Is there a good thread on changing the front Upper Control A

jrsavoie · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2015 11:40 am

Is there a good thread on changing the front Upper Control Arms on a 2006 Jeep Liberty CRD?

I got the right side under control. Wondering what all I have to take apart on the left / drivers side to get to the rear control arm bolt?

What tools do you use? I've used a long handle ratchet, wobble extensions, regular extensions and 18 mm deep well sockets so far.

Anything special to get to the rear UCA bolt on the left side?

I did notice skinnier arms and hands would be a definite help. About went for my grandson to help.

Mountainman · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:24 pm

I think the battery was the only thing I pulled, oh, and maybe a brake line :banghead:

I can't remember if you can work around that brake line, but I modified the bolt and or reversed it so that it wouldn't be a problem next time.

you may already know this, but if you search in Google for threads by typing "uca lost jeeps" it will get you where you want to be. You might add [change, replace, swap] also until you get a good result.

jrsavoie · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:31 pm

Right side:
I used wobble extensions. Both 1/2" drive and 3/8" drive and a combination of extensions. I had to use a pipe on the ratchet and take the ratchet off to back click it. Once lose enough I was able to spin the nuts off with the air ratchet. Might have to take more stuff apart to get things back together.

Hoping I don't have to mess with the lower radiator hose or the power steering lines.

The JBA ball joint nuts take a 1" wrench.

A ball joint tool would have been a nice feature. If it works good on this vehicle.

I used a pair of curved jaw vice grips on the nut and UCA and tapped with a brass hammer till it came lose.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002S ... PDKIKX0DER

https://www.google.com/search?q=Remover ... 0&ie=UTF-8

jrsavoie · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:32 pm

Having a hard time getting the back bolt in. Need longer, skinnier arms and smaller hands.
Finally got it in. On to the left side.

Ready to take the intercooler hose off first thing tomorrow

On the left side rear
I went under the Jeep and put the 18 mm, 6 point, 1/2" drive, deep well, impact socket on the nut. Then back up top I slid a long wobble extension - The longest 1/2" drive wobble extension that Harbor Freight has in their set - Added a 3" straight extension and was able with the help of a piece of pipe to loosen the nut enough I could spin it off with the air ratchet.

I usually look to buy Made in the USA. But I could not find anything similar when I first started buying these sets. Snap-on didn't have them back then.
Over all the years, I've only broke a few.

http://www.harborfreight.com/9-pc-wobbl ... 67971.html

jrsavoie · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:33 pm

JBA instructions

https://jeepinbyal.infusionsoft.com/app ... d85403ae24

jrsavoie · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:35 pm

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f28/how- ... kj-953794/

jrsavoie · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2015 1:43 pm

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200306505

jws84_02 · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2015 4:22 pm

I don't really have much help here. I remember they were a big pain in the arss. I used numerous swivels and extension. Plenty of cuss words also helped the process.

jrsavoie · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2015 4:31 pm

I noticed that about the cuss words. I think I scared the dog.

mass-hole · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2015 8:27 pm

I had the hardest time with the rear bolt on the drivers side. It's hard to get my fat hand in there and be able to apply enough torque to break the bolts free. getting it back on was easier.

If I recall I removed the battery and unbolted the fuel filter head to get enough room.

CGman · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2015 8:51 pm

I went almost straight forward with enough extensions to put the long-handled rachet up by the engine fan. Battery, samco, and fuse box are moved to allow adequate movement. Everything is done blind on the 06 due to ABS. I used the son to help hold rear bolts on reinstall.

Mountainman · **Posted:** Sat Dec 12, 2015 9:50 pm

Yeah, those bolts are such a pain that I cut them down to minimum length :frankie:

HER_CRD · **Posted:** Sun Dec 13, 2015 12:20 am

Air ratchet if you have one is a huge help.

CGman · **Posted:** Sun Dec 13, 2015 1:36 am

I bought a short length battery powered impact that had around 150 ft lbs to try to speed things up, but it couldnt move the bolts. I ended up with a 3 ft long rachet to get enough torque and speed. It took full force on every turn until the nuts fell off the bolts. :dizzy:

I had carpal tunnel issues for a month afterwards. ( the ball joints didnt help either)

Brasher · **Joined:** Sat Mar 14, 2015 7:02 pm **Posts:** 80

Jrsavoie,

May I ask why you had to replace your engine?

jrsavoie · **Posted:** Mon Dec 14, 2015 2:37 pm

Brasher wrote:

Jrsavoie,

May I ask why you had to replace your engine?

Mostly because the dealer really screwed it up. I bought it as a basket case from my brother. He had taken it to a dealer.

Do not take a diesel to them. They ruined the engine in the Jeep. It had the typical rocker issue the 2.8 Jeeps have. They tore it to pieces. They removed the head and lost the head gasket. The head did not even need to be removed.

Took a lot of things apart that did not need to be taken apart, Broke stuff, lost stuff, including the head gasket, which you need to check to see which of the 3 available it is. You can't find that info by vin number or anything.

Broke the wiring harness that runs through the firewall. It was totally rediculous what they did to the engine. All totally unnecessary.

And Chrysler was no help either.

I'll have a real hard time ever buying another Chrysler product. And never take anything to Pearl for work

Pearl Dodge Chrysler Jeep
Car Dealers
701 S Governors Hwy
Peotone, IL 60468

We were still thinking about trying to put it back together. But another dealership gave us a price on anew complete engine. They also gave us a list of everything that was supposed to go with the engine and the new engine seemed like a better deal. Then we received the engine and it was just a long block. So we had to spend a bunch more money to get it in the vehicle.

We would have sent the engine back, But we had a lot of time invested and a lot of extra upgrade parts invested by then. I should have cut my losses then and return the engine.

I have way to much invested in this expensive to maintain little bugger that only gets 25 mpg tops.

Brasher · **Joined:** Sat Mar 14, 2015 7:02 pm **Posts:** 80

Sorry to make you dig up bad memories. I'm in the process of deciding to keep mine or sell it for a 4Runner. I just went through the whole rocker/camshaft ordeal 1k miles ago, and just had to replace the turbo with a used one. I like the size, ability, and mileage of this car, but I can't continue to justify a 5:1 drive/repair ratio. (I've driven it 250 hours. I've sunk around 50 hours of labor into it since I bought it between rockers, turbos, fuel system issues, oil changes, etc. Don't even remind me of the price of parts for this thing.)

jrsavoie · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2015 1:34 am

Brasher wrote:

Sorry to make you dig up bad memories. I'm in the process of deciding to keep mine or sell it for a 4Runner. I just went through the whole rocker/camshaft ordeal 1k miles ago, and just had to replace the turbo with a used one. I like the size, ability, and mileage of this car, but I can't continue to justify a 5:1 drive/repair ratio. (I've driven it 250 hours. I've sunk around 50 hours of labor into it since I bought it between rockers, turbos, fuel system issues, oil changes, etc. Don't even remind me of the price of parts for this thing.)

If you can afford to get out of it, I would send it on it's way.

You really only here of horror stories on the internet. If everything is hunky dory, people don't post. They go out live life have fun and don't even miss working on something until they hate it and want to blow it up or push it off a cliff or something. Not many cliffs here in Illinois. Lucky for the Jeep. These Jeep CRD's are just way to expensive for me to drive. Regular maintenance alone is to expensive to justify. And the fuel mileage on ours isn't all that great. The best we have ever got was 25 MPG.

I can make a 6.5 diesel Suburban get close to that Or a Dodge truck and have a hell of a lot more vehicle. For a lot less money.

A clean 6.5 diesel with $3000 or less in upgrades is a good dependable vehicle that you only have to dump about $500 every 100,000 miles into for injectors. The rest is all pretty basic maintenance.

Trouble is people think they are worth something. They've been selling for close to $10,000 and some over that. For a 20 year old vehicle with over 100,000 miles. I want to find a 1999 1/2 But the pickings are slim and getting slimmer. And the prices seem to be going up instead of down

JAFO · **Joined:** Thu Aug 13, 2015 10:35 am **Posts:** 54

This should help a bit.

https://youtu.be/-eJiaz6ydtE

TowNGo · **Joined:** Sun Jan 24, 2016 7:18 pm **Posts:** 4

So, I've got a 2006 KJ CRD and I'm replacing most of the front suspension due to a garage's installation of the wrong struts (gas liberty springs are too weak) and they missed a failed ball joint. I have removed all but the front driver's side upper control arm bolt. The nut is off, but the bolt's removal is completely blocked by an ABS line. In the opinion of the masses and Mountainman, who seemed to indicate he also ran into this problem, is it easier to bend the offending line (only about an inch from the rusty connection through the wheel well) or cut the bolt off. Either way I intend to reverse the bolt during install. Not sure how much of a production it is to repair an ABS line if it gets nicked, crimped, or ruptures. Any thoughts?

Is there a good thread on changing the front Upper Control A

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