ok, so i just got done putting my new springs on in the rear. it was a piece of cake. however, i moved on to the driver's side front wheel, and got the new spring on there, but now i can't get my lower control arm to bolt back up to its mount. i spent two hours just trying to get that right, but no luck. i'm calling it a night, but i hope there will be some advice for me in the morning.

i'm sure a lot of you guys have put your suspension on yourself, so if you have ANY advice whatsoever, i'd greatly appreciate it!


Modified by seeaclearerskyxx at 4:41 PM 5/17/2006

 

You LCA wont slide on to the balljoint or the chassis?? My other question is why would you take your LCA off if your only doing springs?? you only need to remove it from the balljoint and then lower it. If you could take a picture of exactly what you are talking about it would help alot.

 

i took it off because i didn't know what i was doing. i was unable to remove the lca from the balljoint, so that's why i removed it from the chassis. what's happening is that it seems like it's just not long enough anymore to reach the chassis mount.

 

do you have a floor jack? use it to compress the suspension, and it will help align the bushings so you can get the bolt through.

 

man, i tried that so many times last night...but i'm not giving up (haha...obviously) i'm going to borrow a friend's spring compressors and go ahead and mount the strut so it's out of the way. any more advice?

 

bolt the shock to the lca last. (in this case)


Modified by rsca_crx at 8:46 AM 5/17/2006

 

yeah...because that would only add more force pushing the lca down and away from the chassis mount. this **** sucks...wanted to finish last night

 

I always just remove the UCAs and then you can get everything right on out. Just remove the 2 17mm nuts on top of the strut towers.

 

Classic case of if you don't know what your doing, don't do it or ask first!!!

Now your in a pickle. Thing you can do. Take the whole knuckle out and take off the LCA, then put it back in. You can also pushing the steering in on that side and making sure the strut isnt bolted on, you should be able to push it in. It won't be easy, and they are a pain to take out too.

How can you not pop out the balljoint, a hammer and a few good swings usually takes car of everything.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rsca_crx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">bolt the shock to the lca last. (in this case)</TD></TR></TABLE>

best advice in this thread. and yet you dismiss it??

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by seeaclearerskyxx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yeah...because that would only add more force pushing the lca down and away from the chassis mount. this **** sucks...wanted to finish last night </TD></TR></TABLE>

you didnt need to take off the LCA in the first place to install springs.

 

i never unbolt the LCA when it comes to front suspension..i just use a jack to compress the assembly and push it over the arm..works everytime.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">best advice in this thread. and yet you dismiss it??
</TD></TR></TABLE>

i wasn't dismissing it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by CRXBart &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I always just remove the UCAs and then you can get everything right on out. Just remove the 2 17mm nuts on top of the strut towers.</TD></TR></TABLE>

ok, i've got the lca back on, and i unbolted the the upper control arm and now THAT won't go back in.

dumb question: could my axle have "come out" some?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by seeaclearerskyxx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

ok, i've got the lca back on, and i unbolted the the upper control arm and now THAT won't go back in.

dumb question: could my axle have "come out" some?</TD></TR></TABLE><TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by seeaclearerskyxx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

i wasn't dismissing it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

looks like you dismissed it again.

axle could easily not be fully seated in the tranny. or the inner cv joint could be totally separated at the bearings. who the hell knows, youre going about this completely the wrongway.

unbolt the lower shock fork bolt on the control arm. put all other bolts in, loosely. make sure the axle is all snug. then bolt the shock fork in again. jack the suspension up and then tighten all the bolts.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by seeaclearerskyxx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

ok, i've got the lca back on, and i unbolted the the upper control arm and now THAT won't go back in.

dumb question: could my axle have "come out" some?</TD></TR></TABLE>

it may have..when you did all this disasemble stuff was the axle still in the hub while you were pulling and pushing.??or did you hammer it out the hub??? if the axle did come out a bit from the tranny then its most likely ruined,,because you cant pull an axle out the tranny if you want to reuse it,,you pry it out....lets hope for the best though..

not to sound like an ******* or anything,,but you should invest in a helms manaual..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">looks like you dismissed it again.

axle could easily not be fully seated in the tranny. or the inner cv joint could be totally separated at the bearings. who the hell knows, youre going about this completely the wrongway.

unbolt the lower shock fork bolt on the control arm. put all other bolts in, loosely. make sure the axle is all snug. then bolt the shock fork in again. jack the suspension up and then tighten all the bolts. </TD></TR></TABLE>

i wasn't dismissing it once, twice, at all. my shock is NOT connected to the LCA. it wasn't at any of the times i have posted.

if my axle has "slipped" out of the tranny, what could i do to get it back in?

 

just push it back in.

did you even look?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Mr.speaker &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">it may have..when you did all this disasemble stuff was the axle still in the hub while you were pulling and pushing.??or did you hammer it out the hub??? if the axle did come out a bit from the tranny then its most likely ruined,,because you cant pull an axle out the tranny if you want to reuse it,,you pry it out....lets hope for the best though..

not to sound like an ******* or anything,,but you should invest in a helms manaual..</TD></TR></TABLE>

****.

i dont' think you're being an *******. you always give sound advice to other people with questions

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">just push it back in.

did you even look?</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah, i looked. i've just never done anything like this before.

 

holy christ... you unbolted the LCA from the chassis? then you unbolted the UCA?

hahahhaa, that sucks.

make sure the following has been done:
- Upper Control Arm (UCA) is bolted to the chassis
- UCA is bolted to the knuckle
- Lower shock fork is NOT bolted to the shock
- Lower shock fork is NOT bolted to the LCA
- LCA is bolted to the ball joint
- LCA is NOT bolted to the tension rod

Now that you have that... do this:
1. slide the LCA up towards the chassis
2. PUSH the knuckle towards the front of the car.
3. push the LCA into the chassis mount, while wiggling the knuckle towards the front of the car.
4. While doing this, have the bolt for the LCA handy to slide thru the LCA

Once you got that done, reinstall the tension rod to the LCA with the two 17mm bolts
then install the shock fork to the SHOCK!
using a jack, jack up the LCA to the shock fork, then bolt shock fork to LCA.


viola... you be done.


in the future, never unbolt the LCA from the chassis if you're swapping springs...

and definitely don't unbolt the UCA! hahhha

 

this isnt rocket science..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by shortyz21 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">this isnt rocket science.. </TD></TR></TABLE>


YES IT IS, POO HEAD!!!

Just kidding.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by seeaclearerskyxx &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

ok, i've got the lca back on, and i unbolted the the upper control arm and now THAT won't go back in.

dumb question: could my axle have "come out" some?</TD></TR></TABLE>

THat's what I was going to suggest. Since the LCA was unbolted and obviously pulled away from the car, the CV has no choice but to expand. It can only stretch so far before the bearings inside the inner boot come out of the output shaft that is supposed to turn them. WHen the bearings are taken out of the output shaft, they are free to slide off the little poles that they are sitting on. YOu might have to take off the boot and put a bearing ot two back where they belong. If you break the betal strap that is on there now (I have never removed a boot without breaking that damn metal strap) just use zip ties to put it back on. Make sure they are TIGHT though. GOod luck.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mikerbike &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

THat's what I was going to suggest. Since the LCA was unbolted and obviously pulled away from the car, the CV has no choice but to expand. It can only stretch so far before the bearings inside the inner boot come out of the output shaft that is supposed to turn them. WHen the bearings are taken out of the output shaft, they are free to slide off the little poles that they are sitting on. YOu might have to take off the boot and put a bearing ot two back where they belong. If you break the betal strap that is on there now (I have never removed a boot without breaking that damn metal strap) just use zip ties to put it back on. Make sure they are TIGHT though. GOod luck.</TD></TR></TABLE>

thanks so much, man! an old friend of mine (who works as a mechanic at a small shop here) is coming to help me out tomorrow. since i made this so much harder than it should have been

 

Sure thing guy. If I was in Georgia, I would have come over and helped you myself... So are you going to wait for your friend or try it yourself before he gets there? I suppose the hardest way to learn (Breaking things) is also the most effective. Haha. Good luck.