Upper Control Arms and Lower Steering Parts

[Fordication]

Have a question about the steering parts on my 73 Dodge Challenger. I recently pulled the wheels and changed out the shocks on the front of the car. I noticed that the boots on several part of the suspension are torn and grease is leaking out of them. I had the car on a lift and did not see any play in these parts so do I replace the boots or just replace the parts. I see several threads here on going to aftermarket for a better suspension and alignment. If I replace these parts should I go back with the same or should I repair the existing parts by rebuilding them? Whats the right way to go here.

 

[Xcudame]

I'm kinda of a tightwad when it comes to parts for a running driving car. I'd just install new boots, add some lube and drive her!

Otherwise you can go down the rabbit hole of swapping to aftermarket tubular upper control arms to give you more caster and camber. Switching to the beefy "C-Body" tie-rods, buying stiffer lower control arms or welding the stick ones with stiffening plates. Ka-ching ka-ching! It's only money!!

 

[pschlosser]

I'm guessing it's less work to replace the boots, than disassembling and rebuilding the entire front suspension.

If you're confident the parts, and front end are still pretty tight, go with a boot replacement. or, skip it until a later time. Maybe the next owner. But if you're getting a show car ready, then yea, rebuild the whole front, when that day comes.

Presuming the parts (with boots) have grease zerks, fresh grease squeezes out any dirt, and keeps road dirt from penetrating and wearing the joints, even with worn boots and exposed parts, at the expense of a little excess grease, or more frequent (perhaps annually, depending on how much you drive it)

Some of us only put a few thousand miles on our Mopars per year... tops. In those scenarios, anything exposed by worn boots is nearly a non-issue. But I speak as a California "fair weather" driver, where I don't drive in the rain, and obviously, not in the snow.

Your profile suggests you're from a warm state (where they never do anything small, like BBQ, picnics, car shows, etc) so you can decide for yourself.