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Upper Control Arm Bushing-Driver Side Removal

Thayer

NAXJA Member #1255
Location
Philly
I'm doing the Rockkrawler long arm install and I need to remove the driver side upper control arm bushing and sleeve. It's right on top of the pumpkin on my D30. How do I get it out? The instructions say to hit on the metal sleeve, but I've been trying all morning and still can't get it out. I've tried PB Blaster and propane heat (it's all I have). I have the axle hanging down under my jeep with the steering and brakes connected, so I can't really get in there to wail on it with a sledge hammer. I really don't want to take the whole axle out because I'm sure I'll run into more problems trying to do that....ugh... Any tips would be great. Thanks.
 
The FSM says to use a Ball Joint press. Good excuse for me to buy one but wrecking stuff you don't need sounds like buckets of fun!!
 
It did sound like fun (best part was drilling through the bushing while it was on fire), but now I think I f'ed up my axle. I went hacksaw crazy and scored the mount surface. You can see it in the picture and the same thing happened 180* from it since I made 2 cuts. Am I going to kill myself if that mount snaps off?

pump.jpg
 
asatxj said:
The FSM says to use a Ball Joint press. Good excuse for me to buy one but wrecking stuff you don't need sounds like buckets of fun!!


balll joint press worked great for me .. I did have to improvise a bit witha large socket also ..
Harbor frieght has a cheapo but I would just go down to Autozone and rent one for the day.. bout $30 bucks
good luck .. ohh and its a great learning experience !! :laugh3:
 
I'm just scared of tiny nicks since I just took this class on failure analysis and it was almost all about tiny nicks that turn into catastrophic part failures. Maybe I'll go into the hacksaw marks with a small router bit to round out the inner corners. That might stop cracks from growing. I guess I'm also so concerned because the RK LA kit is a 3 link, so will losing the torque arm cause the vehicle to go out of control on the freeway? Is this what happened in the infamous Rock Krawler Gen 1 story where some guy almost died when a part failed?
 
VegasAnthony said:
balll joint press worked great for me .. I did have to improvise a bit witha large socket also ..
Harbor frieght has a cheapo but I would just go down to Autozone and rent one for the day.. bout $30 bucks
good luck .. ohh and its a great learning experience !! :laugh3:

Your Autozone charges you to rent stuff? All the ones I have been too they basically charge you for the tool, and refund you 100% when you bring it back.
 
i would not worry about the nicks... if it makes you sleep better at night round the nicks out...
 
Thayer said:
I'm just scared of tiny nicks since I just took this class on failure analysis and it was almost all about tiny nicks that turn into catastrophic part failures. Maybe I'll go into the hacksaw marks with a small router bit to round out the inner corners. That might stop cracks from growing. I guess I'm also so concerned because the RK LA kit is a 3 link, so will losing the torque arm cause the vehicle to go out of control on the freeway? Is this what happened in the infamous Rock Krawler Gen 1 story where some guy almost died when a part failed?
Gotta remember the hoop stresses in that cast "ear" on the housing are going to be greatest on the OUTSIDE of the ear, so having a stress riser due to the cut on the inside is probably not a worry.
 
air hammer.......wow, good advice. and to hell with fighting the old rubber bushings, burn them out with a torch! it just takes a few minutes, then let it cool and voila!

as for losing control on the highway....Ramsey drove 5 miles with only one LCA that should tell you something, aside from the fact that he's crazy. I seriously doubt highway stress will do anything to that hoop. If its gonna pop, it will do it off road.
 
Thanks for all the tips and reassurance. Yeah, the air hammer sounds really good. I bought my RK lift from TRC and Joe told me I'd have fun with that bushing removal, then he chuckled and said it would take him a few seconds with his air hammer. Dang I need some good tools and a garage.

Damn, 1 LCA. That is nice! I love it when stuff is so over designed they still work with half of the parts.
 
goodburbon said:
as for losing control on the highway....Ramsey drove 5 miles with only one LCA that should tell you something, aside from the fact that he's crazy. I seriously doubt highway stress will do anything to that hoop. If its gonna pop, it will do it off road.
hmm searching and found out i was crazy :laugh3: that sucker is still booger welded on there too with a reinforcement. thanks again matt and brandon ;)
 
Hahahaha! I had an ex I let wheel my jeep, give minutes into power line she passenger lca mount on the axle end sneered off... Drive home thirty minutes with one lca and then wound up leaving it like that for three weeks daily driving until my1/4 inch mounts arrived... Hahaha I feel your pain Ramsey!
 
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