Control Arms, Ball Joints and Links

[PProph]

With the help of people I decided to replace my front end control arms (upper and lower), upper ball joints and sway bar end links. Actually found a pretty good price from PartsAvatar for the parts (shipping killed RockAuto as an option).

Starting with the driver's side, I had a heck of a time getting everything apart, but with some tools borrowed from my car guy (who isn't doing any work right now due to the pandemic) and a whole pile of penetrant I've finally got it all out and going back in. I had to take the steering knuckle right off to get the UBJ pressed out, so now I'm putting things back together. My LCA isn't going to be great as far as alignment, but the first drive I'll be taking will be to get an alignment done.

I've got the LCA attached to the frame and shock, the Sway Link attached to the bar and LCA, and the Steering Knuckle attached to the LCA and tie rod, all loosely for now. Is there an order best to torque things down to spec? Like should I start with the LCA frame bolts, then move to the nuts that attach it to the other parts? Does it matter at all as long as everything gets torqued to spec?

I will likely have more questions as I go. It was recommended to me that when I attach the UCA to frame I should have the weight on which make sense to me.

 

[Mooseman]

You can pretty much tighten them all EXCEPT the LCA to bracket through (or pivot) bolts. Same for UCA through bolts. You tighten those only with the truck with its wheels with full weight is on the ground.

 

[PProph]

I got the all in one LCA with the bracket included, I shouldn't have to tighten anything there in that case, correct?

 

[Beacon]

Tighten everything, including the LCA to bracket bolts. And you won't hurt anything to hit them all a second time.

 

[Mooseman]

I'd loosen the LCA to bracket bolts just to be sure the bushings aren't stressed at the at rest position. But that's just me.

 

[PProph]

So the driver side took me a whole bunch of days/attempts at different stages/parts. Today I did the passenger side, can't believe how much easier it was. Part of it was knowing what I'm doing, part of it was the weather, part of it was soaking stuff in penetrant all day yesterday, but part of it was just things coming off better. Kind of shocked I was able to do it all in an afternoon/early evening. I even changed my seal from my manifold to my cat pipe as it had blown out awhile ago:

I just have one question. How in the world are we supposed to torque the rear bolts on the UCAs (the ones closest to the cabin)? Can't get a torque wrench on them to save my life, let alone try to get enough leverage on them to get them to 111 ft-lbs. Any ideas?

 

[Blckshdw]

How in the world are we supposed to torque the rear bolts on the UCAs (the ones closest to the cabin)? Can't get a torque wrench on them to save my life, let alone try to get enough leverage on them to get them to 111 ft-lbs. Any ideas?

I used a big wrench, and just cranked them as tight as I could. That was a year ago, when I flipped my UCAs for a suspension lift, and they haven't backed out at all.

 

[Matt]

What @Blckshdw said. I just use the German torque setting, gud un tight.