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Control arm bracket protection

brianinca

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I'm having that exact problem with the Rock Hard LCA skids. The tab that goes inside the axle mount is keeping it from lining up the bolt holes. I've got to send a picture back. So grinding the tab didn't allow it to fit?

Front skids were cake, the tabs on the spacers made it easy to get them lined up. I need to get longer bolts for the shock skids, too - at least the LCA skids came with the longer bolts in the kit.

I installed these last weekend and this is how I did it, too. On the driver side I couldn't contort my fingers enough to hold the nut for the front bolt so I just threw a piece of tape over it and stuck it up there and then threaded it on.

Now the Rock Hard rear LCA skids, that's a different story. Couldn't get the bracket holes to line up with the mounting bolt. I tried grinding the skid down but finally gave up. Next time I decide to tackle it I'll see if I can get a step bit in that hole to make it bigger.
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BlackDog

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I'm having that exact problem with the Rock Hard LCA skids. The tab that goes inside the axle mount is keeping it from lining up the bolt holes. I've got to send a picture back. So grinding the tab didn't allow it to fit?
I tried grinding the skid to make the tab longer, if that makes sense. My thought was that it would fit in the mount deeper so the holes would line up, but in hindsight I should've tried making that tab thinner.
 

AmishMike

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Alright, got the Rusty's. They are beautiful. Painted and installed today. Yes the front lower bolt hole is off by half a bolt. I elongated mine and they are on!
Jeep Gladiator Control arm bracket protection IMG_0052.JPG
 
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trust

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My holes all lined up fine once I figured out the install sequence. Instructions would have helped
 

mtudb24

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Just installed the Rusty's today, don't see the point of worrying about the front hole that's misaligned. The JL version only has two bolts.
do you have a pic of them installed?
Thanks
 

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ThatStinging_Jeep

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Well i got paid 2 days ago and ordered the rusty's frame lca skids as well,and as far as ive read,i hope i dont gotta modify them like some of yall,but ill see whats up since my truck is at the dealer just sitting there and i got a confirmation that my steering box will be here from 3 weeks to a month so waiting is gonna suck,but hey im gonna have lots of parts waiting to come here
 

BlackDog

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@brianinca Have you had any luck with the Rock Hard LCA skids? Mine are just sitting in the garage collecting dust.
 

AmishMike

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The problem I had with making them is that the frame and mounts are not symmetrical inner vs outer. I would have had way more time into them than it was worth. Besides, the Rusty's are nice.
 

brianinca

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The front axle side LCA's have big old shims in them and I need to get some green loctite - they are noisy even with a lot more torque than the book says. The rear axle side LCA skids are the same deal except for the shims, my wife was a bit alarmed at the clunk when they shift underway. Blue loctite wasn't enough and I only had enough green loctite for scope rings and mounts.

Easy enough to put on except when the dang torque wrench runs out of room. Much less important than the Rusty's skids, I would say, but good to have.

Edit: Pictures of editing done on rear axle LCA skids:
Scrapes show editing needs, might just be tolerance stacking
Jeep Gladiator Control arm bracket protection PXL_20200924_151657393


The edit for the vertical
Jeep Gladiator Control arm bracket protection PXL_20201004_190657086


The horizontal edit is harder to see but you can see the narrowed lip
Jeep Gladiator Control arm bracket protection PXL_20201004_190642173


Again, that may be the brackets on MY truck that were the issue @BlackDog

@brianinca Have you had any luck with the Rock Hard LCA skids? Mine are just sitting in the garage collecting dust.
 
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BlackDog

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The front axle side LCA's have big old shims in them and I need to get some green loctite - they are noisy even with a lot more torque than the book says. The rear axle side LCA skids are the same deal except for the shims, my wife was a bit alarmed at the clunk when they shift underway. Blue loctite wasn't enough and I only had enough green loctite for scope rings and mounts.

Easy enough to put on except when the dang torque wrench runs out of room. Much less important than the Rusty's skids, I would say, but good to have.

Edit: Pictures of editing done on rear axle LCA skids:
Scrapes show editing needs, might just be tolerance stacking
Jeep Gladiator Control arm bracket protection PXL_20201004_190642173


The edit for the vertical
Jeep Gladiator Control arm bracket protection PXL_20201004_190642173


The horizontal edit is harder to see but you can see the narrowed lip
Jeep Gladiator Control arm bracket protection PXL_20201004_190642173


Again, that may be the brackets on MY truck that were the issue @BlackDog
Your vertical edits look like mine, I think I need some of the horizontal editing. Thanks for the pics!
 

mx5red

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I don’t see how anyone can mount these without enlarging a bolt hole unless there are big differences in tolerances.
There was no geometry possible where mine would’ve bolted up with the stock holes.
Also, I had a really hard time keeping the control arms from pulling away so I could put the control arm bolt back in.
I tried drifting the bolt through with a big rod, but when I went to push the bolt back through the tapered end of the rod let the LCA move enough that the bolt wouldn’t follow. :headbang:
I tried putting a bar/screwdriver in as a lever but had a hard time moving them into position before the bar slipped out.
I tried ratchet straps, which wouldn’t pull hard enough. Plus, there’s not much to attach to.
I tried jacking various points, what seemed to work the best was a point far forward on the differential housing. This acted to tilt the differential up and push the LCA forward a smidge.

The first side I let the LCA drop which made starting the forward smaller bolt/nut easier, but then I couldn’t get my LCA bolt back in.
So the second side I tried the drift, but my tapered pry bar let it move before the bolt could go through so I still had trouble, and had a harder time reaching to start the forward bolt.:facepalm:
Btw the size wrenches I used were 14mm or 9/16, 21mm, and 24mm.
Jeep Gladiator Control arm bracket protection FE989A6D-3736-4D44-8AC7-E447E70B60F7
Jeep Gladiator Control arm bracket protection 4AF5F9B8-931B-4593-941B-75B3182003C5
Jeep Gladiator Control arm bracket protection 180759A7-DAE5-435C-A9F1-9170967D20F7
Jeep Gladiator Control arm bracket protection 064B5879-B8B0-4789-96ED-A1E00BF76DDA

Jeep Gladiator Control arm bracket protection 80241D4A-0314-4B04-9BDF-A20C703530F4
 
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hjdca

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Gmanjeeper

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@brianinca Have you had any luck with the Rock Hard LCA skids? Mine are just sitting in the garage collecting dust.
BlackDog, just got my Rusty’s LCA frame side skid plates. Have test fit Them and the holes appear to match although I have not taken out the LCA to make sure. I assume that once I get the LCA out of the way a wrench will fit on the inside nut in order to tighten them, correct? Also mine came bare steel. Will probably rattle can them. Did yours come bare? If so did you PC or RC them? Thanks
 

AmishMike

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Gmanjeeper, just prime and rattle can them. That way when you slide under after some trails, you can just rattle can them in place. I have a can of gloss black that I hit every undercarriage scrape with. Mine is a high pigment semi-industrial but Rustoleum would be just fine.
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