Ooops - bad control arm?

[heyjewel]

Under car first time in a couple years. Just to change oil and filter. And investigate possible something loose in front end. Sure enough the driver's side upper control arm allows wheel movement by hand of I dunno, 1/2 inch or so. I could fix it but I'm getting tired of fixing cars. I'm old.

 

[04_Sport_LS]

Should be a relatively easy job with hand tools and a torque wrench.

Do both sides, that way you won't have to get back in there a month or 2 later.

Remember... "mind over matter".

 

[heyjewel]

Should be a relatively easy job with hand tools and a torque wrench.

Do both sides, that way you won't have to get back in there a month or 2 later.

Remember... "mind over matter".

Well this job ain't easy at all. Biggest problem is the nut that needs to come off right side of arm is nearly impossible to get to or even see. I tried everything. Then the wife says 'let me try'. Umm OK. So I splained what she needed to do. I laid a folded blanket on top of the engine and up she goes. I pull cables out of her sight line and she says 'there it is'! I gave her my ratcheting 15mm wrench and after some fiddling she gets it on the nut. Can only turn about 20 degrees each time cause of stuff everywhere. Took 15 or so minutes but she got it off. So I wonder if she's up for putting the nut back on? I almost took it to a shop who's done some jobs for me in the past. They wont put on the arm I got from rock auto. They quoted me $468. That's when my wife showed up bless her heart.

 

[04_Sport_LS]

So your wife got the nut without having to remove the master cylinder??? I'm impressed!

She's definitely a "keeper".

 

[heyjewel]

So your wife got the nut without having to remove the master cylinder??? I'm impressed!

She's definitely a "keeper".

Yeah she is. I thought about removing that but I didnt want to deal with bleeding brakes

 

[joegr]

Yeah she is. I thought about removing that but I didnt want to deal with bleeding brakes

You don't have. You loosen it from the booster, but do not disconnect the brake lines. The idea is to move it slightly out of the way, not to remove it.

 

[heyjewel]

You don't have. You loosen it from the booster, but do not disconnect the brake lines. The idea is to move it slightly out of the way, not to remove it.

Thanks. I'll try that today when I button it all back up.

 

[04_Sport_LS]

There's a "clip" tab that is supposed to help hold the nut to the body pinch seam, and keep it from spinning.

It can be a bit of a challenge. I just bent the tab back, and then bent it forward after tightening. Use blue loc-tite on the nut and torque to spec according to the manual.