control arm removal

[trucksr4girls]

how can i access the right bolt for the driver's side control arm?? i managed to do the entire passenger's side but cannot figure this out!

 

[yellocoyote]

Lots of extensions and a hinged/swivel adapter.

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

Wait the driver's side is the hard side?

 

[BjBnet]

Wait the driver's side is the hard side?

driver rear is harder if you don't have the right extensions, but not hard in general

 

[ptsb5a]

I undid the steering column support bracket to gain a wee bit of space and did it all from underneath with an 18mm(?) stubby wrench. Beware the exhaust heat shield, it'll cut the back of a hand up pretty good. I'm pretty sure that I got the other three bolts out in the time it took me to get that one.

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

OK, ThunderbirdJunkie was under the impression that the passenger side was the harder of the arms to do.

He's already done the driver side.

 

[trucksr4girls]

driver's side was harder.. only because of that stupid bolt.. got it out though. now i gotta figure out the whole alignment mess.. anyone know about adjusting camber?

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

Yeah, take it to a shop to have it done.

There are these neat $150,000 machines that you do alignments on at those places

 

[jnaut]

Yeah, take it to a shop to have it done.

There are these neat $150,000 machines that you do alignments on at those places

x2. Alignment is a lot like working on AC. Some things are meant for professionals with stuff like lasers and superheterodyne cosmic platinum plated dilithium machines to do.

There are some good mechanics here, and they'd all have it done at a shop.

 

[trucksr4girls]

i realize that.. its just gunna be a pain to get it to the shop like this. the alignment is SOOO off right now.. i can barely go over 25mph. oh well.. guess that's what hazards are for.

 

[trucksr4girls]

so i finally got the new extended upper control arms on.. turns out although the site said as long as there is a 2 inch lift the lower arms wont need replacing.. the lower arms DO in fact need replacing. errr

 

[ptsb5a]

Why? Cam bolts froze? Bushings toast?

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

Froze? it's the middle of July, they should be thawed by now!

 

[Midgear]

so i finally got the new extended upper control arms on.. turns out although the site said as long as there is a 2 inch lift the lower arms wont need replacing.. the lower arms DO in fact need replacing. errr

how did you go about finding this out? I've never seen anyone replace the lower control arms because of a lift?

 

[ptsb5a]

Froze? it's the middle of July, they should be thawed by now!

Not so smarty pants.

 

[trucksr4girls]

i didnt think i'd have to get extended lower control arms but the alignment is still way off. jeep is pigeon toed.. the outside of the tires is wearing pretty bad and i only drove it about 80 miles.. i'm just gunna put in some spacers and see if that helps before i buy the new lower arms. maybe an extra 1/2 inch of lift will do the trick.

 

[tjkj2002]

i didnt think i'd have to get extended lower control arms but the alignment is still way off. jeep is pigeon toed.. the outside of the tires is wearing pretty bad and i only drove it about 80 miles.. i'm just gunna put in some spacers and see if that helps before i buy the new lower arms. maybe an extra 1/2 inch of lift will do the trick.

There is no such thing as a extended LCA for a KJ,the ones you have are the only ones offered or made.

Time to find a better alignment shop,it takes some skill to get a KJ(even stock) back into alignment,I've done so many it takes me no time at all.Now with a fresh lift(new coils) the caster may not be able to be set but that is a non-tire wearing angle and should be sacrificed for camber until the lift settles some.Toe is a no brainer and easy to get into spec no matter what.If they can't get the camber and toe into spec they are dumba$$es and should not be doing alignments.Both camber and caster are set via the 2 cam bolts that holds each LCA on and can seize from corrosion which leads to lazy people saying the alignment can not be set when a $50 set of new cam bolts is all that is needed.To prevent seized cam bolts get a alignment once a year(you should do this anyway,makes your tire last longer) and wash the undercarriage at least once a month real well(even in the winter).

 

[trucksr4girls]

i brought it to 2 shops that couldn't fix the alignment. it's better than it was but i hope this pic uploads so you can see how bad it is still.

 

[jnaut]

i realize that.. its just gunna be a pain to get it to the shop like this. the alignment is SOOO off right now.. i can barely go over 25mph. oh well.. guess that's what hazards are for.

There's always a AAA towtruck.

But seriously... how far off can the alignment be? What does it do when you drive it?

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

Whoever's doing your alignments suck.

Even ThunderbirdJunkie can get a KJ to 0* camber after OME 926s (ONLY), a good caster split and JBA UCAs