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WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Mineral Oils, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Mineral Oils, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Mineral Oils, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Mineral Oils, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Mineral Oils, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Mineral Oils, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Mineral Oils, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Mineral Oils, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Mineral Oils, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Mineral Oils, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Mineral Oils, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Mineral Oils, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Mineral Oils, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Mineral Oils, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Lead and Mineral Oils, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
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Problems You May Face with Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup Control Arm
Control arms are essentially what hold the wheels to the body frame of your Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup. The control arm is a very important component of your vehicle's suspension system, because it allows you to maintain control while driving. Although control arms are built very, very tough, they are still not safe from wear and tear, what with all the heat, dirt, and pressure they face in every time you drive. If they are worn, you will have serious issues on steering and control. Below are some of the most common problems you may face with a Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup control arm:
Vibration in the steering
Take a test drive out on the freeway and observe the vibrations in the steering. If increasing your speed to 45 to 60 miles per hour makes the vibration more apparent, then you may have torn or bent control arms.
Shakes when applying the brakes
Another sign to know if your Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup control arm is worn is by observing shakes in your steering wheel while stepping on the brake pedal. When this happens, your car's control arm itself is most probably worn or bent, or it may also be caused by worn control arm bushings. Check the parts to know for sure. If the bushings are worn, flaking, cracking, or advanced deterioration are the surest ways to identify them.
Excessively moving wheel
Jack up the front end of the car, and place both hands on two sides of a tire and try moving the wheel. If it easily shifts along with the suspension, you may have bad control arms or control arm bushings. Check both parts to know for sure.
Abnormal tire wear
The control arm is a critical suspension component because it keeps your Dodge straight up and your wheels evenly balanced while you move up or down or over a bump. But if it is already worn, it will cause abnormal and uneven tire wear.
Cannot keep to a straight line
If you are cruising on a straight path and notice that your steering feels a bit loose and inexact, it can be attributed to bad control arm bushings. Remove the front wheels and inspect the bushings for wear. The performance of the control arms highly depends on the bushings, so if they are worn, replacing them should be done immediately to avoid further problems.
Summary
- The metal component that connects the wheel hub to the vehicle frame is called a control arm.
- The control arm does its job by guiding the movement of the wheel and making sure that is in line with the car’s body.
- The control arm is made up of a metal arm, ball joint, and bushings.
- Prices usually start from $100 to $250.
- Typically, your control arm assembly should be replaced every 90,000 to 100,000 miles.
Dodge first introduced pickup trucks carrying the RAM name in 1981. It was the refreshed Ram and Power Ram that followed the retirement of the Dodge D Series pickup trucks. The Dodge Ram 1500, a full-size pickup truck, easily gained popularity all across America because of its utility, style and towing ability.
No matter how great the fascia of your truck looks or how strong your engine is, it will not reach its best performance without a reliable suspension system. Your truck’s suspension system is the one primarily responsible for maintaining the stability and smoothness of your ride, especially when traveling on bumpy roads. One important suspension system component is the control arm.
What is a control arm and how does it work?
The metal component that connects the wheel hub to the vehicle frame is called a control arm. Because it is usually A-shaped, it is also informally called A-arm. When a car runs, it naturally bounces up and down due to the impact caused by bumps on the road and the pull of gravity. The control arm does its job by guiding the movement of the wheel and making sure that is in line with the car’s body.
Here are the three components of a control arm:
Metal Arm
This term refers to the metal body of the arm. It can come in different shapes and sizes but most of them are A-shaped as mentioned above.
Bushings
Bushings are rubber materials that prevent friction. It works by cushioning the suspension system which also results in controlled noise and vibrations. This gives your truck a smoother ride. Typically, a bushing is composed of an inner and outer metal sleeve and a rubber or polyurethane bushing.
Ball Joint
A ball joint has a ball-and-socket design that connects the control arm to the steering knuckle. Ball joints are usually found below the coil spring. In simpler terms, it works as a pivot between the wheel and the suspension system of your vehicle. If you are still confused about how it functions, just think of it as how our human hip joint functions. It connects our legs to the frame of our body.
How much does a control arm replacement cost?
The Dodge Ram 1500 typically has rear, driver and passenger side control arms. Although it can come in different colors, it is usually black. Control arms are usually sold individually but you can also buy some in sets or kits. Prices usually start from $100 to $250.
Control arms may vary depending on the model year of your Dodge Ram 1500. Make sure to enter the specific year, make and model in our search engine to ensure that you are getting the right part for your truck.
When does a control arm need replacement?
Typically, your control arm assembly should be replaced every 90,000 to 100,000 miles. Although control arms are simple mechanisms, it will also wear out over time. Since control arms are pretty straightforward mechanisms, it is not the control arm itself that becomes faulty but the joints and bushings that come with it. When these components start to wear out, you could eventually lose control of your vehicle. Cracked or damaged bushings may also result in increased vibrations resulting in an uncomfortable ride.
Another tell-tale sign that there is something wrong with the control arm is a bent control arm. Even though control arms are made of metal components such as steel or aluminum, it can still get damaged due to bumps and collisions on the road.
You cannot delay replacing a faulty control arm because it is a safety risk not only to you and your passengers but also to the other vehicles on the road. Although there are self-help videos available online on how to replace a control arm, it is best to leave this job to your trusted mechanic to ensure that all parts are fitted correctly in your suspension system.
The Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup control arm is a tough metal part. It is made with iron and sometimes aluminum too, which are very, very hard to damage. Its main functions are to keep you in control of steering, keep your pickup truck in the straight up position, and hold the wheels to the frame of your Dodge. The control arms manage the orientation of the wheels with regards to the frame and are a very essential part of the vehicle's suspension system. If you are experiencing problems with the control arms such as vibrations in the steering, shaking while braking, abnormal tire wear, or an overly moving wheel, you will have to replace the control arms or the bushings. And after getting new ones, it is important to know the following tips to help you get better mileage with them and avoid premature wear.
- Sandblasting control arms
- The control arms undergo a lot of weather changes where they are located; hence, they are exposed to a lot of debris, grease, mud, and other weather elements. A way to get them clear of all these is sandblasting. Make sure you do it outdoors and with proper protective equipment. Otherwise, you might develop the lung disease called silicosis. Also, instead of using sand, you can opt for other particles such as steel grit, copper slag, walnut shells, powdered abrasives, and bits of coconut shell. Doing this will prevent the control arms from being embedded with salt deposits that are present in sand, and in turn, prevent it from developing rust.
- Powder coat control arms
- Another way to effectively maintain the life of the control arms is powder coating. This involves preparing the control arm or pre-treating it by removing oil, grease, etc. After this, you will have to use an electrostatic gun to apply the powder coating. Next, the powder has to be cured at 200 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes by means of a convection cure oven, an infrared cure oven, or by laser curing process.
- Sometimes, it's all about the control arm bushings
- As the control arms themselves are built to last a very long time, the problems associated with them almost always originate from the control arm bushings. To avoid further inconveniences or any untoward incident, you should replace the worn bushings as soon as possible.
