1. Prepare the vehicle. Park the truck on a level surface, apply the parking brake, and chock the wheels. Turn off the engine and allow it to cool down. Engage the parking brake and turn the steering wheel to the side that you will be working on. Engage the parking brake to keep the vehicle stationary during the repair.
2. Locate the upper control arm. The upper control arm is located on the front suspension of the truck. It is a triangular-shaped component that connects the wheel assembly to the frame of the vehicle.
3. Remove the wheel and tire. Use a lug wrench to loosen the lug nuts on the wheel and remove the wheel and tire assembly. This will give you access to the upper control arm.
4. Disconnect the sway bar link. The sway bar link is a metal rod that connects the sway bar to the upper control arm. Use a wrench to loosen the bolts that connect the sway bar link to the upper control arm and disconnect it.
5. Remove the upper control arm ball joint. The upper control arm ball joint is a ball-and-socket joint that connects the upper control arm to the steering knuckle. Use a ball joint separator tool to separate the ball joint from the steering knuckle.
6. Remove the upper control arm bolts. There are two bolts that connect the upper control arm to the frame of the vehicle. Use a wrench to loosen and remove these bolts.
7. Remove the upper control arm. Once the bolts are removed, you can lift the upper control arm out of the vehicle.
8. Install the new upper control arm. Place the new upper control arm into the vehicle and insert the bolts. Hand-tighten the bolts until they are snug.
9. Reconnect the sway bar link. Reconnect the sway bar link to the upper control arm and tighten the bolts.
10. Install the ball joint. Connect the upper control arm ball joint to the steering knuckle and tighten the nut until it is snug.
11. Install the wheel and tire. Replace the wheel and tire assembly and tighten the lug nuts until they are snug. Lower the vehicle and remove the chocks.
12. Tighten the bolts. Tighten the bolts that connect the upper control arm to the frame of the vehicle.
13. Test the suspension. Drive the truck and test the suspension to make sure that it is functioning properly.
Remember to take safety precautions when working on your vehicle. If you are not comfortable performing this repair yourself, it is best to have it done by a qualified mechanic.
