Another drop bracket issue

I am installing the RE 5.5 on my 00 XJ. I've got the drop brackets/braces installed on my passenger side and go to install my lca when I realized that it doesn't fit. The lca mount/caster shoe needs to be spread to install the lca. Can anyone tell me how they spread the mount? I thought about using the scissor jack out of my wife's car but found that it was too thick to squeeze in there. Forgive me for not knowing the technical name, but I know that there is a spreading device that is like a bolt with a "nut" that you unscrew causing it to lengthen...but I don't know where to get this! I tried using one of the flag bolts from the uca, grinding it down so that it barely fits inside of the lca mount, put a nut on it and unscrewed it...but it didn't work. Suggestions? Thanks.

How close is it? When I put my drop brackets on, neither would fit inside the bracket. The opening was about 1/8 to 3/16 too close. I slid the shoe forward, put the LCA inside the shoe, then tapped the lca back into the pocket. The shoe spread the opening and all is well.

I used a piece of 1/2'' all thread and put nuts and washers on the inside and opened the bracket about 3/4'' more than needed and let them sit for a while.
After about 30 minutes i gave them a few good wacks with a hammer. took the allthread out and was left with a good tight fit(a light tap with the hammer and in it went).
hope you understand.

It really is close. The only thing that is holding it up is the shoe...maybe 1/8". I really don't want to pull the shoe out considering how much of a PITA it was to get the brace and bracket together. But, that's probably what I will try next. If not...the all-thread sounds like it would work (at least better than my grinded flag bolt). Thanks guys. I figured that I would start on the other side while awaiting a response to my original post...I snapped the head off the t-case crossmember bolt, same as other side! I need a tetnus shot to work on the xj! Back to drilling *sigh*.

Stockton said:

...considering how much of a PITA it was to get the brace and bracket together....I snapped the head off the t-case crossmember bolt, same as other side!

Click to expand...

You're making me glad I was cheap and went RC.

But I had to do the same thing: Squeeze the lca into the shoe, then "persuade" them into the mount.

Robert

Here's my previous post on the issue:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=927713

Scroll down to see the picture. You can see the alignment shoe wedged in between the LCA bushing and the DB.

As always with a Jeep. A beer, a BFH and bigger tires fix everything.

I just went through this same problem last night... I was installing RE drop brackets and braces. I put the alignment shim into the drop bracket, just enough to start a nut on each of the alignment shim bolts, then pulled it forward and rotated it down. I lined up the hole in the contol arm with hole in the alignment shim, then put a jack under it and forced the whole thing into place.
I used a screw driver and bfh to keep the shim lined up as the two moved up.
It was a pain in the a$$ but worked in the end.

I went through the same thing last week. I actually took the DB off, "persuaded" the LCA into the mount, and then installed it with the LCA already mounted to the DB. I couldn't get the LCA in the DB with the DB already bolted up for the life of me.

3lb mini sledge fixed mine right up.

wall04 said:

Here's my previous post on the issue:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=927713

Scroll down to see the picture. You can see the alignment shoe wedged in between the LCA bushing and the DB.

Click to expand...

Ya thats my thread that you helped me out in. If you scroll to the last post on that page, you'll see the description on how I got mine in using a c-clamp

Also, reading that makes me realize that was almost 1 year ago, and I still haven't fixed that broken crossmember bolt...