🔧 Control Arms - Replacement

Assumption: Front control arms, upper and lower, are being replaced on your Ram. This job resets suspension geometry, so an alignment is required after repair.

The front control arms locate the wheel and hold suspension angles in place. If the bushings or ball joints are worn, you can get clunks, wandering, uneven tire wear, or vibration. Replacing them restores proper ride and steering control.

Difficulty Level: Advanced | Estimated Time: 4-7 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• Support the truck with jack stands on solid ground before removing suspension parts.
• Keep hands clear when lowering or raising the suspension. The control arms are under load.
• Front suspension work changes alignment; do not skip a professional alignment after repair.
• If your truck has an electronic parking brake, set it normally. Battery disconnect is not required for this repair.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Breaker bar
• Ratchet
• 1/2-inch drive torque wrench
• 10mm socket
• 18mm socket
• 21mm socket
• 22mm socket
• 24mm socket
• 15mm wrench
• 21mm wrench
• Ball joint separator (specialty)
• Control arm bushing press (specialty)
• Bolt punch
• Hammer
• Pry bar
• Paint marker
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Front upper control arm - Qty: 2
• Front lower control arm - Qty: 2
• Front control arm bolts and nuts - Qty: 1 set
• Front sway bar link hardware - Qty: 1 set
• Alignment service - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground and chock the rear wheels.
• Loosen the front wheel lug nuts before lifting the truck.
• Raise the front and support it securely with jack stands.
• Mark cam bolts and eccentric washers with a paint marker before removal. This helps preserve alignment enough to drive to the shop.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Remove the front wheels

• Use a 21mm socket or the correct lug tool to remove the front wheels.
• Set the wheels aside where they will not roll.

Step 2: Disconnect parts attached to the control arm

• Use a 15mm wrench and 18mm socket to remove the sway bar link from the control arm if it blocks access.
• If the brake hose or ABS wire bracket is attached to the arm, remove the bracket fasteners with a 10mm socket.

Step 3: Separate the ball joint from the knuckle

• Use a ball joint separator to break the taper loose at the steering knuckle.
• Support the knuckle so the axle shaft and brake hose are not stretched.
• Do not hammer the stud directly.

Step 4: Remove the upper control arm

• Use a 21mm socket and 21mm wrench to remove the upper arm mounting bolts.
• Remove the upper ball joint nut with a 21mm socket.
• Pull the arm out of the frame brackets and remove it from the truck.
• Torque for upper control arm bolts: Torque to 122 Nm (90 ft-lbs) at ride height.
• Torque for upper ball joint nut: Torque to 70 Nm (52 ft-lbs).

Step 5: Remove the lower control arm

• Use a 24mm socket and breaker bar to remove the lower arm mounting bolts.
• Remove the lower ball joint nut with a 22mm socket.
• If the arm is tight in the bracket, use a pry bar to guide it out.
• Torque for lower control arm bolts: Torque to 176 Nm (130 ft-lbs) at ride height.
• Torque for lower ball joint nut: Torque to 108 Nm (80 ft-lbs).

Step 6: Install the new control arms

• Position the new arm in the brackets and start all bolts by hand.
• Use the same socket sizes you used for removal to install the bolts and nuts.
• Leave the pivot bolts loose until the suspension is at ride height.
• Tightening at ride height helps save the bushings.

Step 7: Reconnect the knuckle and any brackets

• Install the ball joint stud into the knuckle and tighten the nut with the correct socket.
• Reconnect the sway bar link using the 15mm wrench and 18mm socket.
• Reinstall any brake hose or ABS wire brackets using the 10mm socket.

Step 8: Final-torque the control arm bolts at ride height

• Put the truck’s weight on the suspension or raise each lower arm until the suspension sits at normal height.
• Use the 1/2-inch drive torque wrench to tighten the upper and lower control arm pivot bolts to spec.
• This step is critical because bushings should not be clamped while hanging.

Step 9: Reinstall wheels and lower the truck

• Reinstall the wheels and hand-tighten the lug nuts.
• Lower the truck and use a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts to 176 Nm (130 ft-lbs).

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✅ After Repair

• Road test slowly and listen for clunks or pulling.
• Check that the steering wheel is centered.
• Inspect all fasteners again after the test drive.
• Schedule a front-end alignment as soon as possible.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $900-$1,800 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $250-$700 (parts only)

You Save: $650-$1,100 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 4-7 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.