Lower control arms

[90comanchegirl]

Hey guys I'm in need of some help. Pretty new to the world of rebuilding front ends and to the world on comanches. I'm currently replacing lower control arms...they came out better then expected but now trying to get the new ones is seeming impossible. Are the control arms different between a 4wd and a rwd? My truck is rwd. When I look at the specs for them it doesn't specify 4wd or rwd.

I'm just so lost!!

Please help!

[derf]

Same parts, 2wd or 4wd.

[eaglescout526]

The axle shifts anytime you remove more than one control arm. You’ll have to get creative and get the axle angled back to where it was when you removed the control arms. The lowers are pretty easy. The uppers arms are tricky. 

[90comanchegirl]

They don't have the same ends. I called my local part store and he said there are 2 different kinds and it doesnt depend on 2wd or 4wd not real sure what it depends on maybe the year? ... but the  kind that's like the old ones that i took out (you can see in the pic) it its smooth on either side where rhe bolts go thru and then the new ones they sent have almost like knobs that stick out a good 1/3 inch on either side.  If you zoom into the pic you can see the difference. I strapped my axel in place and it hasn't moved. It's the actual width of the control arm vs the bracket that's off not the measurement from axel to bracket.  Lol I hope that makes sense 

[90comanchegirl]

Hope thes help it make sense

[derf]

You can always try bending the bracket a little.

 

Get a large crescent wrench.  Put it on one side of the bracket and cinch it down.  Use it as a lever to spread the bracket apart to make room.

 

Once you get the arm in and the bolt on, the nut/bolt will squeeze the sides of the bracket back together.

[90comanchegirl]

Thank you so much for the advice, it almost worked but I just can't get it to bend enough, had every ounce of strength I got into it and still wasn't enough lol.  Gonna give it a couple days and try again. Knuckles are getting a bit sore from excessive bashing hahaha

[fiatslug87]

You can try grinding a little from each side of the bushing, just don’t put too much heat into it. Do a little to one side then the other then back.

[derf]

2 hours ago, 90comanchegirl said:

Thank you so much for the advice, it almost worked but I just can't get it to bend enough, had every ounce of strength I got into it and still wasn't enough lol.  Gonna give it a couple days and try again. Knuckles are getting a bit sore from excessive bashing hahaha

Been there.  You'll get it.

 

I agree with just a little grinding on the sleeve.  And only a little at a time to keep it from getting too hot.

 

Maybe a big hammer to drive them in.  Or a bigger crescent wrench to make bending easier.