🔧 Control Arms - Replacement

Assumption: Front control arms, and you should replace one side at a time. After this repair, the truck will need a wheel alignment.

The control arms hold the front wheel in the correct position and let the suspension move smoothly. If the bushings or ball joints are worn, you can get clunks, loose steering, uneven tire wear, or pulling while driving.

Difficulty Level: Advanced | Estimated Time: 4-6 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• Support the truck with jack stands on solid ground. Never work under a vehicle held only by a jack.
• Use a spring compressor only if the coil spring is still under tension. A spring compressor is a tool that safely squeezes the coil spring.
• Do not let the brake hose or wheel speed sensor wire hang by itself.
• Mark cam bolt positions before loosening them so alignment is closer when reassembled.
• 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 (pair, rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Safety glasses
• Mechanic gloves
• Metric socket set
• Metric wrench set
• Breaker bar
• Torque wrench
• Ball joint separator tool (specialty)
• Penetrating oil
• Paint marker
• Spring compressor (specialty)
• Rubber mallet

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Front upper control arm - Qty: 1 per side replaced
• Front lower control arm - Qty: 1 per side replaced
• Control arm hardware kit - Qty: 1 per side replaced
• Front ball joint hardware - Qty: 1 per side replaced
• Front wheel alignment - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, set the parking brake, and chock the rear wheels.
• Loosen the front lug nuts slightly before lifting the truck.
• Replace control arms one side at a time to keep the other side as a reference.
• Spray all control arm fasteners and ball joint nuts with penetrating oil before starting.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Lift and secure the front end

• Use a floor jack to raise the front of your Silverado.
• Place jack stands under the frame and lower the truck onto them.
• Remove the front wheel with the lug nut socket that fits your wheels.

Step 2: Remove parts attached to the control arm

• Use the proper metric socket set and metric wrench set to remove the sway bar link, brake line brackets, and any ABS wire clips attached to the arm.
• Keep the brake hose supported so it does not stretch.

Step 3: Separate the ball joint

• Use a ball joint separator tool to disconnect the upper or lower ball joint from the steering knuckle, depending on which arm you are replacing.
• If the tapered stud is stuck, gently tap the knuckle with a rubber mallet.
• Do not strike the ball joint stud.

Step 4: Remove the control arm bolts

• Use the metric socket set and breaker bar to remove the control arm mounting bolts at the frame.
• Mark cam bolt positions with a paint marker before removal if your arm uses alignment cams.
• Lower-arm fasteners are usually tight, so keep the suspension supported with the floor jack as you remove them.

Step 5: Remove the old control arm

• Slide the old arm out of the suspension cradle.
• If clearance is tight, lower or raise the control arm slightly with the floor jack.
• Compare the old and new control arms before installing the replacement.

Step 6: Install the new control arm

• Position the new control arm in the same orientation as the old one.
• Install the frame bolts by hand first using your fingers, then snug them with the metric socket set.
• Reconnect the ball joint stud to the knuckle and install the nut by hand first.
• Torque to factory specification.

Step 7: Reattach removed components

• Use the metric socket set to reinstall sway bar links, brake line brackets, and wire clips.
• Make sure nothing is pinched or rubbing.
• Torque to factory specification.

Step 8: Reinstall the wheel and lower the truck

• Put the wheel back on and hand-start the lug nuts.
• Lower the truck with the floor jack.
• Use a torque wrench to tighten the lug nuts in a star pattern.
• Torque to factory specification.

Step 9: Tighten suspension fasteners at ride height

• Support the suspension so it sits close to normal ride height.
• Use the torque wrench to final-tighten any rubber-bushed control arm fasteners at ride height.
• Torque to factory specification.
• This helps protect the new bushings.

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✅ After Repair

• Check that all fasteners are tight and all clips are reinstalled.
• Start the truck and turn the steering wheel lock-to-lock while parked to check for noise or binding.
• Road test slowly at first and listen for clunks or pulling.
• Get a professional wheel alignment as soon as possible.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $600-$1,400 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $180-$650 (parts only)

You Save: $420-$750 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 3-5 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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