Video request: aligning control arms to axles

[Gareth Randall]

Removing control arms to replace bushings often means that axles slip out of alignment, even if you only remove one arm at a time. I’m facing this problem right now with the front upper control arms of my 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Is there any chance of a video that covers the various ways DIYers working alone can try to push, pull or rotate the axle to get everything lined up again so that you can get the bolts back in?

Topic

[EricTheCarGuy]

I have done a video on axle replacement but not on that model. If one comes in and I have time to shoot the video I’d be happy to make one for you.

[Gareth Randall]

Hi Eric,

Just to clarify, I’m not referring to axle shafts, but the actual axle housing rotating out of alignment after you remove a control arm to replace its bushings.

[EricTheCarGuy]

Moving control arms doesn’t always put things out of alignment. You only need to worry about alignment when you are dealing with cam bolts or other adjustable suspension components.

[Gareth Randall]

I think we’re talking at cross purposes here 🙂 I’m referring to the axle housing physically rotating out of position when a control arm is removed, meaning that when you come to reinstall the arm, you can’t get the bolt back through it because the hole in the bushing doesn’t line up with the hole in the axle or frame mount. When that happens, you need strategies for physically manipulating the axle to get the holes to line up again so that you can get the bolt through.

[EricTheCarGuy]

Sounds like it needs new bushings. I believe those are an interference fit and should line up automatically. That said, this is a very specific request. In order for me to fill it I would need a similar vehicle with a similar problem to come in and time to shoot the video. In the mean time you might want to check out videos from this guy as he does a lot of videos with Jeeps. He may be more familiar with the issue.

https://www.youtube.com/user/bleepinjeep

[Gareth Randall]

It does need new bushings – that’s why I removed the control arms in the first place. The problem is that once you’ve unbolted an arm, the axle invariably rolls out of position on that side, so that when you come to replace the arm, the bolt-holes in the new bushing no longer line up with the holes in the arm. So you have to physically manipulate the axle to get all the holes lined up again.

I already know about Matt’s (bleepinjeep) videos, and in fact he refers to this exact problem in his video about replacing UCA bushings, but his approach to realigning the axle with the arm is way beyond what I’m able to achieve working on my own the parking lot of my apartment building. It also looks downright dangerous – see for yourself… (jump to 5’00” – I tried making the video do that automatically but it doesn’t seem to be working)

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUNEnvf5JVw#t=5m00s[/video]

[EricTheCarGuy]

I appreciate your plight but the issue still stands that I don’t have one of those vehicles with that problem to make a video about it. To be honest I worked on Acuras and Hondas, not many Jeeps. I’d have to live through this to know more about how to solve it.

Good luck and thanks again for the suggestion.

[Author]

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