Front AHC sensor bent while driving

[ihadmail]

My front driver side AHC sensor bent outward while I was driving home from work. It caused the front to raise wayyyy up in the air.

Here is a pic of it:

It's a bit hard to tell but the sensor itself is bent down/outward and the turnbuckle is nearly completely horizontal.

I bent it back as well as I could by hand on the side of the road and drove the rest of the way home.

When I took it apart I could see a pin was binding on a screw:

It looks to me like the pin had once been connected to this plastic slide looking piece:

That plastic piece doesn't move, I'm not sure if it's supposed to or not.

I removed the pin from the arm and everything moves freely. I was able to straighten everything back out. The ball joints on the turnbuckle move freely.

My relevant mods are 2.5" sensor lift, Japan 4x4 shock spacers, slee diff drop, SPC UCA.

Is this bending caused by a broken part of the sensor or possibly an incompatibility of some of the aftermarket parts? Any input would be appreciated.

 

[feddomw]

Hard to see. But what caught my attention is the fact that sensor arm seems to be attached to wrong part on the body?

The sensor attaches to the arm, which is in turn connected to the (adjustable) rod, which bolts onto the mount with the elongated groove/hole. That is how you adjust the height of the sensor. Yet yours is not attached to that?

 

[ihadmail]

My sensor is attached exactly like the pic. I just have aftermarket upper control arms.

 

[feddomw]

I guess I am not being clear, shouldn't this ..... be attached to this? Or is there a mounting bracket hidden behind the visible mounting bracket on the new upper control arm?

AHC

• feddomw
• Jun 2, 2016

 

[ihadmail]

Here is a photo from roughly the same angle after I got the sensor mount and the arm both bent back where they belong:

 

[PADDO]

I believe that stub pin is used at manufacture for calibration of the sensor and then to ensure the lever arm doesn't flop around during handling and transport. (When I was experimenting with the Dorman aftermarket potentiometers I used the stub to check alignments and resistance and compared my hybrid to OE) The little plastic slotted receiver the stub pin fits into is set at manufacture and isnt used after installation. When the pin is inserted and the lever is locked you measure approx. 2200 ohms iirc across the sensor which should correspond to factory N height zero null. Ideally, if you have 83mm difference between the axle's axis and the LCA main bolt, as measured to ground, you can install a new sensor (with the lever locked) and it should give you the factory N height straight up with no further adjustment needed. The pin must be pulled so the sensor lever can articulate without interference. Hard to say why/how yours locked up and bent as there's a few confounding variables. Certainly the pin needs to be pulled so it doesn't catch, apart from that as long as the connecting rod bearing ends are free and the lever aligns with the UCA slot axis can't see what may have gone wrong. Call it "one off" straighten it all up and keep rolling

 

[feddomw]

Gotcha, I didn't make that out in the first pic.

 

[dfrelich]

The SPC UCA. The same kind I have and this is exactly where I have mine attached. Difference is that your ABS sensor is mounted on top (as instructed) whereas I mounted on the same bracket as height sensor. (not to stay off AHC sensor topic) But now I'm thinking maybe I should go by instruction to minimize the stretch when UCA is in full droop.

 

[ihadmail]

Thanks for the input @PADDO im glad to know that plastic piece is only meant for getting the proper alignment when installing a new sensor.

It's very possible that sensor had been replaced and the tech/installer failed to remove the plastic clip.

It drove and rode great on the way to work this morning.

 

[ihadmail]

The SPC UCA. The same kind I have and this is exactly where I have mine attached. Difference is that your ABS sensor is mounted on top (as instructed) whereas I mounted on the same bracket as height sensor. (not to stay off AHC sensor topic) But now I'm thinking maybe I should go by instruction to minimize the stretch when UCA is in full droop.

As long as you have plenty of slack on the side between the mount and the frame you should be good to go. It was a bit difficult getting that mounting bolt tightened without twisting the abs sensor mount. I ended up having to hold that abs bracket with a pair of channel lock pliers while tightening the bolt.

 

[dfrelich]

I'll take a good look at my wirings. I think it will be ok. Reason I didn't do this is because I did not want to remove the bracket that came with the cruiser. So I just mounted it on the same bracket. Looks like you did.

 

[ihadmail]

I'll take a good look at my wirings. I think it will be ok. Reason I didn't do this is because I did not want to remove the bracket that came with the cruiser. So I just mounted it on the same bracket. Looks like you did.

Yes I bent the tabs from the OEM bracket and tossed it.