Aftermarket control arm installation
 

Do I need air for this? Who's done it?

I have the great 1 1/2 car apartment garage, but also the problem of blowing breakers with my compressor, and then watching people trying to get in to their garages. Although, it was pretty funny the next morning... The extension cord from the third floor is amusing, (If I blow a breaker, I can trip it from my apartment...) but If I don't need air, it is so much easier, since the 75 foot of cord I need drains so much power out, the circuit blows constantly.

Is this fairly straightforward and simple? The only problem with buying the U/L kit cheap at an NMRA event is that they take the directions out of the box... I guess I could just start unbolting stuff, but I know that people who have done this before know which parts to take off when to avoid stupid fiascos...

Thanx!

If you're talking about rear upper and lower control arms, it's not tough. If you have a big ratchet handle to break stuff loose, it's no biggie. Jack the car up (pretty high), and set some jack stands just forward of the lower control arm mounts on the frame of the car. Then, You have to unbolt the sway bar first. Then I would suggest putting a jack under the differential and supporting it, then unbolt the shocks from the rear end. Lower the rear end until the tires sit on the ground. Then put a jack under one of the lower control arms near the spring perch and support the weight, then unbolt the rear control arm bolt from the rear end and lower the control arm SLOWLY and let the spring decompress all the way. Do the other side, then once the springs are out, it's cake, just unbolt all of the control arm bolts and put the new control arms in (maybe do one at a time so the rear end stays put). You might not even have to unbolt the shocks, but I would. Be really careful with the springs. To put them back in you will probably be able to just put the front bolt in the control arm and set the spring on the perch and line up the top and jack it back up into place. Good luck man.

Thanks, Mike-

would you recommend me having two jacks handy?

Thanx again

Oops- forgot a few more things- when I unload the springs, are they going to pop out at me? On reinstallation, where should they point? And I don't need the quad shocks anymore, right?

Thanx!

I would keep the quad shocks. Even though your control arms will be more stiff, they'll still help. Unless you got some of those crazy control arms without the rubber/polyurethane bushings (the ones with the brass or other metal bushings) Anyway, two jacks would help, but you could probably get it with just one. You'd need two jack stands to set the car on. The springs shouldn't pop out at you if you give them enough height to decompress and lower them slowly. I can't remember if the springs can go in a wrong way (rotated wrong) but pay attention to that when you take them out. I know the bottom is flat, but i'm not sure about the top. Anyway, good luck, if you have any probs, post up on here and we'll give you a holla.

Thanks for all your help, I'll let you know how things go this coming weekend...