Removing upper drivers side A arm

[01EB5.0]

Help guys,
I got my truck 75% done, i just can't remove the 2 bolts for the upper a arm. i got th enuts off, but the bolts are long and have a huge flange on them. the flange is hitting hoses and the shock tower and no matter how much i screw with it I can;t get it out. any help here? I have pics of my dilemma, IM me if you can offer a hand and need to see the pics. AIM: TravisN1

 

[01EB5.0]

well, i'm headed back out to take another stab at it...anyone whos done ball joints on a 95-01, offer any suggestions please... thx

 

[james t]

If i remember right, i had to cut mine (stock bolts) to get them out.

 

[01EB5.0]

If i remember right, i had to cut mine (stock bolts) to get them out.

Then how do you get the new ones in? lol
I thoguht about cutting them but I don;t have new ones...and if i did I didn;t think install would be any easier...

 

[budwich]

No don't cut them.... they will come out but you need to loosen all the lines / hoses by unfasten the clamps/holders on the body rails in the area and then "nudging" them a bit.... the bolts with the cams can be taken off and then the arm removed. The front one is easier than the back one at least that was my finding on my 96. If you are lucky your 2001 will have a lot less rust / crust than my 96. It was scary moving those lines but you don't have to move them much to get the bolt out / replaced. Good luck.

 

[01EB5.0]

No don't cut them.... they will come out but you need to loosen all the lines / hoses by unfasten the clamps/holders on the body rails in the area and then "nudging" them a bit.... the bolts with the cams can be taken off and then the arm removed. The front one is easier than the back one at least that was my finding on my 96. If you are lucky your 2001 will have a lot less rust / crust than my 96. It was scary moving those lines but you don't have to move them much to get the bolt out / replaced. Good luck.

The rear one on mine is nearly out. The front is not even halfway there. I hurt one of my fingers so I am trying to do all this one handed primarially...what a challenge..lol.

Do you know if the fasteners are rivited to the chassis or just bolted. I climbed on the engine to try to get another angle at it, but i can;t tell for sure...i have my fair share of rust on this michigan truck...it has 138,000 miles...so it is not as clean as some may think...lol

 

[james t]

Then how do you get the new ones in? lol
I thoguht about cutting them but I don;t have new ones...and if i did I didn;t think install would be any easier...

When i did mine, i had a new cam/bolt kit. I put the rear bolt in from the backside instead of from the front.

 

[budwich]

There are a couple different fastners (I think). There are ones with bolts running thru to the frame member and there is also "snap lock" type ones that push into a hole in the frame member.... I think (it was almost a year ago). You have to unbolt the fastners at a couple places to get the lines to move. Their guides are also "form fitted" so that the line is "well seated" and can't move / vibrate so it takes a bit to get it out of the guide. As for rust... yuk up in the great white north where our prime minister "thinks" we are such great "kyoto - ites" compared to the US, we continue to pour salt everywhere and there isn't a "whimper" from anyone. Oops... I digress... sorry. I hate rust. Anyways, my "reference" (unofficial ford trunk cd) doesn't say anything about this other than "unbolt and remove"... ya right. good luck... all I can say, it took me about 5-15 minutes to unbolts the two bolts (ie. rust and stuff) but it then took me about 2 hours trying to get them out and back on... most of that time "gently" try to move rusted lines / bolts enough to wiggle the bolts by and not break any lines which would have been a major problem. The bolts still need to be wiggled around in some fashion to get them to come out of the space... its a very good "rubics puzzle". Good luck.