I bought Spohn LCA relocation brackets. I am just finished bolting up a new rear axel in my car. I am trying to install the relocation brackets but it is not working at all. Here’s what I did:

- The car is jacked up and resting on jack stands already from the new rear install
- The rear is completely bolted up
- I unbolted the passenger side LCA’s from the rear axel (the driver side LCA is still bolted up) and tried to position the LCA relocation bracket

The problem is the LCA relocation bracket is not swinging far enough forward so that the lower bolt holes on the relocation bracket line up with the LCA (the stock hole in the rear axel lines up perfectly). It is hitting the support for the shock.


I edited some picture I found on this site just as a reference. This is NOT my rear setup

 

try rounding that corner with a grinder. It wont hurt

 

Sounds like your shock bracket is bent...

Either bend it back to where it belongs; or cut or grind either the shock bracket or the LCA bracket until it fits.

I did not have that problem with my those.

 

Glad my pics were good for something!

Like the other gentlemen said, if your shock bracket is not bent, trim either piece to get it to fit. It should not cause any problems.

Good luck. Let us know how it turns out.

-Schultzy

 

Is it really possible that the shock-mounting bracket is bent that much on both sides? The tip of the bracket hits that red spot in the picture on both sides because the bracket cannot swing far enough forward. The more I look at other pictures the more I think something else is wrong; my shock-mounting brackets don’t look bent. Every picture I’ve seen of these things installed there was about Ľ to ˝ clearance between the bracket and the shock-mounting bracket. Mine seems to forward. Is it possible my rear geometry is way off or something weird like that?

 

You mentioned that you had just bolted up a new rear end. Where did the rear end come from (I know, I know, when a mommy rear end and a daddy rear end really love each other...).

What make model year? What rear end is it?

-Schultzy

 

My 9 bolt blew up so I build up a beefy 10-bolt. The 10-bolt was originally off a 91-92 RS.

 

This new Rear I put in is NO GOOD!!! I think it’s bent

Here’s how I come to the conclusion. I had to modify the housing a lot to get the bracket on the passenger side to work. The bracket would not go far enough forward. I think the housing is bent back on the passenger side. The driver side bracket I got to fit with no modification of the rear. After I drove the car for the first time this weekend with the new rear in the passenger side brakes where making A LOT of noise. The passenger side axel is bent. I determined this by putting the car on jack stands with the rear wheels off the ground and putting the car in drive at an idle. You can see the wheels wobble about a ˝ inch back and forth. You can also see the brake caliper moving in and out with the wobble.

So I got a rear with bent axels and probably bent housing. What a waste of $250 to setup the gears. I am a broke college student with no car until I can make some money.

 

Dude!! What a crock!

Oh well, at least you know what happened... sounds like the car got smashed in the boneyard, or wrecked hard on that side or something.

OBTW, I was up under my car last night, it looks EXACTLY like that pic as far as the bracket fit except for the details of how it's welded in, and the LCA (mine are Lakewood, that one looks like Spohn).

 

Sorry to hear about that man

Keep us informed of your progress.

-Schultzy

 

2 Questions:

Is there anyway to tell how much a rear end is bent?

Since I have to buy new axels are "Superior" brand axels any good?

 

It's pretty hard to tell without bolting it into a car.

Superior axles are some of the best; they're rolled splines instead of cut like all of the "custom" axle makers have to use, which means they're made onto the axles before heat-treating. That takes several days, usually around a week; if you can order axles and have them in less time than that, then they are weaker than the Superior ones. They're all about the same price, $250 a pair or so.

I believe if I was you, I'd get another housing at least rather than trying to fix that one.

 

Luke...got your message and I'll see what I can do.

I feel bad for the guy 'cause I gave him that rear. He traded me his broken 9 bolt for it. I just bought it off someone who had one for sale, you all know how it goes. It looked real clean too, but I guess it wasn't.

If you're sure the rear and the tubes are bent, looks like another rear is needed. Is it possible the axles are the only thing bent? These would be the first things to bend if the previuos owner hit a curb. This may be the case since you can see the wheels wobbling. Your housing may be fine, just need new axles. Try to take some measurements of the distance to each tube flange and see if they're close. Use a level and square, etc.

I'm stepping out in a bit to go see if I can scrounge you up another rear.

Ed

 

Well a bent axle wouldn't move a shock mount over in the way of the LCA bracket.... I'd be inclined to suspect a fornicated housing.

Sounds to me like that thing had a major incident since it last worked.