I'm installing a rough country 3" lift kit with new control arms. I've only done the right side so far. The shock, coil, swaybar, and control arm is off. Both sides of it are off the ground on jack stands. The sway bar body mounts are both disconnected. I'm trying to put the control arm on the right side, but the mounts are too close. I've lifted and lowered the axle several times with the coil and shock off, up to the bump stop. I can't seem to get the mounting points any farther away. They're probably an inch too close. I haven't disconnected any steering components. I've tried to move the axle forward, but it doesn't seem to want to move at all.

Any suggestions? I'm lost.

 

You have pics?

 

i do not. It's dark out now. I'll take some in the morning and post them up.

 

Are they adjustable? Is it upper and lowers? Or just lowers.

 

From experience. Disconnect the other lca and hook up the one you're having trouble with. Now it should be an inch too far away... Hook a come along to your tow hitch and pull on the axle till it lines up.

 

lower control arms, not adjustable. i'll try that come along thing... on monday I hate not finishing projects, but i'm done doing the whole 3 am-working with a flashlight in the mouth-thing.

thanks for the suggestions.

 

I had a ***** of a time with rough country lower control arms. Though that doesnt mean im saying its their fault. the first one was the hardest, mainly cause you do need to shift the axle and since you still have the other side on, it will be hard cause you are twisting the axle essentially. i tried everything to get mine in there, i ended up taking my 3ton jack and putting the cup behind the axle, on the back side of it and jacking it up because my jack comes up and as it gets higher the body of the jack comes the opposite way. this technique pulled the axle back enough to get the bolt in finally. but i had a gravel driveway and my jack dug down in and didnt move when i did this. if you have a nice flat cement surface, you would have to find some way so the jack didnt move as you jacked it up.

or get a come along and wrap it around the axle and hook the other end to something solid and pull the axle forward enough to get it in there. the other side is way easy once the first one is in.

 

i'll give that a shot. man i wish i had asked earlier. i had the coil and shock and every thing on, and i took them all off to put the control arm on. i thought the problem was that i did it backwards.

 

I'm putting mine back together for the 2nd time... just replaced the bushings. Talk about a *****. I think my frame is tweaked. I loosened up the castor adjustment on the frame side lca mounts. Hopefully with one forward and one back it will go together ok

 

Ok, so i took the spring and shock off of the other side and it lined up better. I had kind of a tough time getting the second LCA on, but then I just lifted up the axle and it went on. So the whole front end is put on, except for 2 bolts that I broke. Tomorrow i'm going to see if i can get the whole back end done.

 

Ok, one more question. There are 2 hoses on the driver's side near the wheel. One is the brake line, and it's connected. There's another one and I don't know where it goes. I don't know if I knocked it loose or what. Any ideas? I didn't take a picture, but I will when I get the chance. Thanks for the help.

 

Plastic fitting on the end? Diff breather.

 

Disconnecting the drag link helped me get the lower control arms in easier. Could that second line be an ABS sensor?

 

that's probably it. There's no ABS on it. It runs into the engine bay tho.. i'll follow it to see where it goes.