Front End Rabbit Hole, Tell me when to stop

[Whelan]

I was working on the brakes last night and noticed the issue with my front left brake vibration and warping was caused by a seized caliper pin. I tried heat and other methods to no avail so I will be adding a new caliper bracket and pin to the mix.

I noticed upon working on this side that the upper control arm BJ and the lower control arm BJ have busted boots with grease leaking around them. So from what I gather I need to replace the whole UCA but the LCA ball joint is part of the knuckle and can be removed and pressed in with the tool from Advance Auto without much hassle. This gets me thinking about things like sway bushings, sway bar links, etc. They all seem cheap enough to replace so why not just do it while I'm down there.

My question though is the right side, I checked the joints and all collars are still in good shape, no leaks or broken boots. Am I OK to just replace the whole LCA and UCA joint on the drivers side then do links and bushings both side and call it a day? I may sound cheap but with 180k on the clock I'd rather just fix what is needed at the moment. So thoughts and suggestions are welcome. Pics for reference

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[Whelan]

Thanks in advance

 

[Whelan]

So I am getting parts from NAPA today,

Lower Ball Joint
Upper Control Arm (1)
Sway Bar Bushings
Caliper Bracket
Caliper Pins

Still would love any comments or insight as I embark on a new skill.

 

[krisP]

"without much hassle" famous last words, I don't think ive ever done anything to my jeep that didn't end up being a hassle haha. Id say youre fine to do that, if it were me id just get them all done and out of the way while im at it.

 

[Whelan]

"without much hassle" famous last words, I don't think ive ever done anything to my jeep that didn't end up being a hassle haha. Id say youre fine to do that, if it were me id just get them all done and out of the way while im at it.

I was tempted to just do them all but the front left has really been a plagued problem for this car for years so I'm really eager to get that out of the way. The right is really solid by comparison.

And yes famous last words but I'll get the press tool from the store as well and have some fun doing a new task on the Jeep and adding to my skill set. I think I get more pumped to do this stuff when I realize what I would have to pay a shop to complete it.

 

[Myke]

I was tempted to just do them all but the front left has really been a plagued problem for this car for years so I'm really eager to get that out of the way. The right is really solid by comparison.

And yes famous last words but I'll get the press tool from the store as well and have some fun doing a new task on the Jeep and adding to my skill set. I think I get more pumped to do this stuff when I realize what I would have to pay a shop to complete it.

Get the additional cups too when you rent the tool. I know the ones included in the kit weren't the correct size and I had to mix and match.

 

[Whelan]

Get the additional cups too when you rent the tool. I know the ones included in the kit weren't the correct size and I had to mix and match.

They didn't have additional cups. Hoping to get the oil and rear brakes done tonight so I can focus on the front left tomorrow.

 

[RenKJ]

Don't forget to pack slider pins with fresh high temp ceramic grease, usually I stick some in the new rubber boot then slide boot in, then grease the pin and stick it in

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[Whelan]

So I should fill the pin holes up with grease? I have the right stuff but was going to coat the pin and put a small glob at the entrance and slide it in.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

That'd be fine.

 

[Whelan]

Sorry for the lack of pics but it was a LONG weekend under the car. I started Saturday late morning and got the rear brakes all set, basically rebuilding the calipers and reassembling. Then the tri-link was tightened again but still makes a knocking sound (big source of frustration now).

The front brakes were completed, new caliper bracket and pins, but not before I battled the stupid control arm. The battery tray came out easy enough but I fought with the other mount under the steering column. Turns out some YT vids helped in using extensions to reach back there, thankfully the KJ has a lot of space between the fan and belts to wrench. Once out I could have used a second set of hands to place the new CA, having to jump down to place the arm and then back up to see if the bolt will feed through was a PITA. But I got it done!

The lower ball joint was impossible to get to, I removed the axle nut and all other components only to be defeated by a frozen hub, it would not come out. I am going to my neighbors tonight who has more knowledge and tools to see if we can do it. So I put everything back together, then tackled the Sway bushings. Turns out using my jack and a 2x4 made the job a lot easier to pop the bushing retainer back on.

Once it was all back together I did a quick oil change and then took it for a ride. The steering is nice and tight again without that loppy loose feeling which I contribute to the bushings. The front left is quiet, just tire/road noise now. And braking is back to the way it should be, quiet and effective.

So all in all a productive weekend that concluded Sunday morning after I had to do a handyman run to my in laws to repair some rotted decking. Parts totaled $170 for the front end components (not including rotors/pads) so still happy with the results and the car is ready for the shore vacation once I get it detailed this coming week!

Additional tools acquired were a 35mm impact socket and a 21mm wrench which proved very useful in getting the BJ's back in place with a pair of vice grips on the crown. Those suckers love to spin and get nowhere fast. Lessons learned, knowledge acquired, DIY confidence still high.

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