How to Replace Upper Control Arm on Chevy Silverado

How to Replace Upper Control Arm on Chevy Silverado

http://chevroletforum.com/how-tos is the leading Chevy Silverado resource for technical DIY guides. Learn how to replace the upper control arms in this helpful video. For the full article, visit http://chevroletforum.com/how-tos/a/chevrolet-silverado-1999-2006-how-to-replace-upper-control-arm-392424

An upper control arm can go bad if the bushings holding it to the frame brackets fail or if the ball joint attaching the control arm to the wheel knuckle wears out.

This moderately difficult job takes one to two hours and costs from $50 to $100. Professional cost is $200 to $300.

This job requires 10, 21, and 22 mm sockets, a ratchet and extension, 18 and 21 mm long, open-end/box-end wrenches, a marker or paint stick, a torque wrench, a floor jack and jack stands, wheel chocks, grease or a grease gun, a large hammer, and a new upper control arm. An air hammer is optional depending on the age and condition of your truck.

Step One – Remove the front wheel

● Break the lug nuts loose on the wheel where the control arm is to be replaced.
● Raise the front of the vehicle, and place jack stands under the frame rails just behind the lower control arm mounts.
● Lower truck onto stands.
● Remove the lug nuts and the wheel.

Step Two – Remove the brake line and ABS wire attachment bolts

● Using a 10 mm wrench, remove the bolt that holds the brake line to the upper control arm.
● Remove the bolt holding the ABS wire mount to the upper control arm.

Step Three – Mark the cam plates

Each camber bolt can slide back-and-forth in the bracket’s oblong hole to allow adjustment of the wheel’s camber and caster. The tab/pin’s location in the spiral groove of the cam plate sets the bolt’s horizontal location during wheel alignment.

If your vehicle has never had a front end alignment, you may find plastic retainers force-fit into the cam slots on the attachment brackets. If all four sides of the control arm attachment points have plastic inserts in the cam plate, leave the inserts in when you remove the cam plate and upper control arm. Make sure not to mix up which plates go on which side of the bracket.

Alternatively, as these retainers were used by the factory during assembly, you can pry them out with a small screwdriver. Don’t worry if they break when prying them out as they will all be discarded when you realign the front end of your vehicle.

For the cam plates that don’t have a plastic retainer,
use a marker or paint stick to mark the position of the tab on each cam plate’s spiral groove. You can mark the position on either side of the upper control arm attachment brackets.

Then remove the two large camber bolts. Make sure not to mix up the plates or their locations when you attach the new control arm.

Step Four – Loosen the upper ball joint

● Loosen the 18 mm nut securing the control arm’s ball joint to the wheel knuckle.
● Unscrew the nut a few turns, but don’t remove it entirely.
● Using a hammer, hit the side of the knuckle attached to the upper control arm’s ball joint. Continue hitting the knuckle until the ball joint has been freed.

Step Five – Remove the cam plates

● Remove both 21 mm nuts located outside of both control arm fastening brackets.
● Then remove the two cam plates that were held in place by the nuts.
● Remember which cam plates came off which side.

Step Six – Detach the ball joint

● Place the floor jack underneath the wheel knuckle and jack it up three inches.
● Remove the 18 mm nut securing the upper control arm ball joint to the knuckle.
● Pull the control arm free from the knuckle.

Step Seven – Remove the old upper control arm

● Remove the 21 mm bolts on both of the control arm fastening brackets. Again, remember which cam plates came off of which side.
● Swivel the control arm up and down as you pull on it to free it from the brackets.

Step Eight – Install the new upper control arm

● Clean the connection brackets of any loose rust and road film.
● Push the new control arm into the two brackets.
● Replace the cam plates for each side as you are replacing the bolts. Don’t tighten the 21 mm nuts just yet.
● Angle the control arm ball joint end down into the wheel knuckle attachment location.
● When the ball joint is pressed down in position, re-install and hand-tighten the 18 mm nut; do not fully tighten.

Step 9 – Tighten control arm bolts and ball joint nut

● Tighten the 21 mm control arm nuts to their proper torque rating.
● Then tighten the 18 mm ball joint nut down to the proper torque rating.

Step 10 – Complete installation

● Re-install the 10 mm bolts that secure the brake line and ABS wire to the upper control arm.
● Use a grease gun to fill the Zerk fitting on the ball joint (located at the end of the control arm) with grease until it backs up. Lastly, mount the wheel and re-install the lug nuts.

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Comments

Timothy Patnaude says:

Why play annoying music while trying to hear instructions ? This is dumb . Most of us don't want to hear that stuff.

macie max says:

that's the best dyi video I have watched yet.. thank you for making as easy as it could get.. some video's made by backyard no nothing people giving advice should never be able to post.. thank you again for taking the time to make a great video..

Eric Bradley says:

Guys, this is B.S. you are using screenshots from 1A Autos video. I hope Mike beats your a#$!!

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