2004 - 2009

Uneven front end after lower control arms changed

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Old Jun 9, 2012 | 12:52 AM
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Ub3rd0rk's Avatar
Ub3rd0rk
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Default Uneven front end after lower control arms changed

I have a 2005 Dodge Durango limited 4x4 with full tow package and skid plates. The day I purchased the Durango, I climbed underneath and turned in the adjuster bolts to level out the front end to the rear. I now have 146,000mi. on the truck and with all the shaking up front it was time to change out some parts. I replaced the upper control arms, all 4 shocks and both front half shafts. I took it to a local shop and had an alignment done. Everything was fine for roughly 6 months when the front end shimmy returned. This time it was the lower ball joints that had gone bad. I got a new matching set of front A-arms with bushings and ball joints pre-installed. This is where things started going wrong. As I was installing the torsion bars, I was able to push the driver side torsion bar key all the way up and slip in the stop without loading the bar. The passenger side went together the way I would expect, needing to load up the key first. I reinstalled the bolts to the position they had been in previously. With the wheels back down on the ground, the passenger side looks fine but the driver side is 4" lower. I jack it back up and check to see if the bars were in the wrong side or in backwards and they are fine. I take back apart the key to see if it needs to be turned one notch. If I turn the key one notch the key points straight down and will not be able to twist enough to be installed. I disconnected both shocks, and sway bar links to see if they were somehow the culprit to no avail. At this point, I have buried the adjuster on the driver side, and the passenger side adjuster is only in 2 turns. The front end sits roughly 2" lower than stock and 6" lower than the rear like this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
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Old Jun 9, 2012 | 08:12 AM
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It's possible that the torsion steel has fatigued/stretched and has lost it's resiliency. If you installed them correctly and that's not the problem, then the torsion bar isn't holding the front end up anymore.
I'm just giving an idea, no verification on any of this without working on the truck myself. Let us know how it turns out, so I can learn what to watch for if this ever happens to mine.
 
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Old Jun 9, 2012 | 01:12 PM
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I just took it over and dropped it off at the dealer, hopefully they will be able to find an answer to my issue. I will update when I hear back from them. I find it weird that all was well until I changed out the lower control arms.
 
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