Uca Problem

[Eagle]

Still fighting rattles and clunks in the front of the "new" 2001 XJ. Replacing the lower control arms helped a lot, but there's still noise and things are still shifting around as the road surface changes, so it's time to move on to the upper control arms.

 

Problem: On the forward end, the bushings are in the axle, not in the arms. Chrysler-Jeep wants $49 EACH just for the bushings. Not gonna happen (I hope). Quadratec claims to have them, but their OEM part number doesn't match the part number from any of the various years of XJ factory parts manuals. AutoZone lists a bushing, but in one place they say it's a front bushing and in another place they say it's a rear bushing.

 

To further confuse a doddering senior citizen, Quadratec's listing is only for up through 1999 for the XJ. And, sure enough, the factory listing is different for a 2001 than it is for earlier years.

 

Two questions:

 

1. For the UPPER control arms, is the bushing in the arm the same as the bushing for the axle, or are they different?

 

2. Is the axle bushing for a 2001 really different from the axle bushing in, say, a 1996, or is this just a superseded part number?

 

Thanks.

 

Oh, BTW -- will a Harbor Freight ball joint press give me the bits and pieces I need to press out and replace the UCA bushings in the axle?

[HOrnbrod]

When I replaced the UCAs on my 91 this summer, I used a pair of NOS OEM arms. For the axle bushings, I used Moog bushings. These were listed to fit all XJs 84-01. They fit my 91 just fine, but were a bear to install on the 2WD. To press out/in the axle bushings I used a homemade press made out of threaded rod, plumbing fixtures, etc. I found online. Got all the parts for it at a local salvage house for a couple of bucks. It worked fine, but was tight on the left side. I'll see if I can find the link for it.

 

EDIT: Here's the link, but there are no pics as there were when I first saw it.

 

http://jeep.off-road.com/trucks-4x4/tech/xj-control-arm-bushing-replacement-20477.html

[skidoo_j]

I used the harbor freight press kit to push out the bushing, however I did have to enlarge one of the cups so it would fit over the bushing and seat on the axle. Used a lathe, but a sanding drum on a drill would have worked. What ended up happening with mine were the rubbers pressed out then i beat, cut, swore, smashed, and drove the sleeve out. Installing the new was easy.

 

The bushings are cheap, I got some crown or omix brand ones from 4wd.com for $5 a each.

[mountainman]

rockauto.com

[Alexia]

A cold chisel and a hammer works great for removing the old bushings. Using the chisel to deform the sleeve inwards on the end opposite of where it will come out. Once it is deformed enough it will create a nice lip to hammer against and pop it out. The new bushing will tap into place with a socket or a block of wood.

 

The 4WD and 2WD bushings are the same for all D30/beams for all years XJ, MJ, and TJ. They should be the same for ZJ and WJ as well, but I do not have the parts in front of me to verify.

[Eagle]

But the listings I find don't specify if the bushing is for the axle or the arm, except for one source (don't recall which) that appears to list a different bushing for the axle than for the arm. Are the two ends the same, or different?

[HOrnbrod]

But the listings I find don't specify if the bushing is for the axle or the arm, except for one source (don't recall which) that appears to list a different bushing for the axle than for the arm. Are the two ends the same, or different?

 

The bushings for the UCA axle end and the rear arm are the same. However, in 1997 the p/n for the UCA bushings changed, but they were still the same for front and rear. Then in 01, the p/n for the UCA axle bushing (52087852) and arm bushing (52087852) were different. The p/n for the arm itself changed too, but they look identical throughout the XJ years.

[Eagle]

Great.

 

Considering that I don't have the tools (or the time, with Winter upon us) to mess with the axle bushings, I think I'll swap out the UCAs and see how it goes. That's going to have to take care of a lot of the noise and slop I have left. I can live with what's likely to be left at least until Spring.

[HOrnbrod]

Great.

 

Considering that I don't have the tools (or the time, with Winter upon us) to mess with the axle bushings, I think I'll swap out the UCAs and see how it goes. That's going to have to take care of a lot of the noise and slop I have left. I can live with what's likely to be left at least until Spring.

 

But that's double the work. I don't like to work harder than I have to. It's not real tough getting those bushings out. But you're in CT so I imagine the bushings are rusted in there pretty good. Do you have a garage to work in?

[Eagle]

Do you have a garage to work in?

 

Nope. That's why messing with the bushings will have to wait until Spring. We just had our second snowfall of the year today.

[HOrnbrod]

Nope. That's why messing with the bushings will have to wait until Spring. We just had our second snowfall of the year today.

 

Good point.

[mjeff87]

Not to discourage you Eagle, but.....

 

I generally like wrenching on my MJ (as opposed to the wretched TJ), and I've done lots to it since I got it way back in '98. Changing out the axle end UCA bushings a couple summers ago in my driveway was probably the most PITA thing to date. I've heard lots of folks say it's easy-peasy, the old ones just "fall right out". Yeah, about that.....not all of them do. I broke one HF press in the process, had to return it and get an exchange, and my driverside one is to this day still about 1/8" from fully seated.

 

Hopefully yours aren't that hard to get out/in, but I would commit a day to the job JIC you run into difficulties.

[88mjgilley]

ive changed quite a few of them the one ot the top of the diff i normally take a sharp point chisel and put a deep v in it and then after a few hits with a hammer they fall right out