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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 463
CEG\'er
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OP
CEG\'er
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 463 |
Has anyone ever changed a driverâ??s side lower control arm without dropping the U-frame? I have the 4 bolt horizontal bushing CM and I was wondering if itâ??s possible to jack the tranny up high enough to get the bolts out.
Thanks
jeff
have you fixed your ford lately?
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 496
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 496 |
There are some posts in the suspension forums dated 3-31-03 on this topic.
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,294
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,294 |
i took mine out, hey anyone know by chance the weight of the lca. I didnt weigh it when i had it off (its a [censored] to remove)
95 SES Sold
99 SE Sport Sold
99 SVT T-Red Tan Interior. K&N, Magnecors, 19' Theorys, And some audio stuff.
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Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 124
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 124 |
I just had mine replaced at the dealership. It was squeaking for any reason (getting in and out of the car, any bump-no matter what size, etc, etc). Drove me nuts. I also had some pull when braking so I had them change it out. No more noise and after the mandatory alignment it stops straight as an arrow again. Still bugs me that the arm and all its bushings etc was only around $80CDN but the LABOUR to change it and align the car was over $300CDN.  Oh well, just the joy of owning a Contour I guess!! Jonnie
98 Zetec Contour SE
Sony XPlod CDX-CA900X HU
Sony XPlod XM-2150GSX amp with JBL 8" Sub
(Not much so far but workin' on it)
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 463
CEG\'er
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OP
CEG\'er
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 463 |
Yes, you can!
Pull the battery, and the battery try. Put a jack and block of wood under the tranny and jack it up slightly to take the weight off the mounts. Remove the through bolt from the driverâ??s side top mount. Jack the tranny all the way up to remove the second bolt from the front. Jack it down and let it rest on the U-frame for the front bolt. The rear bolt is no problem. And the bolt under the axle can be removed after the ball joint is separated. Move the knuckle forward and jack the tranny all the way up. This is a little hard because of the CV boot, but it can be done without axle removal.
I had it off in about an hour, and it took about ½ hour to reinstall. I should mention that I am doing the struts too. It took me all day to do the fronts and I havenâ??t installed them yet.
jeff
have you fixed your ford lately?
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,570
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,570 |
mercman, did you have to remove the bolt from only the one tranny mount under the air filter? What about the roll restrictors, did they have to be unbolted to get the MTX jacked up high enough to remove the bolts?
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 7,100
Addicted CEG\'er
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Addicted CEG\'er
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 7,100 |
Auto-x-Phil has damn near every suspension part weighed, and spec'd (dimensions)
Ray
'99 CSVT - Silver #222/276
In a constant state of blow-off euphoria.
Originally posted by Kremitthefrog:
I like to wear dresses and use binoculars to watch grandmas across the street.
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Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,140
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,140 |
Originally posted by Ray:
Auto-x-Phil has damn near every suspension part weighed, and spec'd (dimensions)
Ray
No, I WANT to, but haven't gotten that far yet. I weighed the stock and GC stuff, and have worked out some basic numbers for competition alignments and lowering numbers, but it is still too much guesswork for my likeing.
On the LCA swap: I thought I had posted this before, but here ya go.
How to replace 4-bolt (95-97, some 98) Lower Control Arms (LCAs, A-Arms) on the Ford Contour (And Mercury Mystique)
Intro:
Description:
The LCA contains two bushings and a ball-joint, and they must be replaced as a unit, although it is possible to cut off the ball-joint and bolt on an aftermarket model. The bushings are horizontal, with a pin through the center of each. this pin has a hole in each end, and bolts go through the subframe and hold the pins to the car. There is one larger bolt and one smaller bolt for each pin. The smaller bolt is loacted towards the front of the car, and holds in the flat end of the pin, the large bolt is at the rear and holds the thick, enlarged end. A pinch-bolt holds the ball-joint shaft to the steering knuckle by passing through a groove in the shaft. This is not intended as a description sufficient to give you all the information you need before you start, please look at your parts and make sure you understand what goes where, and what functions they serve.
Major Problems:
This is not an easy job. The four bolts, plus the pinch bolt can all give you trouble if they are rustd or stuck, but this is something you always have to deal with when working on a car. The problems related to the design of the car are outlined below.
-There is a lack of clearance around 4 bolts. The front two on the driver's side are under the transaxle. The front bolt on the rear pin is under the inboard CV joint on both sides. This makes it (very near) impossible to pull the bolts out without dropping the subframe and/or pulling the half-shafts apart.
-The half-shaft can pull apart at the inboard CV joint.
Solutions:
To get the bolts out, they must be cut, and new ones put in from the bottom. the half-shaft can go back in, but it is tough to do. It's also difficult to keep it from coming out, but possible, and probably the better way.
Parts Needed:
The LCA(s). Make sure they are the correct kind. $175 is current list, ask around CEG and you should be able to get them for about $100 each. (Black96SE)
Extra bolts. You need two small bolts and one large bolt for the driver's side, and one small bolt for the passenger's side. If you want to play it safe, get at least one of each nut, and at least one extra small bolt. I broke one, so have others. This is especially important on a older car that has a lot of rust.
Tools Needed:
- Angle Grinder with a cut-off blade. (4.5" works, barely. 4" might not.) A reciprocating saw with a diamond blade might work too. Don't even think about a hacksaw.
- Sockets in various sizes: 18mm, 15mm, 13mm, at least. Some of these turn hard, I reccommend 1/2" drive if you have them.
- Box wrenches in 15mm and 13mm.
- T55 Torx socket. Make it a good one.
- Torque wrench, probably 1/2" drive.
- Extensions. A small (3-4") at least, I used a long (9-10") a couple times, but it wasn't really needed. It's hard to put much force on a bolt or nut with that kind of extention anway.
- Get a Craftsman ratchet so you can return it if it breaks, and have a pipe handy to put on the handle. An extra-long ratchet is better, obviously.
- Jack, jackstands, chocks.
- Safety equipment. Goggles/glasses, gloves, etc. Don't be an idiot.
- Penetrating oil.
- Prybar/crowbar (I used both)
Optional:
- Hammer, sledge, block of wood, pounding bar - may be useful if you have a stuck bolt.
- Spring compressor. If you have one, it might help get things lined up easier.
Instructions:
Loosen the lug nuts. Get the front of the car up nice and high. It will be easier to work on if you really jack it up. Make sure the rear wheels are chocked and the car is stable. Take the front wheels off and get them out of the way. Go to the passenger's side first: it should be easier, and it will get you warmend up. If you get stuck on a step, go to the other side and try that one. Getting it on one side might help you figure out how to do it on the other. Now attack the bolts! Get the knuckle bolt first. Use the 18mm socket to crank off the nut. It shouldn't be a tough one, give it some penetrating oil and ease it off. Then knock the bolt out. Use the Torx socket to get it twisting if you want, but don't strip it or break anything: the hole isn't threaded, so you can pound away and knock it out. Mine had been in for 10 years, and I ended up putting my longest socket extension on the end and really hitting it hard with a sledge hammer. After you have the bolt out, you can pop the ball-joint shaft out of the knuckle. Use a bar to bend the arm down. I put a crowbar in the subframe and used that to push the LCA down. Be careful here: as soon as the shaft is out of the knuckle, the CV joint is free to seperate. Don't pull out on the hub assembly. Once you have the ball-joint disconnected, go after the bolts in the subframe. Use a lot of penetrating oil, and be patient. I stuck a box wrench on the head of the bolt and used a long 1/2" ratchet on the nut, and they all came off alright. If the car has bottomed at all, the threads might be mangled. If so, take your grinder and touch them up so they don't damage the bolt. After the nuts are off, push the bolts up. As mentioned above, some of them will hit something and not come out. On the passenger side, just hold the bolt up from the bottom and slide your grinder in so you can lop off the head. It won't be easy, it's a tight fit, and you don't want to hit anything! I put a nick in my CV boot and had to fix it. On the driver's side, you'll want to put your jack under the transaxle, and put a wooden block on it to pad the transaxle. Then lift it as far as it will rock in the mounts. If you have solid (poly) mounts, you might want to loosen or remove the bolts. The transaxle should move up about an inch. Then get in with the grinder and cut the heads off all the bolts that won't come out. You might have to cut one side, then spin it and cut again, if the wheel is small. Now you have the arm free! Without pushing the hub away from the car and pulling out the CV joint, pry down on the arm and pull it out of the subframe. It may be in there tight, but it shouldn't be hard to get out once the bolts are gone. Now flip your ratchets and start putting it back together! Use the prybar to get the new LCA up in the subframe. This will be tough, as the new bushings have a lot less give than the ones you took out! Once again, try not to pop out the CV joint, but if you do, I'll explain how to fix it later. Once you have the new arm in the subframe, slide the bolts down in where you can, and up through where something blocks you. You're going to want to cut a little off the end of the bolts you put up through, to leave clearance. I'd reccommend lock-tite on the threads.
Good luck!
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Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 291
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 291 |
It's not necessary to cut the bolts, although it will make the job go quicker provided your local Ford dealer has replacement bolts in stock.
The "shortcut" method is what everyone here is talking about - pushing the transaxle up & out of the way. I would definitely NOT be pushing the transaxle up without loosening all 4 motor mounts. It's not necessary to remove all the motor mount through bolts, just the 3 mounts connecting the transaxle (front & rr roll restrictors & LH upper). Also, I do not like to remove the ball joint as you run the risk of tearing the ball joint boot. Tear the boot and you'll be replacing the ball joint prematurely. I've managed to remove the bolt directly below the halfshafts by jockeying the steering wheel right to left and raising the A arm until I had clearance. Do this 1 first.
It's also recommended that you install the clearance challenged bolts upside down after you've cross drilled them and then safety wire the nuts. With the nuts/bolts in this way, next time you have to do it, the jobs a snap.
This is how I did it.
Redcoat Raceworks. Performance parts and custom fabricating for Contours, Mystiques and Cougars. Specializing in chassis and suspension parts. Custom end links, control arms, strut tower bars, engine torque braces, etc.
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Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 291
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 291 |
Front A arm weight (4 bolt style) = 8.7 lbs (stock) and 10.6 lbs. (with .125" boxing plate welded-on).
Redcoat Raceworks. Performance parts and custom fabricating for Contours, Mystiques and Cougars. Specializing in chassis and suspension parts. Custom end links, control arms, strut tower bars, engine torque braces, etc.
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