Not too many videos on the 13-16 dart, and most dont explain to the level of detail and reasons why, that your video does. Thanks very much for your work. This will make aupcoming wheel bearing job on my '13 a ton easier.
There's an easier way to get the control arm in. 1. Get the back side in with the vertical bolt loosely installed 2. Get the ball joint in the hub with the retainer bolt loosely installed 3. Make sure the axle is installed in the hub, then move the front end of the control arm in. Use a mallet to align the lateral axis, then use a floor jack to adjust the height. She goes right in.
I have a 2016 sxt and my upper bearings are dry, I tried getting it apart to grease them but after a day of fighting it I gave up, it’s a super pain in the butt!! I never did get them greased but will have to eventually, I looked at pulling the lower control arm off but already ran out of patience’s. You are right, no way to get that strut out of the spindle! Thanks for the video!
Yeah there's pretty much zero way of removing the strut from the knuckle without removing the control arm. One of the worst one's I've ever worked on. I hope you find the video helpful and let me know how your work goes!
At 21:24 - If you raise the passenger wheel a little bit with a floor jack it will raise the sway bar on the drivers side up to get it out of the way...
I agree with this statement. However, it turned out the sway bar was not my issue. The MOOG control arms I purchased were not QC'd very well and had clearance issues. I don't think I mentioned in the video but I used a sanding flap disk to sand down the aluminum running through the CA bushings. This gave me the needed 1-2mm of clearance I needed for proper fitment.
I'm about to attempt this job. My dart clunks and rattles in the frontend on rough road. Got quick struts Monroe and moog control arms and stabilizer links 490 tax and shipping from rock auto surprisingly.. think my caliper slide pins are shot too , the passenger caliper clunks when you wiggle it thru the wheel.
Be careful with the moog control arms. My phone didn't record it, but on the driver side I had major clearance issues because it wasn't within spec. So I had to file the surfaces down a bit for the control arm to slide into the bracket. Good luck on your work and thanks for watching.
@@truckscarsandcoffey3973 i also read allot on the dart forum. Taking the axle nut off helps alot but it was the hardest part of the job. Tie rod popped out just from the airgun breaking the nut loose ball joint popped out with large prybar , the new control arms i was able to wiggle little bit back and forth and slid in. Putting the strut in was a guessing game since there's no clear alignment , i just turned it till it looked even poking thru the tower hole to get the clip on. Also i removed the wheel wells plastic and under the bumper plastic plate made life easier.. thank you for your response!
I kept the opposite wheel on the ground and used a long 1/2 inch breaker bar. I stuck a flat head screw driver and tried to hammer the axel nut notches out a little bit. It took A LOT of force to get it to move. But once it moved it came off pretty easy.
Just throwing this out there.... After researching a f**k-ton, I discovered the bolts for the control arm ball joint to knuckle and @ the strut, need to be replaced if removed. Don't know if you are aware of this
@@charlesbosse9669 I purchased the FCS 2335908L and FCS 2335908R from RockAuto. They have a lot of different choices, but I just went with the basic ones. I've had them on for about 3 months and they work well. They fit nice and in place like they're supposed to.
@@truckscarsandcoffey3973 I have to watch how I'm spending my pennies, so I too, am just looking for basic struts nothing too fancy, just functional. Thank you again for your response.
I agree with this statement. However, it turned out the that was not my issue. The MOOG control arms I purchased were not QC'd very well and had clearance issues. I don't think I mentioned in the video but I used a sanding flap disk to sand down the aluminum running through the bushings. This gave me the needed 1-2mm of clearance I needed for proper fitment. Thanks for the comment.
HOLY MF’N SHE-YIT…!!!! I bought preloaded NAPA QUICK STRUTS.. I’ve tried since 11:30 am yesterday until 9:30 at night and haven’t gotten the new one in on the driver side.. Pissed me off so bad to get the old one off I got my grinder with a cutting wheel and cut the old worn out one off slung it in the middle of the street.. I CANNOT get the new one to slide into the steering knuckle to save my life or a friends life.. SO, now I can’t get the driver side on to get this sucker to a shop, idk what the hell I’m gonna do! Knocked out the lower ball joint, , all I need is a half inch man!! NEVER AGAIN FOR ME, I even bought brand new rear shocks, but im not even going to touch those!!
Yea these are a nightmare. I took a paddle wheel grinder to mine to get them to slide in the knuckle. Got my passenger side In with a lot of effort but drivers side for some reason keeps fighting back at every step
You did it the hard way, you should only remove the axle nut and tie rod and the ball joint then you remove the whole knuckle with the strut.
I'm not sure why I didn't think of that! Excellent advice!
You answered the question I had! Thank you sir
Probably because you were replacing the lower control arm anyway, so it all already had to come out.
Not too many videos on the 13-16 dart, and most dont explain to the level of detail and reasons why, that your video does. Thanks very much for your work. This will make aupcoming wheel bearing job on my '13 a ton easier.
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR GREAT ADVICE AND EFFORT.
You're very welcome Michael! Thanks for stopping by.
Appreciate the video man, thank you!
Glad it helped! Thanks for stopping by
Worst struts ever. Love my dart though. Awesome video man.
Great job!
There's an easier way to get the control arm in.
1. Get the back side in with the vertical bolt loosely installed
2. Get the ball joint in the hub with the retainer bolt loosely installed
3. Make sure the axle is installed in the hub, then move the front end of the control arm in. Use a mallet to align the lateral axis, then use a floor jack to adjust the height. She goes right in.
I have a 2016 sxt and my upper bearings are dry, I tried getting it apart to grease them but after a day of fighting it I gave up, it’s a super pain in the butt!! I never did get them greased but will have to eventually, I looked at pulling the lower control arm off but already ran out of patience’s. You are right, no way to get that strut out of the spindle! Thanks for the video!
Yeah there's pretty much zero way of removing the strut from the knuckle without removing the control arm. One of the worst one's I've ever worked on. I hope you find the video helpful and let me know how your work goes!
I’ll be putting new struts in today, I already have my cus words lined up. 🤣
At 21:24 - If you raise the passenger wheel a little bit with a floor jack it will raise the sway bar on the drivers side up to get it out of the way...
I agree with this statement. However, it turned out the sway bar was not my issue. The MOOG control arms I purchased were not QC'd very well and had clearance issues. I don't think I mentioned in the video but I used a sanding flap disk to sand down the aluminum running through the CA bushings. This gave me the needed 1-2mm of clearance I needed for proper fitment.
I'm about to attempt this job. My dart clunks and rattles in the frontend on rough road. Got quick struts Monroe and moog control arms and stabilizer links 490 tax and shipping from rock auto surprisingly.. think my caliper slide pins are shot too , the passenger caliper clunks when you wiggle it thru the wheel.
Be careful with the moog control arms. My phone didn't record it, but on the driver side I had major clearance issues because it wasn't within spec. So I had to file the surfaces down a bit for the control arm to slide into the bracket. Good luck on your work and thanks for watching.
@@truckscarsandcoffey3973 i also read allot on the dart forum. Taking the axle nut off helps alot but it was the hardest part of the job. Tie rod popped out just from the airgun breaking the nut loose ball joint popped out with large prybar , the new control arms i was able to wiggle little bit back and forth and slid in. Putting the strut in was a guessing game since there's no clear alignment , i just turned it till it looked even poking thru the tower hole to get the clip on. Also i removed the wheel wells plastic and under the bumper plastic plate made life easier.. thank you for your response!
On mine there was to plastic push pins on the tree bolt removel of the sub frame
How did you crack loose the axle nuts? Just an impact or did you have to pry on the staked areas out of the groove?
I kept the opposite wheel on the ground and used a long 1/2 inch breaker bar. I stuck a flat head screw driver and tried to hammer the axel nut notches out a little bit. It took A LOT of force to get it to move. But once it moved it came off pretty easy.
@@truckscarsandcoffey3973
...and Viola'.Thanks. Worked like a charm.
Just throwing this out there....
After researching a f**k-ton, I discovered the bolts for the control arm ball joint to knuckle and @ the strut, need to be replaced if removed. Don't know if you are aware of this
I was not aware, but I haven't crashed or died so I guess I tightened the back enough haha
Where did you get your quick struts from?
I received them from Rockauto.
@@truckscarsandcoffey3973 What brand name of quick struts did you get, and how well do they work?
@@charlesbosse9669 I purchased the FCS 2335908L and FCS 2335908R from RockAuto. They have a lot of different choices, but I just went with the basic ones.
I've had them on for about 3 months and they work well. They fit nice and in place like they're supposed to.
@@truckscarsandcoffey3973 Thank you. I'll give them a try. Did those retainer clips come with, in the box also I meant to ask that as well.
@@truckscarsandcoffey3973 I have to watch how I'm spending my pennies, so I too, am just looking for basic struts nothing too fancy, just functional. Thank you again for your response.
For the next time try to put some silicone on the bushings to make them slide alot easier
I agree with this statement. However, it turned out the that was not my issue. The MOOG control arms I purchased were not QC'd very well and had clearance issues. I don't think I mentioned in the video but I used a sanding flap disk to sand down the aluminum running through the bushings. This gave me the needed 1-2mm of clearance I needed for proper fitment. Thanks for the comment.
HOLY MF’N SHE-YIT…!!!!
I bought preloaded NAPA QUICK STRUTS..
I’ve tried since 11:30 am yesterday until 9:30 at night and haven’t gotten the new one in on the driver side..
Pissed me off so bad to get the old one off I got my grinder with a cutting wheel and cut the old worn out one off slung it in the middle of the street..
I CANNOT get the new one to slide into the steering knuckle to save my life or a friends life..
SO, now I can’t get the driver side on to get this sucker to a shop, idk what the hell I’m gonna do!
Knocked out the lower ball joint, , all I need is a half inch man!!
NEVER AGAIN FOR ME, I even bought brand new rear shocks, but im not even going to touch those!!
Yea these are a nightmare. I took a paddle wheel grinder to mine to get them to slide in the knuckle. Got my passenger side In with a lot of effort but drivers side for some reason keeps fighting back at every step
MINE WOULDN'T FIT IN THE KNUCKLE EITHER, WHAT DOES?
Time, patience and some silicone grease will make it fit and slide together 👍