Front Leading Arm Removal?

[CharlieS]

Ok, got the OME suspension in, now I need to put int he caster correction bushings. I have a shop lined up that will do the pressing, all I have to do is remove and reinstall the arms myself.

I'm removing them after work (about an hour and a half from now), taking them in tomorrow to be pressed out/in and then reinstalling them tomorrow night. Then I have an alignment appointment for Thurdsay.

I searched and searched on here and can't find much info about it. Maybe because it is so straight forward.

I looked at the page in the FSM about removing the front leading arm, and it didn't provide much guidance.

I looked on the slee site, and it mentions using rachet straps to hold the axle forward - no problem, I have lots of those at home.

But, do I jack the vehicle up? Support it on jackstands on the frame? Another set of jackstands on the axle? Do I leave the tires on, or remove them?

Sorry for all the silly questions, but I want to be safe, and I also like to think through the full job before starting, I find it makes things go faster.

Thanks,
Charlie

PS. I did make a note of the fact that I need to remove the bolt side of the frame fasteners and the nut side of the axle fasteners due to the serrations.

 

[robbie]

Set the rear parking brake and block the tires in the front during the time the arms are removed. Remove the bolts. You want to put the socket or wrench on the side that has the washer. The other side is locking. So on the big rear bolt (24mm) this is on the nut end. Where the two bolts on the axle the socket goes on the bolt end. I have had the axle on the ground and removed the arms on a couple of vechicles. Just make sure no one comes along to screw up anything, that is why I was reccommending you block the front axle from moving. later robbie

 

[CharlieS]

Thanks Robbie.

I should've waited a bit for a response, but I wanted to get it done before dark.

So, I jacked the front end up and put the frame on jack stands, then lowered the front wheels back to the ground. I put two rachet straps on the axle, one to each tow hook to prevent it from moving backward.

I blocked the rear wheels front and back, but didn't block the front wheels. I think tomorrow I might wish I had done that. Drat.

The driver side came out without any persuasion, but the passenger side wanted to move forward upon removal, so I had to tap them out with a drift. I'd say it probably moved forward 1/2". I may have had too much tension on the rachet strap on that side.

Hopefully I can still get the holes lined up tomorrow when I reassemble it - I may have to use an additional rachet strap to pull it backwards.

Thanks for the info. Next time I'll do it right.

Charlie