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Joined: Dec 2002
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Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Dec 2002
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Originally posted by Shaun G:
Simply stated, the A arms just will not drop low enough to remove the struts.
Yeah I can vouch for that! 
I'm in the process of doing mine now, we're putting on the BAT/Bilstein combo. Both rears didnt take too long, but we COULD NOT get the strut on the front out until we popped the knuckle off the ball joint. We used a Pickle fork, drove it in with a BFH and then slid a giant pipe over the end and pried the CRAP out of it and that finally got it off. Of course we couldnt seem to do this without tearing the boots on the joints so now I'll need new ball joints. 
But ... what's even worse is trying to get the lower balljoint back on. Even with me practically hanging off of a huge screwdriver with a 3' pipe over the end, the arm can only go so low before it just hits the subframe cutout and stops, about 1/2 inch too high to slide the ball joint stud into.  After a ridiculous amount of prying, while jacking the knuckle up and PUSHING it in we *somehow* managed to get the stud back in.
It seems to me that Ford could have just cut the contol arm cutouts in the subframe a little lower, maybe just 1/8", and that would let it swing low enough to clear the knuckle and make this job a HELL of a lot easier!! 
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,459
Hard-core CEG\'er
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If I knew how to set up a poll on this site, I would try to find out the year of cars (i.e. the type of control arms) that people say are easy to work on, and the type that is driving people crazy. My 95's were a royal pain.
95 Contour Zetec, ATX (wrecked, sitting in the barn)
95 Mystique Zetec, MTX
2000 Taurus SEL 3.0L Duratec
1994 Crown Victoria LX 4.6 V8
1993 Chevy Silverado 4.3 V6
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,887
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Hard-core CEG'er
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I'm guessing the 95 has the 4 bolt fornt control arm. If so It's like the EO SVT. My car is a 98.5 it has 2 bolt fornt control arms, which aren't too hard to do. I'm guessing the 95-98 contours( 4 bolt control arm) are the hard ones???
06 GMC Sierra 2500HD Dmax/ally
06 Pontiac G6 GT
05 CRF250R
FOR SALE 06 KX65 with riding gear $2700 obo
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,325
Hard-core CEG\'er
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I agree with you - I just dropped my sub frame for a clutch change and there was NO WAY you'd get the ball joint or strut apart or together again without compressing the struts. I have grooves in the sub frame from trying. Then I read the service procedure for removing the steering rack and it straight up tells you to lower the subframe slightly before prying the ball joints out. Mine's a 97 V6. Quote:
Allow subframe to lower slightly... Carefully pry the lower control arms from steering knuckles and steering gear coupler from steering gear. Lower and remove subframe.
97 Contour SE MTX
K&N 3530, UR UDP, 19# Injectors, mystery mod, FMS wires, Fordchip.com chip, SVT: TB, Flywheel, clutch, exhaust
04 Grand Caravan SXT
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Joined: Dec 2002
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OK we just got my front end back together using a cool little trick.  Since the ball joint on the right side of the car was held in with bolts instead of rivets, we simply unbolted it, took a new one and popped the stud up into the knuckle, and then pushed the arm down enough to line up the bolt holes on the Ball Joint and bolted it in.  On the left side the original joint was still riveted in, so we cut the tops off the rivets with an angle grinder and then used an air chisel to pop the joint off, rinsed and repeated what we did on the other side.  Now if I ever have to do this again, I'll simply unbolt the new ball joints to get the knuckle back into the lower arm. 
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Joined: Jul 2002
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Yeah, I did the same thing the last time I had mine apart. The first time I took the struts out, I still had the original ball joints, and it was a pain. Later on, I replaced the ball joints, and I found out the same thing you did. That extra half an inch or so that you gain by loosening the bolts on the replacement ball joints makes a world of difference.
95 Contour Zetec, ATX (wrecked, sitting in the barn)
95 Mystique Zetec, MTX
2000 Taurus SEL 3.0L Duratec
1994 Crown Victoria LX 4.6 V8
1993 Chevy Silverado 4.3 V6
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 67
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
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Ive been working on the same thing, tryin to get the struts out of my 96 to put the coilovers on. But after busted tools, fingers, and words that the cuss word fairy wouldnt even say I quit. Trying to find someone to help me that knows what there doing.
Youngest Retirey Ever
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Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
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we put a pry bar in the control arm then had barge bounce on it a few times, popped right off.
~Alex
Ex- SVT Driver627
MUST SELL!!!LOCAL:
Pre-98 MOLDED trunk
Polk db speakers
Corolla parts
LED Underbody Kit
PM
2000 Green CSVT gone on 2/17/06
2001 Toyota Corolla (SHE RUNS!!!)
1989 Mustang LX 5.0
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This thread is over 2 years old, BTW.
Must be that jumbly-wumbly thing happening again.
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Joined: Mar 2003
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Veteran CEG\'er
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Originally posted by TourDeForce:
This thread is over 2 years old, BTW.
It's great isn't it, having people searching in the forum and bringing up appropriate posts instead of starting new ones.
Whirling dervish of FFOG.
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