OK, last time I was out wheeling, I trashed a bushing (or bushings) on my driver's side upper control arm. On dirt/gravel roads, I could notice the play in the control arm. On road, I couldn't. I have ATS/Inland Truck upper control arms (yea, I know, save it), so it took me a while to find replacement bushings. In the mean time, I continued driving the truck.

Earlier this week, I had the wheel off the truck and tried to replace the bushing. I ended up not being able to get everything disconnected (rusted bolts), so I couldn't swap in the new bushings.

Anyways... I noticed that the play is much worse now. Before, if I tried to move the control arm with my hand, I could move it just enough to notice that there was some play, and it only moved at the rear bushing (the front of teh control arm seemed fine). Now, the entire control arm moves. Not a lot, but enough so it clanks when I brake. It's like the control arm wants to rotate around the shock mount.

Does that still sound like bushings to you? Or do you think it has turned into something worse?

 

You were having issues with getting new bushings? I had my drivers side start to get loose and I was able to just get some from Inland. Did i miss them going out of business or something?

Right now I'd say that you're just having issues with the bushings, did you get a full set of bushings for both sides or just the one for the drivers side rear?

 

Inland had a guy working for them fabbing up the control arms. He no longer works for them, and they are no just a regular service shop. They don't sell the control arms, nor do they sell the bushings. I tried for a while to track down the guy or replacement bushings but I couldn't find any. I ended up buying a set of bushing for Total Chaos designed for their upper control arms. Hopefully they will fit. I got one pair of bushings, enough to do the rear mount on the driver's side. I'll probably half to buy another set so I can replace the front bushings as well.

 

Man, that's not good... glad to know this now, just in case my bushings go out again. Good luck Jackson, hope those bushings work.

 

I've got a week off between christmas and new year's - I'm hoping to get everything good and soaked in PB Blaster so hopefully I can get the new bushings swapped in.

 

An electric impact gun might also help you out with some of those heavily rusted fasteners. They are pretty cheap (maybe $60) and can put out about 250 ft-lbs.......takes off lugnuts with ease and you don't need a compressor.

It is tough to tell what you mean on the play in the arms, you might try taking off the front strut to see if that helps isolate the movement any better.

......hope you have a heated garage because it must be getting cold in upstate NY by now.