Cut muffler to remove control arm bolt??

[jeep_boss]

I may as well make this its own thread instead of hikacking my other one...

Another dilemma with my Jeep. I can not remove the rear passenger side upper control arm bolt, due to my muffler being in the way. Even with the hangers disconnected, doesn't buy me enough room to pull it out.

That said, should I:

1. Cut the bolt and replace it with a shorter bolt that is just long enough to support the nut?
2. Cut into my muffler ends to make room (I don't know how I feel about doing this, it'd look like shit and possibly affect the acoustics of my exhaust)
3. ?

 

[jeep_boss]

 

[xackley]

i would cut the bolt and get the right sized grade 8 bolt and nut for a buck to 2.

 

[Chris]

i would cut the bolt and get the right sized grade 8 bolt and nut for a buck to 2.

X2, that's what I would do too.

Are those bolts you have on there too long to begin with @jeep_boss?

 

[bobthetj03]

Cut it or drop the exhaust.

 

[jeep_boss]

X2, that's what I would do too.

Are those bolts you have on there too long to begin with @jeep_boss?

Man I have no idea. I would have thought that they were the original bolts from the RE lift kit - I never took them out prior to my attempt last night. The rear UCA bolt is 15MM, but this bastard takes a 17MM.

I don't have a lot of room to play with in getting one in there. I'm coming up short by 1/2", so it's pretty risky cutting it out!

 

[jchadscud]

It doesn’t look like it from the pic, but is it possible to insert the bolt from the other side? If so, you could cut that one out and insert a new on from the other side.

 

[jeep_boss]

It doesn’t look like it from the pic, but is it possible to insert the bolt from the other side? If so, you could cut that one out and insert a new on from the other side.

Nope - the frame is in the way

 

[jeep_boss]

Took the easy way out

 

[bobthetj03]

Looks like you didn't have to remove much, bonus!

 

[jeep_boss]

Looks like you didn't have to remove much, bonus!

I got kinda lucky - had to angle my angle grinder in there just right to make contact - it BARELY fit and I almost took off a finger in the process.

 

[Chris]

There ya go, I see nothing wrong with doing it that way!

 

[jeep_boss]

There ya go, I see nothing wrong with doing it that way!

The rear driver's side UCA was a different story. My coil spring was right in the way, couldn't get it to move anywhere out of the way - so sadly, I had to cut it

 

[Chris]

So were the bolts much longer than they needed to be or something? I'm asking because I never had this issue at all when I installed my Currie arms.

 

[jeep_boss]

So were the bolts much longer than they needed to be or something? I'm asking because I never had this issue at all when I installed my Currie arms.

I wound up sizing the "correct" bolts for my lift to M10 x 80mm (or 75mm if you can find them). I actually bought M10 x 70mm's because that was all that I could get my hands on yesterday to the closest size. I was able to get 4 full turns on it, but the nut isn't seated all the way with the 70mm's (although I remember the rule taught to me by a master mechanical engineer years ago that being that 3 full threads will give you adequate strength on a nut+bolt such as the 1.50 pitch I'm using).

I'm running down to my local screw shop to get 80mm's in a few minutes!