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UCA help!!!!

gill41083

gill41083

NAXJA Forum User
Location
sedro woolley, washington
i just lifted the front of my jeep, now i cant get the bolts back in the uca's on the axle end, i can get on side but not the other, it looks like the axle has rotated a little, i tried prying it in the direction it needed but it still didnt want to go. any suggestions???? or can i just run one side?
 
fixed uppers, adj, how much lift. would be helpful. maybe you need longer ones, if not just use a pipe wrench on the axle tube and rotate the axle using a floor jack.
 
jack up the jeep, put it on jack stands, then drop the axle all the way then jack up the side that wont go in. do it slowly so that you can keep checkin to see if its close, once it is use a pin of sorts to line it up more then put the bolt through the other side.
 
If the control arm angles are close to decent then it shouldn't be that incredibly hard to get it in there. You should be able to rotate it by pushing the axle forward and backwards using the tire as leverage.
 
I had to get the help of two guys to rotate the axle until I could pound the bolt back through both ends. If you don't have the luxury of helping hands, a floor jack will become your friend.
 
I used a funky combination of floor jack, jack stands, blocks of wood and finally pulled the stock bottle jack out and used it against the frame to get that last little bit of adjustment for those bolts to go in.
 
Just put new uppers on mine the other day. Was a couple hour venture. We put the jeep on stands, disconnected the trackbar at the axle, pulled the springs out, unbolted the arms, jacked up each side until the bolts could be put in, (jacking it like it was being flexed, as it lifted up, it tilted forward since there was nothing holding it back with both arms disconnected) super easy job, just get innovative if that doesnt work for you.
 
88trailcrawler said:
I used a funky combination of floor jack, jack stands, blocks of wood and finally pulled the stock bottle jack out and used it against the frame to get that last little bit of adjustment for those bolts to go in.
Click to expand...

Me Too.
 
Backroads said:
Just put new uppers on mine the other day. Was a couple hour venture. We put the jeep on stands, disconnected the trackbar at the axle, pulled the springs out, unbolted the arms, jacked up each side until the bolts could be put in, (jacking it like it was being flexed, as it lifted up, it tilted forward since there was nothing holding it back with both arms disconnected) super easy job, just get innovative if that doesnt work for you.
Click to expand...

I must be missing something, but why did you remove the trackbar and springs to put in new UCAs?
 
Because thats what we did. and it worked! I never said it was the right thing to do....

I did it that way because after hearing of everyone doing all this stuff with using a jack to lift the axle, pipe wrench etc etc etc. I didnt feel like having to muscle everything around. So since my springs come out in about 5 mins, I just pulled them so I didnt have to fight with the downforce of the springs while trying to 'twist' the axle to get the bolts in....
 
Backroads said:
Because thats what we did. and it worked! I never said it was the right thing to do....

I did it that way because after hearing of everyone doing all this stuff with using a jack to lift the axle, pipe wrench etc etc etc. I didnt feel like having to muscle everything around. So since my springs come out in about 5 mins, I just pulled them so I didnt have to fight with the downforce of the springs while trying to 'twist' the axle to get the bolts in....
Click to expand...

The pipe wrench / floor jack trick is so freakin easy... With your wheels on the ground, attach the pipe wrench to the axle tube, from the bottom of the axle. Note the direction of rotation you are trying to achieve, and try to mount the pipe wrench on the axle tube, as close to the wheel as possible. Rest the handle end of the pipe wrench on the pad of your floor jack, and pump away until the holes line up. The degree of accurately in lining up your mounting holes is second to none, using this method.
 
i attached a come along to the crossmember and the other end to the axle. it was easy, it took a couple of mintes to get it set up and a couple of pulls on the come along.
 
Ivan said:
The pipe wrench / floor jack trick is so freakin easy... With your wheels on the ground, attach the pipe wrench to the axle tube, from the bottom of the axle. Note the direction of rotation you are trying to achieve, and try to mount the pipe wrench on the axle tube, as close to the wheel as possible. Rest the handle end of the pipe wrench on the pad of your floor jack, and pump away until the holes line up. The degree of accurately in lining up your mounting holes is second to none, using this method.
Click to expand...


Sounds like it might, but at the same time that would have required me to go out and buy a pipe wrench!
 
I do ratchet straps too. Around the UCA tower and then back to the crossmember.
 
I thought of using ratchet straps, just makes me nervous cranking them down, then with all that tension on them, having to release the tension....I can see a finger coming off.
 
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