LCA-SRB wind-up???

dnsherrill

dnsherrill

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trying to avoid it...
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I'm putting front end back together: LCA, SRB's, sway bar links- (the UCA's and tie rod ends already put on)
the factory manual says (with car lifted) to loosely assemble: camber bolt, lower shock nut and srb/lca nut,
and to fully torque lower bj/spindle nut,
-then lower car and put weight on the wheels, push down/up on nose then tighten lower shock bolt, LCA srb nut and camber bolt with car on the ground
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does this sound right? how the heck do you tighten all those with the car on the ground? seems like you MUST lift it again
 
dnsherrill said:
trying to avoid it...
---
I'm putting front end back together (LCA, SRB's, sway bar links- UCA's and tie rod ends already put on)
the factory manual says (with car lifted) to loosely assemble: camber bolt, lower shock nut and srb/lca nut,
and to fully torque lower bj/spindle nut,
-then lower car and put weight on the wheels, push down/up on nose then tighten lower shock bolt, LCA srb nut and camber bolt with car on the ground
----
does this sound right? how the heck do you tighten all those with the car on the ground? seems like you MUST lift it again
Click to expand...

I have large wooden blocks that when on lift car gets lowered down on them so I can still get under car to tighten stuff that needs that.
 
yeah that's how you're supposed to do it. its a pain.
but i have a set of ramps. i can put the car on those ramps and then crawl around to get to the shock bolt and LCA camber bolt. the UCA bolts you can get to from the top. everything else i just tighten in the air.
 
It's true, even though I myself didn't do it, but I know your supposed to. If not, I believe the bushing will bind, and that's where the squeaks come from, and won't go away.
 
been awhile since i bought a tool.....ramps it is
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put tires back on, lower to ramps, then tighten: srb nut, lower shock bolt, camber bolt...alignment!
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seems like it will be okay to (with car lifted) fully tighten: sway bar end links and outer tie rod end/spindle before lowering it, yes?
 
dnsherrill said:
been awhile since i bought a tool.....ramps it is
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put tires back on, lower to ramps, then tighten: srb nut, lower shock bolt, camber bolt...alignment!
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seems like it will be okay to (with car lifted) fully tighten: sway bar end links and outer tie rod end/spindle before lowering it, yes?
Click to expand...

Anything that has a ball and socket can be fully tightened any time. Those have no rubber to wrap up.
 
I had all fours off the ground, tried the jack stands under the lca but you just don't get the compression. I put the front tires back on and lowered it onto blocks which worked perfect. With the rear still off the ground and the car sitting pretty much level it was easy to get under it.
 
car is still jacked up
torqued to spec are: sway bar end links, lower ball joint-spindle, outer tie rod end-spindle, UCA (all 3 bolts, at body and spindle), new sway bar bushing straps to subframe, axle nut (somewhere north of 150 ft/lbs)
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loosely attached are: coil over shock to LCA bolt, camber bolt, SRB nut at LCA (forward SRB's at subframe were left in place)
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so now I'm good to load front suspension: put tires on and lower onto ramps or wood blocks? Push down on nose 2-3x then tighten camber, shock bolt and SRB nut?
 
The 2 upper control arm to frame nuts on both sides should be loosely attached and then tightened with the car on the ground.
 
eh, yea, I was afraid of that...I guess the mst cyl is coming off again.....:q:
 
to get the nut under the MC you're using a ratcheting box wrench?
 
Yeah, went to autozone and bought an 18mm ratcheting boxend wrench to do the job. They are a little pricey there but makes the job so much easier.
 
I bought a set of those from Sears (GearWrench) before I installed the new UCA's recently...last night I went back and was able to loosen the UCA nuts with mst cyl in place this time around, about 1/20th of a turn each ratchet
 
put on the wheels and put a load onto the front suspension...
0606223900_zps75167680.jpg

the book calls for 90-120 ft/lbs for the strut rod-LCA union. It's such an awkward position I didn't get that much on it
 
You can torque both ends of the strut rod with the wheels off and the suspension unloaded. If you're really concerned about loading it (I'm not), just put a small jack under the LCA while you have the wheel off.
 
dnsherrill said:
put on the wheels and put a load onto the front suspension...
0606223900_zps75167680.jpg

the book calls for 90-120 ft/lbs for the strut rod-LCA union. It's such an awkward position I didn't get that much on it
Click to expand...

I see the jack stands but those blocks my friend.. One word... Scary
 
they don't look as scary in real life.....the jack stands are not making contact but I'll use those under the LCA's after I take the wheels off to fully torque the SRB's....I'll be glad to get this behind me. Seems like it's been forever to get it done
 
I've put about 600 miles on the car since rebuilding the front end, (UCA'S, LCA'S SW BAR LINKS, SW BAR BUSH, FRONT SRB'S AT LCA, IN/OUT TIE ROD ENDS) it rides good but sounds like ___
1) it's a little squeaky- noticeable when going over small humps/speed bumps at low speed
2)it clunks, seems to be from the front end when passing across a depression in the road- sounds like an empty suitcase being dropped, more pronounced at lower speeds
--
a)it doesn't make any unusual noise b/c of turning or braking
b)the front struts/strut mounts and rear shocks are used w/ unknown mileage- adjustable Tokico's without the elec adjusters
c)the rest of the front end parts were used and in very good shape, I did not r/r fwd srb to subframe bushings...109kmiles, southern car
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...coils are 1.5 lowered
 
Could be the forward srb's
Could be any of the used parts
Give the car a proper front end shake down.
If it all feels good try disconnecting the sway bar end links and drive it.
 
I was just reading Lux's thread from 2009 with identical scenario; my rotors are scored and below the min thick for turning, the end links are (I'm pretty sure) moogs; all of the used parts looked to be in VGC, but used is used- so who knows
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last few days I've noticed that the clunk is pretty much not evident at higher speeds (> @ 40mph). I have some KYB strut mounts being delivered today, I hate to just throw parts at it w/out evidence of what the cause(s) are
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also, the sway bar end links and sway bar bushings were torqued to spec on UN-loaded suspension
 
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