Upper Controm Arm

[stroker]

Hi all.... Im ready to replace my upper control arm (right side) and read the DIY at LexLS.com and it says I have to remove the shock (strut) to access the control arm. Is this really necessary as it looks very straight forward to me with it still connected, 3 bolts or nuts and its out. Am I right ? Thanks in advance for your replies.... Bobby 91 LS400

[landar]

I believe you may be right, Bobby. If you look at the other tutorial on removing the shocks, you will see that he first removes the upper ball joint from the control arm. And since that step is also required to pull the upper CA's, I think he just puts that step in there. If you can get a wrench on those side bolts of the CA, I do not see a reason why the struts need to come out other than giving you way more "working" room. On the other hand, the bolts in the upper CA may be so long that they would hit the strut trying to get them out. You can give it try and then report back. ^_^

[BentBrain]

I have stock air and there wasn't enough room for the bolts to be removed with the shock in place so it needed to come out. It takes about 5 min of easy work to remove not a big deal at all.

[landar]

I have stock air and there wasn't enough room for the bolts to be removed with the shock in place so it needed to come out. It takes about 5 min of easy work to remove not a big deal at all.

There ya go, stroker. The bolts are too long to get out unless the shocks are removed. And the shocks are fairly easy. Thanks BentBrain.

[stroker]

Thanks Landar, I bought a couple of OEM bolts for UCA and you are right the bolts are long and would interfere with the shocks. Finally going to get around to replacing both sides= its been so hot down here the last 2 months you cant breathe in my garage soooooo, onward to my next project....I just replaced my alternator and P/S pressure hose (leaked badly) and now its charging right I quess, 14.3, but overnight the battery drops down to 10.6.. The battery is about 1 yr old. It NEVER DOES NOT STARTand goes right up to 14.3. Wondering if this is normal or could the battery have been sulfated by the alternator going south.. or do you think this could have anything to do with the dreaded trunk hinge wiring??? Thanks so much for your time....Bobby

I believe you may be right, Bobby. If you look at the other tutorial on removing the shocks, you will see that he first removes the upper ball joint from the control arm. And since that step is also required to pull the upper CA's, I think he just puts that step in there. If you can get a wrench on those side bolts of the CA, I do not see a reason why the struts need to come out other than giving you way more "working" room. On the other hand, the bolts in the upper CA may be so long that they would hit the strut trying to get them out. You can give it try and then report back.

[landar]

In my experience, if the battery drops to 10.6 volts overnight, the starter is not going to crank. But you say it does? If so, then you may have made an errant measurement. The best way to test the health of the battery is to shut off the engine, turn on the headlights and observe how long the battery will remain above 12 volts. It should slowly and steadily drop for the first 5-10 minutes and may even go slightly below 12 volts. But it should hold for another 15 minutes or so without significantly dropping. So, for instance, the battery reading may start off at 12.5 and go down to 12.0, then maybe 11.90. But the rate of descent should slow(not stop) drastically at the 11.90 level and hold fairly steady for a good 5-10 minutes. If, after, 10-15 minutes, you are in the 10.x range, your battery is shot.

But you are right about suspecting the battery even though only a year old. If the battery has been completely discharged several times that is all it takes to ruin or significantly degrade, some lead-acid batteries. Even new ones.

Finally, you could have a parasitic drain on your battery such that something is pulling excessive current and draining the battery while the car sets. But first, verify the health of the battery with those tests.