Control arm

Berger · Apr 18, 2012

I have a 98 dakota and I need a new control arm. Do I have to get a control arm from the same model year? Will one from a durango work?

KotaKid287 · Apr 18, 2012

97-99 will work, Dakota or Durango will work fine. 00-04 UCAs are the same too just have to run a 97-99 cross bar in them, not sure about the 00-04 LCAs though.

Berger · Apr 18, 2012

thanks an LCA is what I need so I will just stick to the 97-99 then.

petrock · Apr 24, 2012

Why do you need a new control arm? Is it damaged or are the bushings or ball joints shot? If its because the bushings or ball joints are bad, you can replace them without replacing the entire control arm.

Berger · Apr 24, 2012

The lower shock bolt snapped off inside the arm.

petrock · Apr 26, 2012

Berger said:
The lower shock bolt snapped off inside the arm.

Then get an easy-out kit and pull the broken bolt. No need to replace the entire control arm.

Berger · Apr 26, 2012

Tried that. Had to drill it out and when I did I got a little crooked.

4Lo · Apr 26, 2012

It's just a shock mount. So what if it's a little crooked.

Berger · Apr 26, 2012

It bothers me. When I go from reverse to drive I can hear the bolt shift a little. When you drill a hole crooked that was pre-drilled straight you make the hole look like an hour glass. Wide at the front and rear opening and narrow in the middle. Plus I dont feel its safe.

spaceblue · Apr 27, 2012

Just drill it through and use a through bolt and lock washer / nut, or a self locking nut and flat washer. That would still be perfectly safe and the process will straighten the bolt out too for a fraction of the cost and labor.
As an aside, and not knowing where you are located... I just removed my two front control arms to install lowering ones on a truck that has spent it's 11 year life on the road in the rust zone. To say the pivot bolt removal was a b*tch would be putting it mildly.

Berger · Apr 27, 2012

I'm an auto tech in training so labor is not an issue. I already have a through bolt with lock nut in place but I personally don't feel its safe that way.

nitrohog · Apr 27, 2012

I wish more people would be willing to do the job right, not cut corners, and hack shit together. Good call replacing it for the simple fact that you don't feel that its safe.

9t9-5.2 · Apr 27, 2012

There is nothing unsafe about a through bolt with a lock nut in that application...knock yourself out and do what you think is right. :banana2:

spaceblue · Apr 29, 2012

9t9-5.2 said:
There is nothing unsafe about a through bolt with a lock nut in that application...knock yourself out and do what you think is right. :banana2:

Amen to that 9t9! What you see in some comments is a lack of common sense.

Berger · Apr 29, 2012

So are you saying that I have a lack of common sense cause I would rather have it like it came from the factory rather than "rig" it to work?

spaceblue · Apr 29, 2012

Not at all. As 9t9 says you can do as you choose. But to suggest that a through bolt is something unsafe does lack in it. Now if you want to tell me you are building a 100 point concourse restoration I could see it. At that point there's no comprising but for a safe repair of a simple shock mount you should never see any kind of stress loads that would beyond the clamping strength of a good bolt and lock nut.

Control arm

Berger

KotaKid287

Berger

petrock

Berger

petrock

Berger

4Lo

Berger

spaceblue

Berger

nitrohog

9t9-5.2

spaceblue

Berger

spaceblue

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