Installed LCA relocation brackets, not centered
Thats exactly what I was thinking. The bolt in ones have no forward or backwards movement when tightened because it bolts to the shock mount. The shock mount prevents any fore-aft movements.
So I called Jerry at UMI and tried to explain this to him. He told me to try this:
1) Support the car by the frame to allow the axle to be unloaded a tad. The directions say to have the suspension loaded, I think??
2) Then support one side of the axle at a time, which ever one I'm going start with. Disconnect the shock.
3) Loosen all the bolts and re-install the LCA into the stock location to relocate the axle to stock position.
4) Disconnect the LCA from stock position making sure the axle doesn't move and install the bracket with the top bolt only.
5) Swing the LCA into the lowest position and rotate the bracket so the bolt slides in freely.
6) Tighten the top bolt first and shock mount last. This is opposite from the directions that came with the brackets.
I told him that the method of installation has nothing to do with the positioning of the bracket since it can only go in one way. It has to be bolted tight to the shock mount so can someone explain to me how can loading/unloading the axle or the bolt tightening sequence makes a difference in the position of these brackets?
I followed the directions sent with my umi relocation brackets. Everything is solid though, there is really no way to install them wrong... they're either on or they aren't, not really any room for adjustment.
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From: Summerville, SC
Me too. It says that the holes are in the right position for stock length LCA's, but it doesn't seem to be the case for any of us
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No these are not a bad batch! These have been the same design for awhile now. What makes your wheel off set is if you don't have the bracket set on the rear end to allow the LCA to swing into all three adjustment holes. Mount the bracket and put the LCA back into the stock location and then make sure that you can put the bolt in with ease and then relocate the LCA to the Lowest hole without moving the rear pivot the bracket not the rear. And if you can put the bolt in with ease that means the rear did not move and is still in stock location! If you have any other questions feel free to call into our tech department and they will be glad to help!
Thanks
Brad
Well I tried doing that and yes you can pivot the bracket forward you but you can NOT pivot the bracket backwards if its tight against the shock mount. Physically impossible.
The whole intent of the design is to prevent the bracket from pivoting backwards, right?
I talked with Jerry about this and he is willing to take a look at them to see whats wrong. On a side note, if I use the stock bolt to mount the bracket to the axle, the shock mount hole in the bracket is not even close to lining up with the shock mount hole on the axle. The only reason I was able to get them bolted up in the first place was because the supplied bolt was smaller than stock.
I sent a long email and pictures to the sales@UMI email address trying to explain this. Please let me know if you got it.
This is getting frustrating!!!!
The whole intent of the design is to prevent the bracket from pivoting backwards, right?
I talked with Jerry about this and he is willing to take a look at them to see whats wrong. On a side note, if I use the stock bolt to mount the bracket to the axle, the shock mount hole in the bracket is not even close to lining up with the shock mount hole on the axle. The only reason I was able to get them bolted up in the first place was because the supplied bolt was smaller than stock.
I sent a long email and pictures to the sales@UMI email address trying to explain this. Please let me know if you got it.
This is getting frustrating!!!!
Hello,
Just an update on the brackets and to help clear a few things up.
This install does appear to be very simple... but they can also easily hbe installed incorrectly moving the rear end. These brackets take some caressing at times because they fit tight... also installing them on the ground can get frustrating and difficult. We use a lift for the install, we loosen the other items that hold the rear end such as the shocks, sway bar end links and loosen the torque arm bolts.
Today 5/14 we received a set of brackets back that were claimed to be a defect. We inspected the brackets and all the dimensions were correct per the drawings. We pulled in my car and tested the brackets with a install. Following our procedure we installed the returned brackets. The brackets installed with out moving the rear end and everything lined up with in a 1/16th of an inch. The brackets were a 100% correct and fit good. Again the brackets are a little tricky and take some patience to insure all holes are correctly lined up. With working with GM tolerances there has to be some room to give... the shock mounts on the rear ends can vary slightly.
Hope that helps,
Ryan
Just an update on the brackets and to help clear a few things up.
This install does appear to be very simple... but they can also easily hbe installed incorrectly moving the rear end. These brackets take some caressing at times because they fit tight... also installing them on the ground can get frustrating and difficult. We use a lift for the install, we loosen the other items that hold the rear end such as the shocks, sway bar end links and loosen the torque arm bolts.
Today 5/14 we received a set of brackets back that were claimed to be a defect. We inspected the brackets and all the dimensions were correct per the drawings. We pulled in my car and tested the brackets with a install. Following our procedure we installed the returned brackets. The brackets installed with out moving the rear end and everything lined up with in a 1/16th of an inch. The brackets were a 100% correct and fit good. Again the brackets are a little tricky and take some patience to insure all holes are correctly lined up. With working with GM tolerances there has to be some room to give... the shock mounts on the rear ends can vary slightly.
Hope that helps,
Ryan
wow, I feel stupid now.
I lowered my car with DMS springs and ever since have felt like the car is just not safe to drive really hard, from a traction (not handling) point of view. I never knew I needed relocation brackets. I rarely take it out of the garage, but I'm very eager to install the relocation brackets and probably will do an on-car adjustable panhard at the same time.
I lowered my car with DMS springs and ever since have felt like the car is just not safe to drive really hard, from a traction (not handling) point of view. I never knew I needed relocation brackets. I rarely take it out of the garage, but I'm very eager to install the relocation brackets and probably will do an on-car adjustable panhard at the same time.
My problem is just the opposite of your car. On mine the I can barely get a finger in between the front of the driver's rear tire and the wheel well and just a little more than a finger in between the front of the rear tire and the wheel well on the passenger's side. The rear wheels are not centered in the rear wells at all. My car has relocation brackets and stock springs, shocks, and panhard bar. I do have a BMR adjustable torque arm however. How do I get this thing centered. Its way more off than the Trans Am shown.
Hello
I noticed that you are having problems with the Lower Control Arm Relocation Brackets. To make things a lot easier when you have a chance give our tech support a call and we will be more than glad to help!
Thanks
Brad
I noticed that you are having problems with the Lower Control Arm Relocation Brackets. To make things a lot easier when you have a chance give our tech support a call and we will be more than glad to help!
Thanks
Brad
Today 5/14 we received a set of brackets back that were claimed to be a defect. We inspected the brackets and all the dimensions were correct per the drawings. We pulled in my car and tested the brackets with a install. Following our procedure we installed the returned brackets. The brackets installed with out moving the rear end and everything lined up with in a 1/16th of an inch. The brackets were a 100% correct and fit good. Again the brackets are a little tricky and take some patience to insure all holes are correctly lined up. With working with GM tolerances there has to be some room to give... the shock mounts on the rear ends can vary slightly.
Hope that helps,
Ryan
Thank you, yes these were my brackets, and yes I had to return them because they would absolutely not fit right.
That last statement basically sums it up and was the case here. Not once did your sales guy or your tech support mention that this could be the problem. In fact I was told the opposite and that the rear ends were built on a jig and should be fairly close. Basically their tone of the conversations was that I was idiot and installed them wrong.
Just for future reference the installation procedure tech support told me to use was the opposite from the directions that came with the brackets. I told this to tech support and they were going to look into it.
I guess the issue is, if that shock mount is welded on the axle at slightly the wrong angle, these brackets are not going to fit correctly regardless of the install procedure used because they are not that complicated to install. That is not UMI's fault. I have a number of other UMI parts on my car and everyone has fit flawlessly and work great.
since there seems to be large discrepencies in the correct install procedures, maybe UMI should post the CORRECT procedures right here so all of us can be sure we are doing it correctly. I have loud clunks after installing mine.