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left lower control arm

B

bobdorit

CEG'er
Joined
Jan 4, 2008
Messages
132
Hi
every body
just a quick question If any body has chnged left lower four bolt control arm, I wonder can I pull the bolts out, without dismantling subframe?
I am thinking of unscrewing transmission and probably engine mounts and lifting the engine a little bit?
has any body tried this?
thanks
 
haynes manual vs. diy

haynes manual vs. diy

striker2 said:
yes you can raise the engine/trans to remove the bolts. thats exactly how i did mine.
Click to expand...
I have access to engine hoist, I looked at Haynes manual for lca replacement left side. I couldn't understand why you support with engine hoist. But lowered sub frame with floor jacks. So what needs to be disconnected to lift engine/trans on v6? I look in manual and see top left/passenger side mount, sub frame mount lower front, rear engine/trans mount, and a left engine/trans mount (I'm not sure where that is exactly). Does anything else need to be disconnected??? Do you need to go 4 inches high?
Have bad tire wear and shop says can't align without new bushings. They'll do them for $800. I'd like to get it done but rockauto.com has lower control arms for $36 each, thats more like it. But the left side replacement could get a little troublesome.
I'm wondering if bobdorit fixed his yet? How did it go?
 
striker2 said:
yes you can raise the engine/trans to remove the bolts. thats exactly how i did mine.
Click to expand...


its alot easier with the zetec ....



but honestly to drop the subframe its 4 bolts, the steering column linkage, the 2 ball joints and the roll restrictors ... it isn't that bad ...
 
lots of fun/money saved. 2 bolt control arm

lots of fun/money saved. 2 bolt control arm

did both sides yesterday. dropped sub frame some, loosened right side took out left ones. took out front engine mount bolts near radiator, loosened rear mount bolts. unhooked radiator after it was supported. jacked up engine/trans a little. then used pry bar (with good help) getting off was easy. but new one on was a wrestling match. on the left side had to put in front bolt first, then ball joint tightened, not to slip. then the last bolt is the back breaker. need to have a strong pin to get hole lined up. BUT IT"S DO ABLE....
the right side is easier, IF you keep the sub frame loose. I didn't (thinking it didn't matter) and fought an hour unsuccessfully to get. took a time out and wondered what the problem was, seemed harder than left side, for the last bolt. then I loosened sub frame and had it done in 15 minutes.
it was a hard fight but worth the $600 or so it would have cost. now to alignment and a couple tires that were ruined with less than 10k on them.....
 
Hi
I did both sides,
Right side: did not have much problem, just the bolt which is under the axle boot, by tilting the axle shaft (which I pushed it out from the hub) I removed the bolt.
Left side: unscrewed the transmission mount (after removing the air filter box,...) pushed the mount bolt out, and with the pry bar between transmission and subframe lifted the transmissin a little bit and removed the bolt, I had quite difficulty with the bolt under the axle boot as at this side I could not push the axle out of the hub, (No way I could do that!, I almost broke the hub puller and ruined the axle head!) anyway I had to remove the boots from transmission side then easily removed the bolt (I should have done it first!) then after installing put new clamp of the axle boot.
 
I did not loose sub frame at all
my car is four cyl,
but needed somebody help to keep the pry bar,
If all the thing are rusted (like mine!) each side takes almost one to two hours,
 
duh just cut the bolts and get new ones on a 4 bolt arm :)

glad you got it done though, isn't it so much better doing your own work, now with the money you saved you can buy a set of konis lol.
 
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