Help removing cam bolt for LCA

Hi everyone. I’m replacing my lower control arms and I am stuck getting the rear cam bolt out on the driver’s side.

To give me more room, I have removed the sway bar and unbolted the steering rack. I removed a bolt holding power steering hoses to the frame below the battery.

The steering rack is moved as far back as I can get it without disconnecting PS lines and the LCA bolt still won’t clear. I have searched and watched videos. Others describe pulling back the inner tie rod boot, which didn’t work for me as the bolt hits the steering rack even with the boot pulled back.

Any suggestions? I really don’t want to disconnect PS lines if it can be avoided.

 

remove the bolts holding the rack, and push the rack up.

 

I assume you're also going to do your rack bushings?

 

Did you make match marks on your cams to get things close on reinstall?

 

yeah that bottom arrow is pointing at the long steering rack bolt, gotta pull that all way out and you should have more room to move the rack.

if you have a diff drop installed, you might find that the steering rack bolt hits the very bottom of the front differential before it comes all the way out. I just had to grind the flange down on the rack bolt a tiny bit and was able to clear it, but it will probably depend on how much diff drop there is.

if no diff drop then it should slide out no problem

 

Make sure the tie rod is disconnected from the knuckle. If gives you slightly more wiggle room. It's a mother trucker but that bolt can come out by only removing the rack mounting bolts and the driver side tie rod.

 

Also rotate the cam to put the bolt farther away from the rack body. It will still hit the boot but it will flex enough to let the bolt by.

 

https://youtu.be/kmaZNBp1gZM?t=751

Video of them doing it. You don't have to disassemble the boot

 

Thanks guys I don’t know why I didn’t try pulling the steering rack bolt out. It was hanging up the rack from moving any more.

 

Yep!

 

I got the LCA cam bolt out but the cam sleeves are rusted in or something. 3 of the four (doing both sides) cam sleeves are stuck. I’ve tried PB Blaster and prying. Actually ended up destroying two of the sleeves because I accidentally pried the cam off the end… I’ve tried drifting them out with a 3lb sledge and pin.

Gonna try a torch and if that doesn’t work I’ll use some carbide blades and the sawzall.

 

Torch = fail

sawzall + several metal blades = fail

Sawzall + carbide metal blades = win

now it’s all fun and reassembly!

 

For that bolt, I undid the bellows clamp and slid the bellows/boot over to the left allowing just enough more room for the bolt head to clear and slide out freely. But it sounds like you're past the dilemma now.

 

Yeah, when I did that with my boot, the bolt hit the steering rack. Oh well.

 

Firestone tells me my adjustment cam’s are frozen. So no front end alignment until I get them sorted. The issue with the steering rack blocking the bolts coming out (removal). Is it only a first gen issue? So second gens don’t have this issue? I just started to study the situation and source the parts.

 

Have the rack as far back as you can, pull the cam along with the bolt and turn the cam to the 6 o'clock position and you can pull it down at an angle and shimmy it out. That's what I did without removing the steering rack

 

Anybody know if a good soaking of PB blaster several days before disassembly might help with the sleeves?

Firestone warned me after my last alignment that the cam on one side was hard to adjust and they might not be able to aligned it next time. Then they printed a quote to replace the one side for $500 (just the bolt and cams, no other bushings). I do my own wrenching, but never tackled these alignment bolts yet. I'll have to review the Timmy video.

 

Since its a long sleeve its very likely that youll have to cut it out. Just the crap nature of the design. I had to cut them all out of my FJC, but made sure to coat it all in antiseize when reassembling, so fingers crossed for next time! Once you get it all apart definitely coat them. Just doing the bolts does nothing to really help the sleeve issue.

 

I'm a big fan of cutting stuff like that off and throwing a new bolt in there. Usually ends up being way quicker for just a few dollars.

 

Bumping this thread for a question…When installing the rear lower control arm cam sleeves/bolts on a 1st gen, does it make sense to reinstall the bolt and sleeve facing the front? That way it would be easier to remove to lube every year or so Without having to mess with the steering rack.