So I just got new aftermarket rear lca's for CIVIC 88-95 / INTEGRA 90-01, my car being a 94 integra.
Did the install myself, but noticed that the passenger side lca does not line up with the strut bolt, and the driver side lca does not line up with the bolt closest to the wheel.

I have tried jacking various parts of the lca/wheel/strut/frame to try and line up the holes, but the lcas will just not line up. Looking at the stock lcas, there is a slight bend in the lca farthest from the wheel, whereas this bend isn't present on the aftermarket lcas. I believe this to be the problem.

Are these supposed to bolt right up, or did I somehow get the wrong set of lcas?

 

Pics. I don't see how they cannot line up.

 

i thought that pictures would have been difficult to display this problem, so i took a video. Its uploading now, will update when posted.

To explain, the holes in the lcas for the bolts just simply don't all line up. like it sits at a weird angle, and its extremely hard to move the lca when more than 1 bolt is attached, and all 3 have not been able to line up with only 1 bolt attached. I don't understand it, and the only thing I can think of is because the OEM lcas have the slight curve in them, whereas these aftermarket ones don't

 

Maybe if you stated WHAT LCAs you are talking about.

 

It's because the shocks and bushings on the other arms put forces on the LCAs causing them to twist out of position. If you tried putting the stock arms back on you would probably face a similar problem.

You're going to have to jack up various parts of the suspension and push and pull on things to get it to work. I recommend installing the RTA and shock bolts first and then trying to jack the inner end of the LCA into the subframe.

 

I am talking about the aftermarket rear LCAs
Heres a vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoiyVhLYjms

 

See post #5.

 

The stock arms line up perfectly, I tried just before installing the second lca.

I've also tried going from out to in, and trying to jack up the lca into the frame. The thing is, is that when I bolt the bolt closest to the wheel, and then the strut bolt, the lca doesn't line up directly below the frame bolt clip, its like 1-2 inches to the left (if looking from the side of the car in), and its really hard to push it while it is jacked up.


The pushing and pulling on various parts of the suspension hasn't seem to provide much results, but I was just told to do this by another person, so it seems it may be the solution. The problem im having with this, is that when I push and pull on various parts, either 1 of the bolts line up and the others don't, or one side of 1 bolt lines up, but the otherside of that bolt is only half lined up, and even slight adjusting seems to reverse the problem.

 

Yeah that looks familiar lol

On the passenger side the spring is extended and it won't fit for that reason. If the suspension is completely installed the springs will be compressed a little. All you need to do is jack up the shock on the side with the welded nut until the hole lines up. Then you should be able to get the bolt through.

On the driver side you just need to jack up the bottom of the LCA where it attaches to the RTA. Again your problem is that the spring is pushing the LCA down.

Although I think it's ususally easiest to install the bolts in this order:

Outer (RTA)
Shock
Inner (subframe)

It's because your leverage against the spring is best if you save the inner bolt for last.

 

You might have to do some serious pushing and pulling. I can tell from your vid that you are very close and that it will fit. Those LCAs aren't doing anything a stock LCA wouldn't do.

Until I got a system down I used my jack handle to pry the suspension around where I needed it.

 

This is what I have been trying the last 2 days. It hasn't helped me yet because when I do try to jack various parts of the suspension, the entire suspension moves with the jack. Like if I only jack up the strut from the nut part, the lca still jacks up with it, as well as the wheel.

The closest i've gotten to getting all 3 lined up was starting in-out, and just forcing the wheel onto the lca. This only results in one side of the wheel bolt lining up, while the other side only half lines up. From this point, from what I've tried, nothing shifts the other side without shifting the side that is already lined up. I've tried kicking the wheel around, hammering various parts, and jacking various parts.


It seems like its going to need to be a team effort of pushing and pulling.



"Those LCAs aren't doing anything a stock LCA wouldn't do."

I understand this, and I really don't mind, I just wanted something I could do myself that would add aesthetics, especially after getting a b20z-v swap done by a shop.

 

Um. Take the friggin' wheels off the car! It makes ALL the difference. The coilover is the LAST thing you should be bolting up IMO.

 

^^this

Also try hammering. Somtimes the LCA will catch -- for example it likes to catch in the RTA. Hammering down on the RTA or up on the LCA will let it move through, especially if you have force applied elsewhere.

For example to get it into the RTA in your situation I would jack up the shock a bit so that you've got the forces working in your favor. I would then pry the RTA aft and hammer the LCA up.

 

I had to use a scissor jack, a hammer and a block of wood to persuade these things to go where I wanted.

 

Edit again, these are "quality" BWR'S

 

I had the wheels off when I was installing them. Put the wheels back on so I could use the car again, as it got late at night, and I don't have a garage, so I didnt want to just leave the car like that


Yea, I'm going to give it another go this thursday or friday, tomorrow (wednesday) may or may not be busy for me. Going to throw everything (all these suggestions) at it all day until it gives way. Last resort would be to take it to my local mechanic and see if he will help me out for cheap.

 

The method of lining up the rear control arm is inside loosely, then shock bolt, then jack up the suspension til its off the jackstand (the other side needs to be on jackstands as well!), then you maneuver the trailing arm into the outside bushing. If you need to move the lca forward or back to line it up, then just slide the jack as needed. It may take a bit more coaxing but it should line up easiest this way.

Its also convenient this way because now with the suspension fully loaded, you should tighten all the bolts. Failure to do this means ripped suspension bushing. So don't tighten bushings unloaded.

The S bend in the oem control arm is nothing, most have that standard, there's no official reason. Just conjecture.

 

The method I used made it more beneficial to bolt up the coilovers LAST. It was easiest to loosely bolt up the inner then out bolts for the LCAs then the coilovers. While the car is still in the air you can still preload the suspension using a jack and torque bolts to spec. For me a scissor jack made it far easier to get the suspension "loaded" at the height it would be as if it were sitting on the ground. I just see more difficulty trying to tighten bolts while a car is on the ground. I also don't see how it would be easy to manuever suspension parts that have been jacked up into the air.

 

Pry bar ( big one) and a lift. See that in my shop very often. Got to make them line up

 

also make sure your car is on level ground

 

k, read thread.. take a ruber mallet, jack up the lca at the mid point a bit(i hope all four sides are jacked with tires under the car just incase as well)

wack the ****ing **** out of that bolt... prob 1/2 push on the jack stand under each lca, maybe even 1/4th

 

good info here.. I'm going to preload with a scissor jack as well. I'm hoping my lca bolt wont be a bitch since I last touched it 2 years back gonna start spraying it with some PB blaster

 

PB blaster works wonders. Just spray the nut side heavily (not the head side), and wait like 10 minutes. go back and spray again wait like 10, then go under the car with a 14mm wrench, attach it, and then set yourself sideways, and kick the **** out of the wrench in the "off" direction. Worked first time for me.


On that note, I finally got all 3+1 (tie/sway bar) bolts installed. It feels great to have it done, have not yet driven around with it, but doubt it will make a diff.


Thanks to all the help, the prying and jack suggestions really did it for me :D