How to install LCA Relocation Brackets

**JoshuaGrooms83** · 12-06-2010, 06:53 AM

This is a quick down and dirty how to for Bolt on Lower Control Arm Relocation Brackets.

YEs they are inexpensive and yes they are quick, but they are tricky.
Scale of 1-10 about a 5.

Taking apart the suspension is easy, is getting the brackets in around it all gets tricky.

PARTS NEEDED
LCA Relocation Brakets (bolton for this install) UMI, BMR, Founders Performance, they all are about the same form what ive seen. some hardwear may differ.

TOOLS
A lift makes this go by quick if you have access but jacking up the rearend on the frame will work too. High enough to get under.
Good set of Sockets, Ratches, wrenches, Prybar and a long srewdriver.
Impact wrech and air ratchet are make this easy too.

DISCONNECTION
Get you Brackets ready and make sure you have all your hardwear. YOur brackets should come with new hardwear.

Remove rear tires
Do one side at a time to keep the rear end from falling on you.

I started on the Passengers side
Disconnect the Shock from the axle
Disconnect the Lower control arm form the axle.
Theres a little bar supporting the Ebrake, diconnect that as well. (pass side)

the next hard part is that you have to spread the Brakeline support bracket apart abit. Dont get carried away cause you gotta put it back together.

First Slide the braket in between the brakeline braket and the axle on the outside and ensure the relo braket is over the hole where the shock bolt goes through. For now put the nut back on the shock for now but dont tighten it yet. You need wiggle room

SO... heres how i did it.
Starting from the OUTSIDE of the mounting point
bolt head -washer - Brake bracket - Relo bracket - axle - sleeve - axle - brake braket - relo bracket - washer - nut.....
you get that lol Simply put, the part with the flare on it goes on the outside of the relo braket.

The next part is getting the bolt through ALL the holes lol.
This requires patience, a hammer and small prybar or big flattip screwdriver.
Slowly work the new bolt from the outside in, and line up all the holes as you tap and puch it through. Its a pain. you have a bunch of holes to line up on one bolt.

After that its smoothe sailing lol.
Tighten the shock bolt, Swing the LCA back into place, start with the lower set of holes. Then if needs be later move it up to the next ones.
Tighten up the Upper and bolt holding everything together and tighen up the LCA bolt.

Now for the Driverside.
All steps are the same just flip flopped. Minus there isnt a Ebrake support bar to remove.
Double check your work and make sure everythings tight.
Take your time and in no time your Relocation brakets will be in. Took me About an hour. I was doing a PHR at the same time.

Let me know if i missed anything. If you need more pictures dont hesitate to ask. I work at a shop and have easy access to lifts

Even if i didnt i still have easy access to a lift, Military posts are so nice with there auto craft shops and their supply of lifts

Side note.. If you dont want to get all into the bracket part, you can cut part of it off, but my installs will emphasize the least amount of Hammering, Cutting, or Welding to do as possible.

For the cutting, you will cut off the braket braket that goes around axle portion. the outside portion of it (outside relitive to the vehicle) will be left to be bolted on.

**CaliCruiser** · 12-06-2010, 02:36 PM

I'm looking at getting the UMI bolt-ins for the stock LCA. I don't race the car but was wandering if I should still get LCARB? The SS is 1" lowered.

**sjgreen6** · 12-06-2010, 03:58 PM

Good rundown. I've got a set that I picked up this summer but haven't installed. I've heard that these brackets are important for lowered cars but how much good are they on a WS6 that is still at the stock suspension height?

**35th-ANV-SS** · 12-06-2010, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by sjgreen6

Good rundown. I've got a set that I picked up this summer but haven't installed. I've heard that these brackets are important for lowered cars but how much good are they on a WS6 that is still at the stock suspension height?

Aftermarket LCA relocation brackets will improve traction, on a lowered car or stock height.

On a lowered car they are more important because by lowering you've changed your suspension geometry and have raised your instant center.

After installing mine (welded on), with new LCA's and SFCs, my car was a totally different machine. It no longer got squirly during hard shifts and the power was planted where it needed to be, the ground!

**sjgreen6** · 12-07-2010, 04:20 PM

Thanks! Sounds like I'll be putting mine on soon.

**sjsingle1** · 12-09-2010, 06:50 PM

that looks like a base auto hobby shop

**JoshuaGrooms83** · 12-09-2010, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by sjsingle1

that looks like a base auto hobby shop

lol yeah. It the Bamberg Auto Skills Center. I work there so i have access to lifts.... all the time

and tools, so yeah, im only limited to ehat i can do and how much money i got

**sjgreen6** · 12-12-2010, 10:54 AM

Wow!! I didn't even look at the shop. I did some work on my 1971 LeMans there in 2001 while I was with the 793rd MP. Small world.

**JoshuaGrooms83** · 12-12-2010, 11:19 AM

lol wow. yeah i was in my junior year of HS then. I joined the Army in 2002 lol was Bill still there?

**sjgreen6** · 12-12-2010, 05:02 PM

Can't say that I remember any names. I was working in Bamberg for about a year and had my car at the craft shop about two times to change oil. Everyone got a kick out of my car in Germany. It was a '71 LeMans Sport, black with honeycomb wheels and a factory 455 D-port.

I frequently had some really cool euro supercars blow by me on the Autobahn then you'd see the tail come up as they hit the brakes hard to slow down to see what the heck they just passed.

**JoshuaGrooms83** · 12-12-2010, 09:08 PM

lol yeah i get passed all the time on the autobahn too lol i dont dare go past 110mph yet on the autobahn. Need new shocks first. Plus i think my hood is causing some "lift" issues as well. The "ram air" is raming air THREW my hood and out the cowl area. It cracked all the way across by where the base of the windshield meets it. Kinda pisses me off cause when i go over 45 mph it can lift up anywhere fomr an 1" to a good 2"s. Definatly considering a new carbonfiber hood right about now lol painted of course

**RyanJM** · 12-12-2010, 10:45 PM

I have the UMI lca brackets and bars plus the panhard have to say it was one of the easiest suspension mods to do and helps a lot.

**JoshuaGrooms83** · 12-13-2010, 02:39 AM

I used founders performance. THey were alittle cheaper. I figure id give them a try too. Founders Performance i believe are new to the ls1 scene. but they look like they are making decent parts.

**homickb** · 01-10-2011, 03:49 PM

has anyone tried to use the lca relocating brackets on an aftermarket rear end? like a moser 12 bolt for example

**Demon_Z28** · 01-10-2011, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by JoshuaGrooms83

I used founders performance. THey were alittle cheaper. I figure id give them a try too. Founders Performance i believe are new to the ls1 scene. but they look like they are making decent parts.

I have the founders performance LCA relocation brackets as well. I just bent my Parking brake cable bracket out of the way lol.

**Demon_Z28** · 01-10-2011, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by homickb

has anyone tried to use the lca relocating brackets on an aftermarket rear end? like a moser 12 bolt for example

No, most of the time a Moser will have pre-welded LCA brackets on it that will lower the LCA's up to 3". If not then you have to buy them for the Moser 12 bolt.