UCA final check

This weekend I plan on installing TRD-offroad 3rd gen shocks and upper control arms from another 3rd gen onto my 2007. I have a buddy coming to help, a good jack from harbor freight, jack stands, a set of metric sockets in 3/8 and 1/2 drive, appropriately sized ugga duggas, a ratcheting wrench for the bolts on top of the front shocks and the one on top of the rear, a crescent wrench for the rear shocks, vice grips and channel locks for bending metal, a full dad’s toolbox full of pliers, wrenches, and other assorted tools, and I’ll grab PB blaster on my way home from work tomorrow. Is there anything I’m missing? I don’t wanna end up stuck with my truck in the sky because I didn’t have a tool I needed or I didn’t order a bolt or nut. Is all the hardware reusable? Does anyone have any tips/tricks that might make the job easier? Thank you for any and all assistance with this, I’ve done all the installs on my truck since I got it so I didn’t want that to change with these shocks, just worried about hitting a problem I don’t know the answer to.

 

The job is easy if you don’t strip or break a bolt. The sway bar end links need to be removed and the part that attaches to the frame has to be removed to move the sway bar out of the way a few inches. For the end links I needed a socket with the correct allen attachment. If it gets stripped you will need to cut them off. Make sure to have a cut off wheel ready. And use an impact on the large sway bar bolts where the bushings attach. Just blast it off with an impact you run the risk of messing it up if you do it by hand and it’s rusty. Once that’s out of the way the rest is fairly easy. Watch the brake line and ABS hose when you separate the UCA from the spindle. Put a jack or wood blocks under the LCA. Sometimes when you go to torque the UCA it will just spin, for one side I needed to put the factory bottle jack in the wheel well to put some pressure downwards on it. Good luck and don’t screw anything up.