Upper control arm failure

hammer11b

hammer11b

is 2020 over yet?
Joined
Aug 19, 2020
Location
charlotte
2006 dodge ram 3500 upper control arm 5.9 cummins
Putting my 3" thuren lift on today and had to damn near remove the fuckin axle. Only got the passenger side kinda complete (ran outta sun light) so here's the problem.
In putting it all back together I got only the upper control arm on the passenger side axle mount point left to install. Everything is still "looseish" but it like the axle has canted foward and I even whipped out my flatbed chains to rotate that axle back. (See pic) wtf am I doing wrong? There's a shit load of tension on that chain and I cannot get the arm mounting holes to line up!

Gonna get some sleep and check this tread in the am and hopefully someone has fucked up like me and knows the cure.
 

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Hard to tell what your setup is there, but when I swapped out the control arms in my XJ a couple of months ago, it seemed easier to have the axle on jack stands and rotate the pinion with the jack to get everything aligned. It looks like maybe your frame is on stands and you only have a pump jack near the spring pocket?
I remember thinking it would have been easier to pull the whole axle, I think all 4 control arms need to be loose and slowly snugged up to do it easily. I think jack stands on the axle helps because you can lift / leverage one side of the axle up and the other side doesn't walk away from you and put those control arms in a bind.
 
Do you have both sides at the same height and same springs? I found it easier on almost all spring lifts to have all link work done prior to spring installation. With short links this can be extremely challenging if you can get enough drop.
If the axle is lower on one side in flex its likely binding the bushings and catching the insert for the bolt on the sides of the axle brackets. It could also be rotating out of alignment from unequal weight and height from the other side it not equally sprung.
 
It's better in many circumstances to do exactly one step per side to keep alignments and pressure equal. Stock arms and bushings are not known to be very forgiving with slop......if they were our 3/4 and 1 ton trucks would quickly become noisey and janky machines.
 
Compressing the spring would help as well.
 
Thanks for the replies but I got the passenger side completed. I used the chain and binder and the lower control arm adjustment bolt to rotate the axle.
New problem. The bilstein shocks had zero hardware with them and using the oem nut is no go bc different thread pitch/count. Ergo, I cross threaded the nut onto the shock pin, (Epic fail) before i noticed.
 
Imma put up a YouTube video in a few min after pizza and beer and show my new problem(s).
 
Damn you’ve got some shit luck lately. You may be able to knock the stud out and replace it depending on how it’s made or chase the threads and see if that works if they’re not too trashed.
 
So now the track bar won't realign. I'm stupid close. The axle has shifted towards tha passengee side. Here's what I've done so far.
Jacked it up so much that the new springs lift the truck, loosened the axle side of the bar, everything is still loose but connected. Leaving only the driver side shock and the frame side of the track bar.
Wtf now?
 
@Fabrik8 unfortunately yeah, I got a carli adjustable track bar but lack a crows foot to torque to spec so 4wp in clt is gonna do that with the alignment. Yay more money... :,(

Tires on the ground gonna try that thanks.
 
Jody Treadway said:
Have someone turn the steering wheel with the tires on the ground.
It'll shift the track bar right over.
Or, use a ratchet strap from the axle to opposite side frame rail.
Click to expand...
I remember the first time I learned that one! May have been an XJ or a Stupid Duty leveling kit with bracket. Did like 3 a week for ever.
One of the absolute funnest was Dirty Max 6 inch lifts and or Bronco, Bronco 2, Rangers with the Rivits.
I absolutely hated early Chevy ifs and the companies before drop spindles.....talk about Legos and brackets for days.

Actually a long arm Grand Cherokee lift with this odd 3 y link rear that used the diff cover bolts to attach a truss was the weirdest. Dude totaled that ride. I removed and cut it all out to instal on another for the same dude.
 
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