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Did They Install My Upper Control Arms Backwards?!!

Dibbons

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La Paz, B.C.S., Mexico
Look at the fotos and tell me it isn't so. The upper bump stop looks like it is going to hit in the wrong place:

DSC06383.JPG DSC06384.JPG DSC06385.JPG DSC06386.JPG
 
Yes those are installed either upside down or they installed the left one on the right side and flipped it over. Had the same thing happen to me with a local shop. After driving only 5 miles I heard something and part of the UCA got gouged. Now I research and double check all shop done work upon completion. Good catch on your part!
 
IDIOTS! Did they align it also? Impossible to get that right with the arms on the wrong side.

The correct installation is almost self explanatory if you spend minute and look at the suspension, Drunk? Tired? In a hurry? No excuse, how many other jobs are fubar at this place?

That’s very hard on the upper ball joint, look at the angle.

Was this a shop or a backyard guy? Never go back there regardless. That guy should be cleaning bathrooms instead of wrenching.
 
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It is not possible to install them upside down but it sure is possible for someone to have them on the wrong side.
A guy I know....He is actually a genuine "Rocket Scientist" (Aerospace Engineer) Had his car on jackstands at his place when I went over to buy an intake manifold. There sat a 70 HEMI Challenger of his, he was just finishing up with the front end rebuild. His UCAs were on the wrong side. He seemed insulted when I told him.
The ball joint top is supposed to sit level when the UCAs are installed right. The forward UCA mount sits about 1 1/4" higher than the rear mount as part of the "Anti-Dive". Because of this, the outer tip of the UCA and ball joint threads and mount are tilted to sit nearly level. When they are installed backwards, the tops of the ball joints are severely angled to the point of danger. I would not drive far or stress the suspension un til they are swapped back to the correct positions.
 
3rd picture look at shock the flat area looks like where the bumper should hit.
 
We switched the upper control arms side to side, now that's better.

BUT ...

In the meantime, another problem arose, the rubber bumpers on the lower control arms appeared to be on wrong. There is a gentle slope on one side of the bumper, and a sharper slope on the other. But the new bumpers were installed with the locating lug in the correct hole. So what could possibly be wrong? I took a foto of the original bumper still installed so I was sure something was up (first foto).

We removed both of the new bumpers to find the locating lugs were manufactured on the wrong end. Factory bumper on the left and "new" bumper on the right (second foto). Communist China again?

Going to have to reinstall the old factory correct bumpers!

DSC06360.JPG DSC06387.JPG
 
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This work being performed at a Mexican repair shop. I guess I better stick to buying just tacos here and doing all the automotive work myself.
 
I have never noticed the lower bumpstops to have a dowel on the bottom, only the threaded 3/8" mounting stud.
regardless, I would expect the steeper sloped side to be toward the engine as shown in the picture of the LCA.
 
This work being performed at a Mexican repair shop. I guess I better stick to buying just tacos here and doing all the automotive work myself.
That is funny....BUT I would think the same thing can happen anywhere that you take the car....IF the tech is not familiar with these cars.
 
This work being performed at a Mexican repair shop. I guess I better stick to buying just tacos here and doing all the automotive work myself.
I thought all those years here you have figured that out by now, and most likely not a single guy in the mechanic shop have seen or work in a car like yours here in Mexico, next time told them this " fíjense bien no sean pendejos " am quite am shure they fix it for you free of charge, just point out their mistake, you know we are friendly people here.:thumbsup:
 
I noticed no cotter pins in the very ends of the front of the strut rods. Actually, I don't know what good cotter pins do being on the very end of the threaded portion, so far away from the nuts?
 
Split pins.. not cotter pins and yes it does seem odd and unnecessary, but how they were.
 
Whatever they are, do we need 'em? Looking up split pins on line definitons, they are described as the same as cotter pins. Maybe in Canada different terms are used?
 
They also go by roll pins
they can come loose and it will drive bad if nut falls off and you pull it out it will drive worse
 
That is funny....BUT I would think the same thing can happen anywhere that you take the car....IF the tech is not familiar with these cars.
When it happened to me it was a well known old school hot rod shop and the guy had 40 years experience. Still can’t figure out how he screwed it up.
Fast forward 3 years later and I changed LCA’s to Firm Feel and this time I took it to an even more well known and much respected suspension shop that has a 5 star rep. When the car came off the rack he told me he was able to get 5.5 degrees positive caster. Previously I had +4. I was surprised but drove it for a week and then had it into my number one shop for brakes and they showed me my car on a rack and pointed out that some of the adjustment bolts were loose on one side. Somehow the last shop had cheated to get more caster by not tightening everything up. WTF??! I couldn’t believe it. Had the alignment re-done with everthing tightened and +4.5 degrees was the most they could get.
Find a shop that does good work and stick with them, but the first visit you should check everything!
 
We switched the upper control arms side to side, now that's better.

BUT ...

In the meantime, another problem arose, the rubber bumpers on the lower control arms appeared to be on wrong. There is a gentle slope on one side of the bumper, and a sharper slope on the other. But the new bumpers were installed with the locating lug in the correct hole. So what could possibly be wrong? I took a foto of the original bumper still installed so I was sure something was up (first foto).

We removed both of the new bumpers to find the locating lugs were manufactured on the wrong end. Factory bumper on the left and "new" bumper on the right (second foto). Communist China again?

Going to have to reinstall the old factory correct bumpers!

View attachment 767502 View attachment 767503

Is there a right and a left on these?
 
The rubber bumpers are built both the same. When installed, the locating pins go toward the outside of the lower control arms so they match up with the bump area correctly and so they fall in the factory holes that they fit into.
 
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