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Questions about control arm install

2K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  h22lude 
#1 ·
I've been having a lot of front end wobble and tire movement. Best way to describe it is it feels like my shocks are bad.

I first replaced the bolts and track bar. Didn't fix it. Then I took it to two Jeep shops. First one checked my ball joints and tie rod ends. Those were definitely bad. Replaced them. Fixed the problem slightly but still happens on bigger bumps. Second Jeep shop couldn't find anything wrong. Check drag link, sway bar links, and control arms.

I have been reading a lot about it and people have said they checked their control arm bushings and they felt fine but the problem went away after replacing the bushings. My guess is the bushings seem ok with a little leverage but under 4,000 lbs they fail. So I figured might as well replace them to see if that fixes it. I was going to replace the bushings but the Mopar control arms aren't much more and I think I would save on labor since it is easier to replace the whole thing.

My questions...

1) I have read that when installing a lift, it is best to loosen the control arm bolts when installing the lift then tightening them back up when the Jeep is on the ground. Is this true for just installing control arms with no lift?

2) A shop quoted me 4 hours at $280. I assume a lot of that time is for the upper control arms as I can't see the lower ones taking much time. Does this seem right? I thought it would be about 2 hours.

3) Are upper control arm bushings something that wear like the lower ones? Is it worth replacing the uppers at the same time or should I try the lowers only?
 
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#4 ·
If they are at fault that seems like excessive wear for the mileage. I wouldn't swap out anything until I had checked everything else first. The only other possible culprit I would check... are the tires balanced and aligned?

Both lower control arms can be changed out with a socket and wrench in about 20 minutes... Swap out one and then the other (don't have both removed at the same time). The torque on the lower control arms is 125 ft/lbs.

The uppers are a bit harder to reach, so they might take 30 minutes, but they only take 75 ft/lbs. Again swap them out one at a time.

If you do jack up the rig, place it back on the ground before torquing... You can also just leave the rig on the ground if you don't mind working in tight spaces.

I would start with the lowers first and test drive before moving to the uppers.
 
#5 ·
This issue started with a completely stock Jeep. I then replaced the CA and track bar bolts along with the track bar (thinking that was the issue). I then replaced the ball joints, tie rod and steering stabilizer with an alignment. The ball joints and TREs were all gone. I figured that would fix it. It helped but still happens going over bigger bumps. I then replaced the shocks. I bought new wheels and tires and had them road force balanced.

The last Jeep shop I went to looked at everything and they said it all looked fine. I really don't want to replace anything without knowing if that is what is causing the problem but both shops looked at it and can't find anything wrong.

At this point I would think it is either the control arms or drag link. The drag link has a lot of twisting play which is typically normal but mine seems to have more twist than I'd expect to be normal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3iskWEVxXg&feature=youtu.be
 
#8 ·
The video is confusing. It is sideways so it looks like the sway bar link but it is the drag link.

Hold on... That's not the sway bar link that he's moving, its the drag link mounted to the passenger side knuckle. It also looks pretty normal to me.

To check the ends, have someone wiggle the steering wheel back and forth (just enough to start turning the wheels). If you see any slack of movement you have your suspect. You may want to grab the ends with your hand as it is sometimes easier to feel than see. Make sure the tires are on the ground to provide resistance. You should also be able to do the same with the tie rod.
I'll check that out. I believe the Jeep mechanic I went to this last weekend said he felt the slightest movement but nothing that would be causing this issue.
 
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