2006 Jeep Liberty CRD upper control arm removal *HELP!*

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Samskyline

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Can anyone point me to a guide or give me a few tips or tricks on how to get to the rear bolts on either side of the upper control arms? I have already removed the air box for the passenger side, and the battery and battery tray for the driver side. That made removing the front control arm bolts pretty easy. But the rear control arm bolts are nigh impossible to get to and I think a lot of that difficulty is because of the diesel engine dropped in here. Thank you, engineers! I have seen the guide on another forum of a 05 CRD owner replacing his arms, but once he gets to the 2 rear bolts, he does not explain what he did to get to them.

In the 1st picture you can see the tiny metal hose which basically blocks me from putting a wrench with an extension down there to reach under the shock tower.
The 2nd shows the mess around the bolt and lack of visibility.
The 3rd is just the path under the tower I should be able to take if it was a gas motor.
The 4th picture shows the same as the 3rd, but on the driver side. It is an even bigger mess of tubes, pipes, and the steering column is in the way.
And the 5th and my least favorite of all shows the 2 metal pipes sitting directly in front of the nut I need to put a socket around.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, so PLEASE if you have done this before on your CRD let me know what you did to get to these nuts/bolts or what you did to make your life easier trying to do so.

Thank you!

P.S. mechanics want to charge me $1200 for the job. I have the tools and parts, but still trying to improve my skill.

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Johnny O

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You need a ratcheting box wrench or an indexing head ratchet or a through hole ratchet. That and patience. A free shots of Free All or Kroil the night before helps too.
 

DadOSix

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on a gasser, we take a big ole extension and angle in from the front just behind the radiator to get at those back ones.

I used a short socket and handle to wedge the backside until broken loose.

be careful not to clip the brake line if you go this route.
 

tommudd

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Yes like mentioned , long extensions and a swivel with ratchet or air gun up front next to radiator
Not as much fun as a gasser but i have done 3 CRDs with no issues really
You can loosen the tubes. pipes whatever you are calling them and move enough to get in there
 

Samskyline

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Yes like mentioned , long extensions and a swivel with ratchet or air gun up front next to radiator
Not as much fun as a gasser but i have done 3 CRDs with no issues really
You can loosen the tubes. pipes whatever you are calling them and move enough to get in there
Can this method work for both the driver and passenger side? And did you need to remove anything extra? Thanks
 

CarlosHRNYC

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I just did both last weekend. Those are your brake lines that are in the way. There is a 10mm bolt inside the wheel well that you can remove to give you some slack when removing the control arm bolts. The bolts have a tab that spins while you turn the nut. Move the brake line out of the way until the tab rests against the body. You'll need extensions to get back to the rear ones (I used 2 wobble extensions) That and alot of patience.

Tip: after you replace the control arms, get the bolts back on and the nuts snug but not tight. Put the wheels back on and lower the vehicle. This gets the control arms in their natural position then tighten the nuts to spec.
 

Samskyline

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I just did both last weekend. Those are your brake lines that are in the way. There is a 10mm bolt inside the wheel well that you can remove to give you some slack when removing the control arm bolts. The bolts have a tab that spins while you turn the nut. Move the brake line out of the way until the tab rests against the body. You'll need extensions to get back to the rear ones (I used 2 wobble extensions) That and alot of patience.

Tip: after you replace the control arms, get the bolts back on and the nuts snug but not tight. Put the wheels back on and lower the vehicle. This gets the control arms in their natural position then tighten the nuts to spec.
Thank you! Did you go after the bolts from underneath?
 

CarlosHRNYC

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Thank you! Did you go after the bolts from underneath?
You'll have to remove both tires. (if you're doing upper control arms then the tires are off anyway). On the side of the shocks facing the front of the car, you'll see one bolt on each side. Be sure to spray penetrating oil on them before you start turning in case of rust.
 

Samskyline

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You'll have to remove both tires. (if you're doing upper control arms then the tires are off anyway). On the side of the shocks facing the front of the car, you'll see one bolt on each side. Be sure to spray penetrating oil on them before you start turning in case of rust.
Ive already replaced a few suspension components, bushings, tie rods, lower ball joints, etc. I just wasnt sure how I could get to those rear bolt. When you got yours off were you under the jeep or go through the grill or what? Thank you
 

tommudd

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Hard as heck to get to underneath , almost impossible
and
you don't have to go through the grill
BEHIND the radiator
 

CarlosHRNYC

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Ive already replaced a few suspension components, bushings, tie rods, lower ball joints, etc. I just wasnt sure how I could get to those rear bolt. When you got yours off were you under the jeep or go through the grill or what? Thank you
Not underneath... Went through the engine bay... just pop the hood and origami your way to the rear bolts. Like I said, I used two 12" wobble extensions and an impact socket with my ratchet... you're going to have to be creative when trying to break the nut... I have an 18" PVC pipe that I keep handy... I slipped it over the ratchet handle and slowly applied enough pressure to break the nut free. Slow and steady wins the race... those rear nuts are a beeotch but it can be done...

Wobble extension...
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