Left Rear, Upper Control Arm Bolt is blocked by LSVP Bracket (SOLVED) (1 Viewer)

[Rusty Marlin]

I pulled three of the four bolts holding the LSVP bracket to the frame to gain the fraction
of an inch needed to remove the bolt, but I can't seem to removed the fourth bolt holding the bracket without dropping the fuel tank.
Is this Correct?
The FSM doesn't mention any issues, just says to remove the bolts.
I'm thinking real serious about taking an angle grinder to the offending portion of the bracket.

I can tell you one thing, when I put the bolt back in, the nut is going toward the LSVP.

 

[Rwhat]

I don’t remember having a problem repacking my LPSV valve. Do you have a picture?

 

[Rusty Marlin]

The LSVP will come off the bracket fine, but the bracket itself is causing the interference with the bolt.

 

[BILT4ME]

I bent my bracket out of the way, then bent it back when I was done.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

LOL, that's what I was looking for, the voice of experience and reason.
I will put the 3 bolts back in tomorrow and give the bracket a nudge.

 

[landtank]

I recently took all four bolts out to remove the bracket.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

How did you reach the bolt that is shielded by the bracket and blocked by the tank?
More so, how did you get them back in? My hands don't fit in there.

 

[Malleus]

I pulled three of the four bolts holding the LSVP bracket to the frame to gain the fraction
of an inch needed to remove the bolt, but I can't seem to removed the fourth bolt holding the bracket without dropping the fuel tank.
Is this Correct?
The FSM doesn't mention any issues, just says to remove the bolts.
I'm thinking real serious about taking an angle grinder to the offending portion of the bracket.

I can tell you one thing, when I put the bolt back in, the nut is going toward the LSVP.

I've removed more of these than I can remember, and I tell myself the same thing every time I do it. You can get the bolt off with a combination wrench, if it's not rusted. Otherwise, you'll have to resort the the sawsall wrench.

FWIW, if you drop the bolt, it'll wind up between the tank and the skid plate. The only way you'll get it out is to the drop the skid plate and that requires removing the band bolts, which are likely rusted. It's a true PITA. Ask me how I know.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

I pulled the two lower bolts and used a tire iron to shift the LSVP and and bracket far enough over the pull the upper control arm bolt out.
I'll use a tire iron to shift it back into location when I put the bolt back in.

I'll also make a note in my FSM hard copy of how to pull that bolt out for the next caretaker of The Mean Green Bean.

 

[landtank]

How did you reach the bolt that is shielded by the bracket and blocked by the tank?
More so, how did you get them back in? My hands don't fit in there.

a box wrench

 

[JM74]

My last two I just slightly grinded the bracket... mind you my bracket bolts are a little crusty from the Canadian winters so i didn't want to deal with that. File it down as to not cut yourself and just a little tremclad black paint to make it look pretty again.

 

[landtank]

being in New England I bought a 6 point box wrench in both 10mm and 12mm. Life savers for bolts in these type of places as well as others.

 

[Rifleman]

Rusty Marlin, You could try using what's known as a box end obstruction wrench to reach that bolt.

 

[BILT4ME]

Rusty Marlin, You could try using what's known as a box end obstruction wrench to reach that bolt.
View attachment 2469233

You can get it loose, but you cannot pull it out unless you bend the bracket out of the way. It doesn't have to move much. You have to pull it to do the bushings.

 

[Rusty Marlin]

The bushings are replaced.
Bent the LSVP braket out of the way, bent it back into place when finished. Much easier than running the upper LSVP bracket bolts out 1/12 of a turn per move.

The obstruction wrench would probably do it, if it has a long enough handle, the space to work in that area is tight.

Used a com-a-long to rotate the axle backwards a touch to get the holes in the UCA and the frame work to align... sure beat running a pry bar in one and and trying to align the holes and the bolt with the other.

The hook is attached to the LCA braket and the cable runs up and over the UCA bracket to provide leverage and then back to the com-a-long.

Don't know if that's the right way to do it, but that's how it done today.