Bent UMI TA Diff bracket
01-03-2008, 07:33 AM
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Bent UMI TA Diff bracket I recently bought a used torque arm from another member on here and discovered that it has a bent bracket that attaches to the rear differential and it doesn't fit my stock casing. I've agreed to try to straighten it out and was planning to use my 4-ton floor jack since it will fit between the brackets. But before I go that route, since I have concerns about unduly stressing the thick metal and weakening it, I thought I'd ask for recommendations on the best method for attempting this. Would application of heat from a torch be ideal? I don't currently own one so it would have to go out for service work and presume the paint would be really messed up.
Recommendations on the best way to proceed are appreciated. Yes, I've submitted the question through the UMI website (yesterday) but haven't gotten any recommendations yet.
The first and third pictures are of the bent bracket "tab" while the second shows how straight the other part of the bracket is. Using the jack will put pressure on both tabs simultaneously, so I realize there's a danger the good tab will actually bend rather than the malformed one.
Recommendations on the best way to proceed are appreciated. Yes, I've submitted the question through the UMI website (yesterday) but haven't gotten any recommendations yet.
The first and third pictures are of the bent bracket "tab" while the second shows how straight the other part of the bracket is. Using the jack will put pressure on both tabs simultaneously, so I realize there's a danger the good tab will actually bend rather than the malformed one.
01-03-2008, 08:52 AM
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I would not heat it, bending it back cold maybe. It's peculiar
that it deformed like that, mine was a very tight flat fit (like,
use small sledgehammer and scrape the paint kind of tight).
Maybe it was used on an oddball pumpkin?
Thinking nice long piece of 2" iron pipe with holes to match
the flat, good bolts & washers, and grief on it like that. But
check the true dimension of the pumpkin bosses, you don't
want a sloppy fit.
Maybe UMI has head-ends as replacement parts, might see.
that it deformed like that, mine was a very tight flat fit (like,
use small sledgehammer and scrape the paint kind of tight).
Maybe it was used on an oddball pumpkin?
Thinking nice long piece of 2" iron pipe with holes to match
the flat, good bolts & washers, and grief on it like that. But
check the true dimension of the pumpkin bosses, you don't
want a sloppy fit.
Maybe UMI has head-ends as replacement parts, might see.
01-24-2008, 11:39 AM
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Thanks for the opinions on this; this is my follow-up tying the OP up.
After damaging a 4-ton jack we agreed to just replace the bracket. As appears to often be the case, UMI had very reasonable prices and were quite responsive. I would suggest, however, that UMI be forthcoming if something will have a lead time as I had inferred that the part would be shipped out same day or next. Turned out to be about half a week or more, which wasn't really an issue but the lack of info was an annoyance to an otherwise pleasurable transaction.
The '02 T/A had very serious wheel hop and after conversing with Sam Strano I decided that starting with the TA was the best option. Huge thanks to Sam for having the patience and skill to describe the wheel hop situation and ask some hard questions to draw me to my own conclusion. Blackbird (I think) had some great write-ups here that helped a great deal too, so thanks to him as well.
The installed TA stopped entirely the wheel hop in a straight line and greatly improved the hop in turns. Since we got some LCAs those are going on to see if they complete the remediation of the wheel hop.
While reviewing the improvement with the install of the TA I noted that our stock wheels/tires rub the front wheel wells on our stock height car and its worse going in reverse and the further you drive it and harder you turn it. Not sure yet if this is suspension or something I'll need to deal with in the Wheel forum but I'll poke around a bit.
After damaging a 4-ton jack we agreed to just replace the bracket. As appears to often be the case, UMI had very reasonable prices and were quite responsive. I would suggest, however, that UMI be forthcoming if something will have a lead time as I had inferred that the part would be shipped out same day or next. Turned out to be about half a week or more, which wasn't really an issue but the lack of info was an annoyance to an otherwise pleasurable transaction.
The '02 T/A had very serious wheel hop and after conversing with Sam Strano I decided that starting with the TA was the best option. Huge thanks to Sam for having the patience and skill to describe the wheel hop situation and ask some hard questions to draw me to my own conclusion. Blackbird (I think) had some great write-ups here that helped a great deal too, so thanks to him as well.
The installed TA stopped entirely the wheel hop in a straight line and greatly improved the hop in turns. Since we got some LCAs those are going on to see if they complete the remediation of the wheel hop.
While reviewing the improvement with the install of the TA I noted that our stock wheels/tires rub the front wheel wells on our stock height car and its worse going in reverse and the further you drive it and harder you turn it. Not sure yet if this is suspension or something I'll need to deal with in the Wheel forum but I'll poke around a bit.