| |
Front Lower Control Arm
SPF1009K Bushing Install
1. Jack car up safely,
and put jackstands underneath vehicle.
2. Remove front wheels
(you may have to loosen off the lugnuts while the car
is still on the ground or have someone step on the brake
pedal while the front end is up in the air).
|
|
|
| |
3. Remove front lower splash
guard with 10mm socket. |
|
|
| |
4. Remove
left and right swaybar endlink nuts with 14mm socket.
|
|
|
|
| |
5. Remove TC Rod nuts
with 17mm socket.
|
|
|
| |
6. Remove strut to
spindle bolts with 17mm socket and 17mm wrench.
|
|
|
| |
8. Remove the cotter
pin. |
|
|
| |
9. Remove the ball
joint nut with a 22mm socket. |
|
|
| |
10. The ball joint
is a taper fit and requires a fair amount of force to
lift the spindle from the ball joint. Use a proper ball
joint tool or you can use a pickle fork and at least a
5 lb sledge hammer. Note ** If using a pickle fork, prior
to whacking away, ensure you put both strut to spindle
bolts back in and tighten at least one of them. Otherwise,
your control arm and spindle will flop around and you
will have a difficult time popping the spindle off the
ball joint. |
|
|
|
| |
Note: If you are intending
to reuse your stock control arm, we highly do not recommend
using a pickle fork, as it creates undue stress and strain
on the front lower ball joint and boot. If you are just
replacing the arms, then it is fine.
|
| |
11. Loosen off the
inner control arm bolt with a 17mm socket and 17mm wrench. |
|
|
| |
12. Hang the spindle assembly back up
to the strut or wire it to prevent brake hose damage.
|
| |
13. Repeat for other side. |
|
|
| |
Next,
soak the arms in a bucket of very hot water for 10-15
minutes. This will help the metal-encased stock bushings
to release from the arm easier in the press. If you are
pressed for time or water, you can lubricate the arms
up with WD40 or solvent, but this is a messier method.
|
| |
14. Install control arm in shop press
and use dies to push out stock control arm bushing as a
whole. (note – use a block of wood to support the
control arm while pushing out the bushing. Otherwise you
may crush the control arm from the force needed to remove
the bushing.) The front lower control arm bushing is a one
piece unit with the center crush tube and rubber molded
together. |
|
|
|
| |
15. This is what the bushing looks like
after being pushed out. |
|
|
| |
16. Insert the metal outer shell into
the arm and press into the arm (make sure you put your block
of wood to prevent the arm from being crushed). |
|
|
| |
17. Apply supplied grease to inside of
metal outer shell to aid in sliding the urethane bushing
in place. |
|
|
| |
18. Press urethane bushing into outer
shell. |
|
|
| |
19. Lube urethane bushing with grease
and push center metal crush tube into the bushing. |
|
|
|
| |
20. Repeat steps 4-19 for other side
arm |
|
|
| |
21. Lubricate the front control
arm inner bolt well with anti-sieze compound along the bolt
length and the threads. (we have found that over time, these
bolts will start to rust and have come across some so rusted
and galled we have had to torch them out). Remember, Never
Sieze is your friend. “ANTI-SIEZE IS YOUR FRIEND”
. (repeat this mantra 2-3 times each day when working on
your car) Finallly, torque this nut to 65-80 ft/lbs. |
| |
22. Lubricate the control
arm ball joint with anti-sieze and thread the nut on by
hand. Torque down nut with 22mm socket. |
| |
23. Install supplied cotter pin. |
|
|
| |
24. Install lower strut to
spindle bolts (after lubricating with anti-sieze) and torque
to 84-98 ft/lbs. (Note** If you have camber
bolts, an alignment will be required) |
| |
25. Re-install TC Rod, making
sure you lubricate front bolts and threads with anti-sieze.
Torque bolts to 65-80 ft/lbs. |
| |
26. Re-install swaybar endlinks.
Make sure you do not overtighten the links and squash the
rubber/urethane endlink donuts. You want it snug but not
binding and compressing. |
| |
27. Install supplied grease
zirk fitting on bottom of control arm ball joint. Don’t
overtigten. Grease up ball joint with any good lithium or
moly based grease. We at PDM Racing now grease all of our
control arms before they leave our store. |
| |
28. Re-install lower splash
guard, install wheels and torque lugnuts to 75 ft/lbs (again,
putting anti-sieze compound on the wheel lugs). |
| |
29. Check all nuts and bolts for proper
tightening. |
|
|
| |
30. Lower car and have alignment done
if needed. |
|
|
| |
|
