Front upper & rear control arms

**Tombie** · 12th December 2022, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by haydent

So I ended up doing it at a neighbours who just got a new 20T, with a gauge , so 12T would have been fine.

The biggest trouble was finding things to push the parts in and out. In hind sight I wish id not bothered replacing the ball joints in the upper/knuckle as they were fine, and it was just the bush that was squeaking.

We had the most trouble with the upper rear ball joint as you have to press it in past the rim of the arm and it has a rubber boot, where as the other 2 joints that operate the arm are flush.

I ended up grinding out the inside of the old balljoint casing and using that, but if i did it again id source a set of 'rings/collars'.

The other big slow down I had was the upper rear balljoint bolt, OMG how does anyone get on this .... not sure if just a l320 thing or not, but i had to grind down a 21mm socket both ends by about 7-10mm to get my torque wrench on there, and then when you are doing it up, to 275nm, you need the arm/knuckle at the right hight (not all way down) so you have bugger all swing room, struggling to get one click....

One little trick, its possible to get the upper arm off without disconnecting the brake callipers, so you dont have the hassle of bleeding. Just use a dremel to carefully cut a slot in the 2 mount brackets that have the 'horse shoe' clips (one clips removed and large block retracted), just wide enough as the metal brake line, and then they can slide out. As the block the clips attaches to is wider than the metal brake line it can slide out, and the clips hold the block in place still. should have come like this from factory.

I thought the same until I came across a fellow who had done exactly the same.

On corrugations being attached to a moveable arm, the pipe had worked free, was being hit with the arm and the line failed.

I just upgraded my brake lines at the same time - by the time rear arms need doing, brake lines should be replaced anyway

**haydent** · 12th December 2022, 05:06 PM

Originally Posted by Tombie

I thought the same until I came across a fellow who had done exactly the same.

On corrugations being attached to a moveable arm, the pipe had worked free, was being hit with the arm and the line failed.

I just upgraded my brake lines at the same time - by the time rear arms need doing, brake lines should be replaced anyway

Putting a slot in the bracket does not change ease or not of clip coming off. If the clip comes of the bracket will be banging against the pipe regardless

**Tombie** · 16th December 2022, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by haydent

Putting a slot in the bracket does not change ease or not of clip coming off. If the clip comes of the bracket will be banging against the pipe regardless

Not coming off, it vibrated/slid/worked its was up and off the top of the bracket, once the pipe was out completely it was damaged.

Looking at my current ones, the unit is in place but has moved to the edge of the metal.

Given LR has always made Brake line mounts slotted, and in this instance chosen not to - I'd say they have had similar experience in testing

**Tins** · 16th December 2022, 12:35 PM

I have to ask. Is this a job best done at "body off" time? I don't mean waiting until, I mean doing it preventably. Would having the body off simplify the access issues mentioned?

**Tombie** · 16th December 2022, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by Tins

I have to ask. Is this a job best done at "body off" time? I don't mean waiting until, I mean doing it preventably. Would having the body off simplify the access issues mentioned?

Heck yes!

I did mine body on, not impossible but took considerably more time.

**Eric SDV6SE** · 21st December 2022, 10:45 AM

Originally Posted by haydent

One little trick, its possible to get the upper arm off without disconnecting the brake callipers, so you dont have the hassle of bleeding. Just use a dremel to carefully cut a slot in the 2 mount brackets that have the 'horse shoe' clips (one clips removed and large block retracted), just wide enough as the metal brake line, and then they can slide out. As the block the clips attaches to is wider than the metal brake line it can slide out, and the clips hold the block in place still. should have come like this from factory.

Not sure I follow....I got my upper arms out without disconnecting any brake lines. Unclipped the hard lines, remove caliper and zip tie it out of the way on the sway bar or similar. No need to crack any lines IIRC.

**Tombie** · 21st December 2022, 11:34 AM

Originally Posted by Eric SDV6SE

Not sure I follow....I got my upper arms out without disconnecting any brake lines. Unclipped the hard lines, remove caliper and zip tie it out of the way on the sway bar or similar. No need to crack any lines IIRC.

Rears

hard line goes through a solid mount, no way to slide it out

**haydent** · 21st December 2022, 11:42 AM

trying not to continue on that topic as more pressing content/issues in my other points re access to the top bolt, but here
Capture.JPG

**Eric SDV6SE** · 21st December 2022, 12:20 PM

I stand corrected, been a while since I did them, didn't recall doing a brake bleed, but I would have had to now that I see the diagram.

Thread: Front upper & rear control arms

Thread Tools

Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions