Tips for LCA installation?

[6716]

New lower control arms due to arrive today.

The alignment shop is only a few miles away but still I wonder if there are any tips on getting the LCAs installed as close as possible to pretty good?

Or maybe my question is really is it possible to have the LCAs installed so wrong that it damages some other component?

If there is a wrongest way to do it, that would usually be how I do it the first time. It looks like they just slide side to side, not front to back.

And my air impact driver out to put enough torque on the bolts to get me to the alignment shop?

 

[Mooseman]

I did mine so wrong that it sounded like it was in a constant drift all the way to the alignment shop. Shouldn't cause any damage except for the slight wear on the tires for the short drive.

 

[NJTB]

Make sure you check the bushings the LCA's mount to. If they're shot, change them when you have the LCA's out.

 

[6716]

Make sure you check the bushings the LCA's mount to. If they're shot, change them when you have the LCA's out.

Fortunately I got the bracket + LCA with the ball joint pre-installed, so it is all new there.

Although now my challenge is that one of the LCA bracket bolts does not want to break loose. I had PB Blaster soaking it over night, hopefully it will start to turn when I get back out there later today.

 

[6716]

F@#$%^& outer rear LCA bracket bolt will just not turn. 24 hours with multiple shots of PB Blaster and nothing.

Hit it with the air impact ... nothing.

Pulled hard on my extended breaker bar ... nothing. I'm a little worried about pulling too hard on the breaker bar because I don't want to round it.

Not sure if heat would help me here, since I would be basically heating up frame.

 

[Mooseman]

Can't hurt.

 

[6716]

The heat I applied with a propane torch did not help any.

I don't think that bolt is coming out.

I am starting to think I just bolt the new arm onto the old bracket and keep moving. Not sure what else I can do.

Not sure what the alignment tech will do either.

 

[Mooseman]

Maybe a shop with an oxy torch can get it hot enough to get it if you can move the truck.

 

[6716]

I suppose I don't need to put the CV axle back in (it is a lot easier to put heat on that bolt with the CV axle out), so in theory I can move the truck. I'm probably bolting the new arm to the old bracket either way.

Maybe I wasn't getting it as hot as I could have. Maybe I will give it another shot.

 

[gmcman]

Just be careful as you don't want to release the welded nut.

I used a pipe on a breaker bar for mine. Those bolts are tight, 177 ft lbs on the two rear bolts, 195 ft lbs on the front.

 

[6716]

I have a pipe on the breaker bar and it is still going nowhere. Soaked it overnight again. I am bending the heck out of that breaker bar, and the half-inch swivel head is likely to break before that bolt moves.

I think I am stuck with that bracket. I'm not actually going to worry about that bolt. The whole point of the work here was the CV axle. LCAs were a bonus.

Once I did links two months ago all the drivers side noise was gone. Admittedly there is still some passenger side noise. But because of how I am parked in the garage I have to put the driver's side back together and turn around to get at the other side.

If the bracket didn't move I probably won't need an alignment? Do I bolt on the old arm and return the new ... or bolt on the new? I feel like the alignment risk is lower with the old.

 

[gmcman]

the half-inch swivel head is likely to break before that bolt moves.

I'm fairly confident the swivel adapter is your issue.

Edit: Swivel head breaker bar or flexible extension?

Remove the swivel and use a short extension or deepwell impact socket on the breaker bar, remove the wheel if you need more leverage.

The handle of a floor jack makes a good pipe extension if you can seperate the handle.

This is what I use: 21MM 6-point impact socket with extension, with pipe.

 

[6716]

Well I left the old bracket in and put the new arm on. On the test drive it didn't seem like I have an alignment issue.

Still doesn't make any noise on the driver's side. Probably a good thing I went with the new arm and new ball joint.

Next up ... the other side.