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Front suspension replacement: Order of operations?

hawk_sixsix

NAXJA Forum User
Location
L.I. New York
Replacing coils, UCAs and LCAs, and trackbar on my 97 XJ. What order should these components be removed/installed?

New arms and trackbar are all adjustable so that should ease lining up bolt holes a bit, just to get it to the alignment rack.

Do I . . . remove everything first? One side at a time? Or do the coils first (or last?) and then . . . :dunno:

I have enough jacks and stands to support and manipulate the axle on it's own. Also, my 3.5" coils are here, but the arms and trackbar are still in transit. I'd like to accomplish as much as possible today (day off!).
 
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Are you supposed to get the arms/trackbar today?

I wouldn't do anything until you have all the parts.

Well, I have my TJ to drive, so it's not a case where I might dismantle the whole thing and have a problem with parts and be left stranded. That said, I'm hoping I get the go-ahead here to seize the day and remove everything while I have the time.
 
Oh if you don't need it to drive, then go ahead and pull everything you need out of the way.

There's no correct order of removal, except that the coils are probably going to have to come out last since you have to drop the axle down far enough.

I'd take out the track bar, UCAs, then LCAs, then coils. You may have to disconnect the sway bar and shocks in order to get the axle to droop down far enough.
 
Forgot to mention shocks are getting replaced too. So, track bar, UCAs, then LCAs, then coils. Thanks! And install is the reverse order of removal?

I'm not suggesting there's rules for this; just like everything else, there's the easy way... and there's the hard way.
 
That's just the way I'd do it.

Removal:
Trackbar
Shocks
Swaybar (just unbolt the links where they connec to the sway bar)
UCA (put a jack under the pinion for this so the pinion doesn't rotate down)
LCA
Coil

Reverse that for installation.
 
Oh if you don't need it to drive, then go ahead and pull everything you need out of the way.

There's no correct order of removal, except that the coils are probably going to have to come out last since you have to drop the axle down far enough.

I'd take out the track bar, UCAs, then LCAs, then coils. You may have to disconnect the sway bar and shocks in order to get the axle to droop down far enough.


is that even with spring compressors? i'd imagine that if you can hold the coils at close to the same length as ride height, then jacking up the vehicle via the frame rails instead of the axle would net enough clearance to remove the coil much sooner?
 
I would also unbolt the steering draglink from the pitman arm when you unbolt the track bar. Easier to maneuver the axle. If you don't have a lift I was always found of using a cherry picker on an aftermarket front bumper. Lift the whole thing up at once and start unbolting.
 
is that even with spring compressors? i'd imagine that if you can hold the coils at close to the same length as ride height, then jacking up the vehicle via the frame rails instead of the axle would net enough clearance to remove the coil much sooner?
An important note about spring compressors:

Most coil compressors are intended for a McPherson strut. Using these style clamps on a regular coil spring can create a pretty scary shop mishap. The compressors will move away from resistance since they aren't attached to each other, and meet up on the side with least resistance.

I've seen this happen on TWO seperate occasions. One just cost someone a shoe, and in my brother's case it cost him 2 finger tips.

If you want to do this as safely as possible: remove the spring by releasing tension (dropping the axle out from underneath).

NOW! with all that out of the way... When I used compressors on my springs (3") I was able to install them without removing the LCAs. I used a 2x4 to push on the spring to keep my hands/feet safe.


These are the type of compressor I'm assuming you mean:
images
 
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