Hey guys, I am curious how to go about re-installing an overhauled front end suspension wise. I get how it all goes back together obviously. But Im afraid of tightening bushings or balljoints at the incorrect time and causing binding.

I have new oem upper control arms, new moog lca's, wheel bearing, moog lower ball joint, tie rods, new shocks and springs.

Also the upper ball joint, each side has a bolt that is INVISIBLE and I see no way to get a wrench on to tighten it while under load, hard to explain which bolt I mean, but each upper balljoint has 2.5" bolts and a nut underneath the body mount, I just dont get how youd get to the one side to hold it while tightening

 

For the upper control arm bushings, tighten them out of the car. Just set the arms close to the angle that they would be in the car.

For the rest:
Get all the bolts inserted all the way.
Back out at least 1/2 a thread.
"Load" suspension by using a jack under the LCA/lower ball joint.
Torque all bolts to proper spec.
Done.

The rear can be done with the tires on (All but the camber arms). Same as front, but just put the tires on and drop the car to the ground, then tighten all bolts. Or just use a jack to load the suspension. Either way.

 

^ Petty much what he said. Except a couple things:
1. "For the upper control arm bushings", I tighten them the to the same angel where I measured/eyeball them before taking them out of the car to replace the new bushings.
2. After "Get all the bolts and nuts inserted all the way, back out at least 1/2 a thread", reinstall all wheels without torquing nuts to spec.
3. Open both side doors. Get on each side and jump up and down about five times to resettle the suspension (mostly the shocks and springs). <A must to do step in my opinion.
4. Drive the car up the car ramps and torque every thing to spec.
5. If you don't have have the car ramps, tighten all nuts and bolts, take off one wheel at a time, jack up under the lower control arm (preperebably) and torque to spec.

 

Solid info guys! The UCA bolt was really baffling me on how to do it as proper as possible

 

Great info. Very informative, and a solid procedure for any car

Sent from my LG-P769 using IB AutoGroup

 

there are marks on the bushing casing and the arm that you are supposed to line up BEFORE installing the arm into the chassis. read the helms.

http://media.honda.co.uk/car/owner/m...H200/12-16.pdf

you can estimate the difference of a loaded and lowered car from here.

that being said, ive gotten a thin wrench up in there and tightened it while it was on the car before. not a big deal if you have a thin wrench.

 

Impossible with a straight thin wrench, would have to have some magical bends!

Im probably going to put it on the car and jack the lca, scribe the control arm and bolt head, remove, tighten, re-install.

Sounds like the best plan for me with my limited tools, and peace of mind

 

any takers on this job recently?