Total Chaos UCA install (help)

Hey guys so awhile back I purchased some Total Chaos upper control arms for my 2017 truck. I'm having a tough time removing the main upper control arm bolt. This bolt is around 10 in long and it says to move it toward the front of the vehicle and bend the fender well with channel lock pliers to remove the bolt. I did this and the bolt will make contact with the body of the vehicle, it looks like I have two options.

1. To pound the frame of the vehicle with a hammer and move that part of the body until i can get the bolt out.

or

2. To cut the bolt and re-install from the back end.

My question is has anyone tried method number 2 on the 2017's. I watched the video on how to install the upper control arms by Total Chaos and prior to joining the military I was a mechanic for years. The metal they used up front near the wheel well is too thick to start bending out of the way completely. Memeber SILVER06TRD had a great write up on upper control arm install. Just need some info if anyone has done method 2 or if they have any insight on how to remove this big a$$ bolt. Thanks guys.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/total-chaos-uca-how-to-install.14507/

 

A lot of people have cut their bolts and installed new ones backwards. Just make sure you put on red loctite for peace of mind.

 

The bolts shouldn't contact the frame at all, I think you mean the body.

 

*Changed* yes the body, thank you.

 

I'm curious how they are really supposed to come out?
They went in that way I'm sure they can come out without actually needing to bend stuff.

 

Don't do this! They're not supposed to go in backwards because then if the nut works itself out the bolt will fall out and you're gonna have a bad time. And you really wanna buy new bolts every time?
It's not that hard to bend the sheet metal you just need really large channel locks for good leverage. And I had to temporarily disconnect some harness or something (can't remember) inside the engine bay on the driver side.

 

I'd have to imagine that the "proper" method would involve removing the fenders. Me, I just used a crowbar and pulled back on the fender long enough to get the bolt past where it was hitting, then tapped it the rest of the way out using a 1/4" piece of aluminum rod from the other end.

 

I'm curious too. My guess is Toyota assembles the frame and then lowers the body on to the truck. Here's the link to the upper control arm install. Skip to 6:37 and they start talking about the upper control arm bolt removal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbsTJgb6S_c

 

I cut mine and re-installed from back to front. I've done the bending sheet metal on 2 previous trucks and cutting was way easier than bending the metal.

I don't foresee the nut coming loose if properly torqued (85ft-lbs per factory specs) and if you want to add some locktite it will never come off

Edit: torque value corrected

 

85ft/lbs actually per Total Chaos^^

 

Those bolts were installed at the factory prior to the body being bolted on. The body doesn't go on until after the frame suspension engine and transmission are bolted together.

 

I was able to bend the metal with large channel lock pliers and slide the bolt out when I did mine, did take alot of effort though.

 

Thanks, you are correct, sir

 

Bend the sheet metal with channel-locks and then use a punch to tap the bolt all the way out. It was tight against the body when I did mine but a little tapping and it come right out. Went right back in the same way

 

I had Icon UCAs (stage 3 kit), but the installation is exactly the same and I even used the Total Chaos videos as a guide. A big pair of channel lock pliers and a bit of muscle. Only took a minute or two to get the space I needed (and I'm not particularly beefy). I mean, the hardest part was fretting about taking the channel locks to my truck... you should be able to tap the bolt out with some kind of a rod...

-Craig

 

The drivers side can be easily bent out of the way. The passenger side on the 3rd Gen is much more difficult. I bent the drivers side fender out of the way, but cut the passenger side bolt out.

When they are installed at the toyota factory the body is not yet on the frame.

 

I used a hammer and extension and just banged on the back of the bolt came right out. Hardly have to do any bending

 

I'm gonna saw the limiting sheet metal. F it.

 

It's a billion'th of an inch. What's the worst that could happen