So today I decided after my oil change that I would look into why my steering has been so sloppy... I've replaced the idler arm TWICE, ball joints TWICE, and the pitman arm and tie rods once already since I've had it, and all of those joints actually seem good, which was a surprise to me because I was betting on the idler arm...

What I found instead was control arm bushings that are cracked, falling apart, and leaving a TON of play in the upper control arm on the passenger side...









Now I just need to decide if I want to A) grab a set of used control arms (I work in a junk yard, easy to come by them) and have a set of new bushings pressed into them, reusing my Moog ball joints that are maybe a year and a half old, or B) just buy complete new control arms with bushings pressed in and ball joints riveted (saving my good Moogs as spares for when those inevitably go bad...)...

Thoughts?



The passenger uppers actually weren't terrible, but they were also replaced when I got the Blazer.









I can't see any of the lowers, but they're getting changed too if I'm doing the uppers.

Also, never waste your money on cheap sway bar end links... they got changed when I put the Moog balljoints on and the rubber is busting apart already, a year and a half later... eBay order... should have known... Think I'll replace those with a kit that has some urethane bushings and do the frame mounts at the same time.





Speaking of urethane bushings, what are you guy's thoughts on using urethane bushings on the control arms, if I'm able to even find any?



Lastly, and unrelated to the subject at hand... guess what's causing this mess

 

I gonna go with oil hose

 

winner winner chicken dinner...

 

Where would you buy a complete set of control arms? Yes, I am lazy. LOL If you were going to buy them, can you link me to the product please Red?

 

Rock Auto

Not cheap by any means... But I do notice now that the Moog brand comes with bolted on new ball joints instead of riveted on ones like the AC Delcos have, which is nice I suppose

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...256&cc=1423909

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...481&cc=1423909

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...537&cc=1423909

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...599&cc=1423909


I'm still entertaining the idea of Urethane bushings popped into some second hand arms and reusing my current Moog ball joints, my only hesitation with that is the harsh ride I hear stories about... Not that the Blazer rides like a Cadillac right now

 

WOW! $167.79 for each one? Well it is MOOG, and that sure does make things easier that's for sure! Hmmmm Might be worth it. Should get quite a few miles out of those. My control arms look like they were made of rust, and they are getting rusty! This may be a good option for me. I don't have any play in the steering, but I like to stay ahead of the curve. Those are very nice. Might have to pull the trigger! Thanks Red!

 

No problem. Look at them all, the lowers and uppers are priced differently.

 

Definitely go with whole new assemblies. Saves ton of time and plus its all new and shiny. I went with installing new bushings and had to have a shop do them which ended up costing me more anyway.

 

Naw I'd get a set out of the junk yard since you said you work there. Then you can take your sweet time cleaning em up all nice n purty like to swap over when you're ready. And save about 300 buckaroos. BTW urethane is the way to go

 

I have always heard--no first hand experience-- that the polyurethane bushings are very firm, hence the harsh ride; but also squeak a lot. They will last a lot longer than the rubber ones. I think I could handle--no pun intended-- the harsher ride but not the constant squeaking. Some polyurethane bushings come with a grease fitting: the sway bar bushings that hold the sway bar to the frame sometimes have these grease fittings. (Not talking about the sway bar end links.) That should solve the squeaking.