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Removed both lower control arms, axle rolling, Help!

H

Heap O' Jeep

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Abilene, KS
I will admit, it was getting late late last night and I wasn't thinking when we installed my 4.5" lift up front on my 89' XJ. We have all the suspension installed except the LCA's and whenever we jack it up it keeps rolling the axle. Now it's rolled pretty bad under, and I can't line up the LCA's with the frame hole. Any help????

TIA!
 
We had same thing and had to put jack under pinion and back and forth to a block of wood and jack under steering rod till we got it lined up..
 
I used a come-along with a tree, but worst case you can use a pulley attached to the front bumper and a jack at the rear of the vehicle.

Caster_Adjustments.sized.jpg
 
You put the jack under the pinion? I guess I'm not following :( . Wouldn't that make my axle point even higher?

I just ran out there and took a couple of pics, so now I get the idea with the steering :)

I really wish we would have thought of that last night, but both our minds were getting rusty at 3 a.m.

100_2162.jpg


100_2163.jpg
 
Get a 2x4 length of steering rod and lay it on jack under steering rod and jack it up till it pivots the way you want the board will ensure you dont bend the bar..
 
ehall said:
I used a come-along with a tree, but worst case you can use a pulley attached to the front bumper and a jack at the rear of the vehicle.
Click to expand...

Nope, not trees avaiilabe unfortunately. Can you explain the second option a little more? I may have an idea about what you are talking about, but not completely sure...
 
Jack the vehicle up to remove the weight on the springs, so it will stop trying to push and rotate the axle.
 
I used a High lift jack, base against my rock rail support & jaw against the axle, I used big HD cable ties to hold the jack up in place so it would not drop if it slipped.
I was working alone & had to improvise! It worked fine!
 
Begster said:
Jack the vehicle up to remove the weight on the springs, so it will stop trying to push and rotate the axle.
Click to expand...

x2.

you should have jack stands under the frame rail behind the lca mount. put a jack under the pumpkin for some support, and you'll be good to go.
 
A ratchet strap hooked from the shock mount then under the axle to the front crossmember will help. Or put the wheels back on and let the body down onto stands under the frame. Then it will move around pretty easy
 
If your jack stands aren't tall enough to suspend the axle completely, build lift blocks for them out of wood. I had dozens of 1x12"x18" pieces of cypress lying around, stasck them flat for stability. DON't use cinder blocks.
 
I've played what I call the "control arm rodeo" a few times. The last couple of times I just jack the jeep up as high as I can, put the jack stands underneath the frame, lower the axle all the way, remove the springs completely, get the CA's lined up with two floor jacks on both sides of the axle by raising one/lowering one and repeating till they line up. Way easier to deal without the springs in there, then just lower the axle all the way to get springs back in.
 
I agree with removing the springs that's one of the first things I remove and one of the last I install. once the springs are out you can move the axle around pretty easy.

They get a pry bar to help you put the springs back in, use it near the bottom of the coil, put the bar through the coil and the end of the bar in the middle of the spring pad and pry up and the spring will slide in place pretty easy.

Edit: Remove the passenger side TRE it will help (If you have not already).
 
Track bar was already off, and front sway bar was unbolted from the frame also.

Tried the method with a big 2x4 across the steering link.....and it busted the 2x4!

Decided to just pull the springs and once I took the first one out it was smooth sailing again. Didn't even need to pull the 2nd spring :)

Thanks a bunch for the help, you guys never let me down! Here is a pic of the finished project (still need to install the front bumper and track bar)

100_2165.jpg
 
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