- Location
- Colorado
Just like the title suggests I’m “fixing” the mid arms that was done by the previous owner... painted over rust- didn’t end well, seized to the bolt frame side bushings and heim joints- and what prompted the overhaul: ripped the axle mount off the driver side lower CA. FUN!
The collateral damage was extended seeing how there wasn’t any spring retainer on either side of the axle... but that’s for another (long[er]) story.
The lower control arms are badly seized leaving it impossible to remove the bushings and/ or joints as well as impossible to adjust the end links. SO they are being replaced with new arms and Johnny joints on both ends.
Axle mounts are being upgraded to 1/4 inch
Spring retainers purchased.. stickers and retainer plates from Ballistic I might use too
Heim joint on axle diff ear replaced with a flex joint (IRO)
Upper ca gets a new bracket for flex joint mount welded to it
Now my big dilemma is rolling with the upper control arm body side mount and joint. It is a VERTICAL MOUNT with a heim joint (that rusted to the bolt and had to be cut out of course). Soooo I’m super sketched out about rolling with this same (failed) setup. In my mind I see it as a huge limitation to articulation, because of well physics?
This should be horizontal like the lower arms... idk how the hell it even lasted (if you can call it that) this long!
Am I crazy?? Is this acceptable???
I’m wanting to get this thing back on the road, but am OCD and a firm believer of ‘do it right do it once’... so I’ve stripped the axle and all steering components to remove rust and want to get this last annoyance taken care of the right way.
I’ve seen some brackets on Barnes that may work, in either flat or 20*- I’ll post links
The fuel lines run right through the current mount so I think my hesitation to weld here is valid, but something needs to be done, right??
Thanks for any thoughts and input!
The collateral damage was extended seeing how there wasn’t any spring retainer on either side of the axle... but that’s for another (long[er]) story.
The lower control arms are badly seized leaving it impossible to remove the bushings and/ or joints as well as impossible to adjust the end links. SO they are being replaced with new arms and Johnny joints on both ends.
Axle mounts are being upgraded to 1/4 inch
Spring retainers purchased.. stickers and retainer plates from Ballistic I might use too
Heim joint on axle diff ear replaced with a flex joint (IRO)
Upper ca gets a new bracket for flex joint mount welded to it
Now my big dilemma is rolling with the upper control arm body side mount and joint. It is a VERTICAL MOUNT with a heim joint (that rusted to the bolt and had to be cut out of course). Soooo I’m super sketched out about rolling with this same (failed) setup. In my mind I see it as a huge limitation to articulation, because of well physics?
This should be horizontal like the lower arms... idk how the hell it even lasted (if you can call it that) this long!
Am I crazy?? Is this acceptable???
I’m wanting to get this thing back on the road, but am OCD and a firm believer of ‘do it right do it once’... so I’ve stripped the axle and all steering components to remove rust and want to get this last annoyance taken care of the right way.
I’ve seen some brackets on Barnes that may work, in either flat or 20*- I’ll post links
The fuel lines run right through the current mount so I think my hesitation to weld here is valid, but something needs to be done, right??
Thanks for any thoughts and input!
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