140K on the clock. Time to renovate the '02 KJ CRD

[indiedog]

I have a problem. The encased nut on the passenger side to fix the upper control arm to has come loose and is just moving around inside the casing. Is there an easy fix to this? Can it be accessed from inside the car on the rear passenger floor? I actually had this bolt in earlier but couldn't get the other side in so removed it to do it last as it's easier to get at. Looks like I now have to take the entire upper arm out again......

[bgbazz]

I think CRDJON might have the answer and solution to that.

[indiedog]

Originally Posted by bgbazz

I think CRDJON might have the answer and solution to that.

Have sent him a PM earlier and hoping he'll come to the rescue. Man, I can't believe that I just had this one bolt to put back in and that was it, all done. I called Hammonds and they said they've never had to deal with this issue. So I guess I'm special, and so is CRDJON.

[glend]

Not sure if CRDJON is around lately, I haven't heard from him by email is about a month.

Jon has (in the past) sent me some photos of the nut problem he had in that pocket. They are captive nuts but his had broken loose and he opened up the pocket to fix it. I'll try to find the emails from him on this subject and post some info up here.

OK, back again, I have found the emails from Jon with the photos. He did cut open the back side of the pockets to get to the nuts. If you PM me your email address I will forward them on to you asap. His fix seems to involve using steel epoxy to hold the nut in alignment. I guess the moral of the story is to be very careful in removing these so that they don't drop out of position and if you can avoid removing them that's even better (which would mean leaving those bushes alone, which is not a long term option).

[crdjon]

I had to rotate the captive nut in its cage 90 degrees after opening up the cage, looks like an OEM manufacturing error, you will understand if you open it up to look at, you can check if its not good if you have the arm out, put your finger on the nut from the outside, if you can move it laterally about 10 mm each way then your a candidate for t his fix.

When you see the nut, you will understand that the rotation of the nut at the back which is part of a rectangular base plate that after rotation it fits the captive housing quite snuggly.

I also bushed that darn great hole that the bolt goes through.

No need to overtighten to NOT get it to hold now, doh, just normal bolt tightening now, no movement, thumping, clunking or cracking, all fixed, from what I gather its one of those things that should be on a recall list.

Now all we need to do is redesign those junk bushings on the end of the upper suspension arms. I cant believe that such a cheap and crappy item is produced, and I dont think its all that safe either.

Damn, I just broke a string in my violin....... Ill be back

[bgbazz]

When you talk about bushing the darn big hole, are you talking about the one in the bushing itself?

[crdjon]

Nope, I mean bushing the darn big hole in the body of the KJ that the bolt goes through to meet up with the captive nut.

You can also make the bush protude up into the captive nut if you lik coz its domed in there a little bit, would help to keep it located a bit more securely as well. I used copper plumbing pipe stuffed into the centre of a thick rubber hose that fits into that hole, made bush a bit longer so it would compress up tight.

I also put epoxy steel on most of the length of the bolt coz I dont think its a good idea to have thread in a bushing surface of a bush as is found just about everywhere in these jeeps, too much thread all over the place.

Hope this helps.