Liberty CRD Rear end handling issues

Mountainman · **Posted:** Thu Mar 13, 2014 10:26 am

The Raybestos "professional grade" UCA's box said made in Taiwan :furious:

At least they have been trying to secede from China :rockon:

The hacksaw is a tough, but workable replacement for the saws all method, and with the press I was able to plunge out the center metal piece, and then the rubber, but it's a pretty dangerous operation with that rubber ready to fling whatever you're using to press it out with through your skull. A torch would be smarter. Without removing some of the rubber from a section of the sidewall, the hacksaw doesn't have much of a chance, maybe possible, but ridiculously difficult.

Everyone that has 100k or so should at least replace the two bushings that go bad (frame side of the LCA I think) for stability/safety. $30 for the bushings, and maybe another $30 to have someone press out and in a new I'd guess? That's if you don't have a press. The sway on mine had snapped one of the two brake line spring holders, and almost eaten through the line on the other one. In 5 years I'll report back on if the Raybestos bushings are still solid :ALONE:

KJScott · **Posted:** Fri Mar 14, 2014 10:30 am

A question for you Mountainman, when you did the lower control arms, did you remove one at a time? Did you have the jeep in the air and axle and tires on the ground? Reason I am asking is I was concerned when doing the upper assy, that my axle would twist because of the springs pressure and the axle only being attached by the lower arms while I worked on the boomerang. Nothing happened but I had most of the tension off the springs.

Mountainman · **Posted:** Fri Mar 14, 2014 4:24 pm

I pulled everything (upper, lowers, and shocks), and wondered if it would be my last day. I only had jack stands under the axle, and put it in 4wd (to put front tires in "park"). When I pushed on it to check stability it wobbled the whole body like crazy :juggle:

Took some prying with a crow bar to get bolt holes lined back up, but I finished it last night, and all went well. Be careful with that UCA ball joint bolt, it's flange that keeps the bolt from rotating will slice the boot if you have it 180 out. I almost cut mine :furious:

So, my axle did twist about an inch with tires off and axle supported by stands. It was a little bit of a challenge to pry everything back in line.

KJScott · **Posted:** Sat Mar 15, 2014 7:43 am

Your last day, haha.. I thought that last summer in my flats boat when a nasty thunderstorm caught me.

Mountainman · **Posted:** Sat Mar 15, 2014 12:05 pm

Yeah, those Florida storms come in fast. I almost got hit by lightning in Pensacola. Made my hair stand up.

KJScott · **Posted:** Sat Mar 15, 2014 3:15 pm

My oldest daughter was with me. It was a "don't tell your mom!" Moment

Mountainman · **Posted:** Mon Mar 17, 2014 10:50 am

Yeah, good luck with that! You'll be boating solo pretty soon lol

Liberty CRD Rear end handling issues

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