Upper control arm removal problem....

Pro tip!

Place tape on the fender that you intend to bend, this limits the scratching. The passenger side is more difficult, it takes time.

Some pro's cut the head of the bolt off and replace it from the bottom. I don't like this method. Failure means the bolt falls out.

 

Yes. That’s what I did.

 

True, but is there record of one ever failing? I’d be pretty surprised if the answer is yes.

 

A shop that cant use common sense,or use the internet for answers ?

 

Yes. It has happened. Ask me how I know....

 

Every single one of you is out of your mind for criticizing the shop here. Yes, removing the bolt is not hard, I've done it myself. It requires a decent bit of grabbing the sheet metal with channel locks or other pliers and bending it out of the way. I don't care how non-essential that sheet metal is, if any shop took pliers to a painted sheet metal surface and tweaked it the way this job requires without having a detailed conversation with me first, I would be absolutely pissed. No competent shop is just going to start irreparably bending the fuck out of body metal. I bet many out there wouldn't even do it at all, even if the customer cleared them. This is a sign of a good shop, not a bad one.

 

#triggeredlol

 

Which is the right move. Best would be to give the choice with a disclaimer on the quicker method, but I would not expect any shop to default to that method.

 

Okay well, if we are being anal about things...

The OP stated that the mechanic just says he cannot remove the bolt without it hitting the frame. Nowhere on there did he state that the tech said, "I can bend the body metal out of the way slightly just to get the bolt back and bend it back in when I'm done." No. This guy said it to him like he was stumped and couldn't see past the line where the sun meets the ocean. Similar to the insight that my dog has when he looks out of the window. Not a whole lot going on upstairs.

Disclaimer is the right way to go about it if it is at a shop, it can be done one of two ways and the most undesirable and time consuming way would cost $$$$ more.

 

Critical rhinking is the name of the game. It's what separates real techs from oil changers. Actually it's what the lack of turns techs into oil changers.

 

How do you know?

 

This. For real.
I’d understand a competent, non-professional, mechanically inclined getting stumped for a bit before figuring it out, but a professional working at a shop? No sir.

It’s a PITA but very doable.

 

I'm not a suspension guy. That said, what would be the difference of these two positions of tightening the bolt? I ask so I can learn. Thank You.

 

The rubber in OEM type bushings is designed to stretch when the control arm moves up and down. The rubber should be relaxed at ride height so it can stretch in each direction as the control arm goes up and down. If the bolt is tightened at full droop, then the rubber is stretched at ride height. Then when the suspension compresses, it stretches the rubber farther than it’s designed to go.

 

AHHH! That is good info. Thanks Man!

 

Which results in what exactly?

 

Destroyed bushings.

 

Had a shop do the uca install (stock to SPC)..they didnt loctite the nut/bolt. 20k+ miles later, Nut backed off, that long threaded bolt started to slip out...one arm of the UCA slipped out of angle and pressed against the engine.

Somehow got lucky that all this happened when leaving a costco parking lot and not at speed. Immediately felt alignment was off and stopped. Got out of truck, and camber was out of whack and saw the A-arm. Towed it home, jacked it up,and replaced nut and bolt..loctite this time. Learned my lesson the hard way.

Luckily, no damage because of this....but now my spc uca on that side is noisy as f*ck. Due to bushing or lack of grease. UCA is still straight.