2500/3500 Upper Control Arm PSA!

[Alex_M]

Hey all! I've noticed recently, this has happened to me on two trucks, that whatever manufacturer is making "stock" replacement upper control arms for 2500 and 3500 series GMT800s is using non-stock dimension ball joints. On two separate trucks I have gone to replace upper ball joints and discovered this issue. I've tried ball joints from Rock Auto, O'Reilly's, and AutoZone, so ball joint supplier is not the issue.

The bore for the ball joint in the UCA is larger than stock meaning stock replacement ball joints are "hotdog down a hallway" situation. On the first luckily the truck could sit a few days and I just ordered aftermarket tubular UCAs. The second I needed the truck back up and running that day. I ended up welding inside the bore of the UCA to make the bore smaller. Pressed the joint in, put the snap ring in the bottom, and did three big tacks around the top of the ball joint to make sure it held in the UCA, pouring water over between each tack to make sure I didn't cook the ball joint.

That truck will get replacement UCAs as well, but that was my fix to get back on the road. If you have a used truck and don't know the history, or have replaced the UCAs yourself, be aware of this next time you go to replace ball joints. You might be better off ordering another set of control arms if you're in a hurry unfortunately. I have not been able to find a part number on the larger ball joint to get just a replacement joint.

 

[strutaeng]

Thanks for the heads up. What brand were those UCAs? I thought all replacement UCAs already had the ball joints/bushings?

I redid the front suspension of my suburban 2500 and kept my UCAs, just ordered new ball joints and bushings, same as the LCAs.

The UCA are not that difficult to remove/reinstall the bushings and the ball joints. But LCAs are a pain. They are wide and heavy. I had my 11 year old son help me hold the LCAs on the shop press to press the new ball joint.

 

[Alex_M]

The set on the first truck was, I believe, Detroit Axle. The second truck I do not know - I inherited the truck with the UCAs already changed. Detroit is just a reseller, so there are likely to be many companies that sell the same UCA with this issue.

Replacement UCAs do come with ball joints installed, but if you later want to replace only the ball joint then that's when the issue comes up.

When I replace the UCAs for future servicablility, I will be getting a tubular set with bolt in ball joint from ebay. I've had a bunch of set of ebay tubular control arms at this point and had very good luck out of them. That's only really an option for lifted trucks - I run everything with cranked keys.