Seized UCA Bolt

[breidmiller]

Hi all-

So I replaced all four tie rods on my 1998 Ranger XLT RWD (apparently you aren't supposed to hold the shaft and be able to shake the ball joints like jingle bells), and I brought it into Midas for an alignment. The tech told me that they adjusted all of the angles except the L caster angle which he described as being "a little off" which may cause "a little pulling to the left". Let's just say it is more than a little off and the truck pulls hard to the left. The tech stated that the issue was a frozen upper control arm bolt and this is where my question comes in:

What needs to be done in order to un-stick this bolt and be able to adjust the caster angle? Is this just a matter of getting the nut to come off, or is the bolt likely seized inside the bushing? If it is seized inside the bushing, what are the odds of being able to work the bolt out and replacing it without having to replace the bushing? I replaced the leaf spring shackles a year or so ago, and those bolts fused with the rubber of the bushings so they were a bitch and a half, possibly two bitches, to get out (ended up having to cut the head off, and using a ball joint press to force the whole bolt/rubber mess out). Am I looking at the same thing here, or will the bolt come out cleanly (once I get it un-stuck and free of 16 years of rust)?

Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! I just want to know what I am getting myself into before I start...

Thanks guys,
Brett

 

[brinker88]

Requires either torching the bolt out or pounding it out. Either way, you will need new alignment bolts/cams. If you have to torch it out, you will need at least one UCA bushing. Changing the bushing require the removal of the UCA.

 

[OilPatch197]

I would recommend a 4 1/2" grinder with cutoff wheel before a torch.(wear thick heavy welding gloves, safety glasses/face sheild, and use Dewalt XP wheels) If you can get it in there.

 

[97RangerXLT]

Torch. Heat it up nice and hot (probably need an oxy acetelyne set up to get it hot enough then try to wrench it out. heat it, let it cool, heat it let it cool and wrench on it while it is hot and cold until it comes out. if it still does not come out you may have to pound it out. If nothing else, the torch might burn up the bushings and get them out of the way so that you are only fighting the nut.

Btw, I did my shackles/ hangers a year and a half ago... and I totally feel your pain. ended up taking a drill and drilling out the rubber around the bolt with a 1/4" drill bit to chew up the rubber. (did not have a torch) for all four bushings. that sucked big time.

AJ

 

[Mark_88]

I would recommend a 4 1/2" grinder with cutoff wheel before a torch.(wear thick heavy welding gloves, safety glasses/face sheild, and use Dewalt XP wheels) If you can get it in there.

Dewalt wheels eh~? Have to look for them...the Mastercraft ones I've been buying have a tendency to fly off in a dozen pieces if I so much as angle the disc a millimeter off the original cut...

I learned from this experience to always get the cut going with the spin going away from me as much as possible...and that isn't easy to do sometimes...

 

[Mark_88]

Torch. Heat it up nice and hot (probably need an oxy acetelyne set up to get it hot enough then try to wrench it out. heat it, let it cool, heat it let it cool and wrench on it while it is hot and cold until it comes out. if it still does not come out you may have to pound it out. If nothing else, the torch might burn up the bushings and get them out of the way so that you are only fighting the nut.

Btw, I did my shackles/ hangers a year and a half ago... and I totally feel your pain. ended up taking a drill and drilling out the rubber around the bolt with a 1/4" drill bit to chew up the rubber. (did not have a torch) for all four bushings. that sucked big time.

AJ

Ah, torches...lol...first time I used one on my Ranger was on the body bolts...I was pretty amazed at how fast the rubber caught on fire...and didn't have a bucket of water or a fire extinguisher handy...

So...yeah, keep some water or FE close by...even if you use an angle grinder...oil spillage can ignite with enough coaxing from a grinder spark...

 

[97RangerXLT]

Very good safety tip Mark!

Do you really care where this was sent from?

 

[breidmiller]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I am hoping to avoid a grinder or a torch, but it certainly seems like it might be moving that way...