YAY!!!
I figured out how to remove the driver's side control arm WITHOUT cutting the bolt, pulling the engine, or anything totally outrageous! These instructions were developed from my vehicle, a 98 SVT, built in May of 97. You may have a few things different on yours, but this is how it worked for me.
When we last left our story (see "Front A-Arm Removal. GRRRRR!!!...")...
I had tried prying the subframe down, away from the transaxle, to no avail. I then looked around and noticed that the front roll-restrictor was probably holding things together yet. I tried taking the horizontal bolt out of the center of it, but it was really tight, and a royal pain to get to -- even with two extensions and a u-joint! Yesterday, I looked in the shop manual, and it was REALLY helpful: "2 Remove the lower arm retaining nuts and bolts." OBVIOUSLY, whoever wrote that never bothered to actually try to follow their own instructions. They probably didn't even bother to actually LOOK at the car! But I digress... After staring at the shop manual about how to remove the engine (trying to figure out where the attachments to the subframe were), I noticed there were four (in the manual, only two actually on the car!) bolts holding the front roll-restrictor to the subframe. "A-ha!", says I. "I'll try taking those out!" Anyway, to make a long story into a set of detailed instructions, here's whatcha gotta do to pull this thing off -- without cutting! YAY!
1. Run the car up onto ramps so you can get yourself and a floor jack underneath. In my case, I used approximately a four-foot length of 2x10 (wooden lumber, ~2 inches by 10 inches, for those outside the U.S.) with a half-length of the same nailed on top at one end, to form a rudimentary ramp. These were placed with the large piece on the bottom, to make a step-type ramp. I use these for oil changes too, BTW.
1a. Set the parking brake!
2. Remove multiple Torx screws from the large, horizontal plastic panel under front bumper, and remove plastic panel from vehicle. (There are two screws in the bottom front of each fender liner too.) I have an SVT, and I don't know if the other models have that panel or not. My guess is that they have something similar.
3. Jack the car up, and support the unibody behind the subframe. I just did one side at a time, and let the other side rest on the tire. I used one of the 2x10 ramps, laid it on it's side, and placed it along the underbody gusset running at a slight angle towards the outside of the car, from front to rear. Do NOT place the support under non-reinforced sheet metal, or you will cause damage!
4. Remove the driver's side front tire/wheel.
5. Remove the pinch bolt from the lower ball joint.
6. Pry down on the control arm with a large prybar, to remove the ball joint from the steering knuckle.
7. Move hub/strut assembly forward or backward as needed to clear work area. Be careful not to pull out too much on the half-shaft! I popped the one on the other side out of something, but just kinda pushed it back in firmly again, and it seems to be none the worse for wear, but just take it easy!
8. Remove the two nuts attaching the front transaxle roll-restrictor to the subframe. These are located slightly to the driver's side of the vehicle, on the back side of the front crossmember of the subframe. They are in a small boxed-in pocket that is open underneath. Removing that large plastic piece gives easier access to these.
9. Remove the nuts from the bottom of the four bolts attaching the control arm to the subframe.
10. Place the floor jack under the subframe, where you just removed the four nuts from. I used a flat, 1/2 inch or so thick piece of wood, placed front to rear along the axis of the bolts, between the jack top and the subframe to prevent denting/scratching and slipping on the subframe.
11. Raise the jack up just so that it just starts to raise the vehicle, thereby taking the load of the subframe off of the two subframe attachment bolts.
12. Remove the two subframe attachment bolts, near the front and rear of the subframe on that side.
13. SLOWLY lower the floor jack and let the subframe come down, away from the unibody. NOTE!!! I make no warranty/claim/etc. that this will not cause damage, but I did it, and drove my car last night and today after doing this, and it seems to not have hurt anything. You can hear things creaking a little as it lowers, but I think there is enough flex in whatever is connected, that it is not damaging anything.
14. You should now be able to remove (in order from the front of the vehicle) the first, third, and fourth control arm bolts. Actually, those could have come out earlier, but you might as well do them all at the same time.
15. To remove the second bolt, you will probably still need to carefully pry down on the subframe, so that the bolt will clear the transaxle. I think I kind of pried the subframe toward the rear of the vehicle, to help the bolt clear the transaxle, then pulled it out.
16. TA-DA! Remove the control arm! Yay!!!
16a. (Optional, but highly recommended) Grab an ice-cold beverage of your choice, sit back, and admire your progress!
17. Insert the new control arm into the subframe.
18. Insert the four control arm bolts through the subframe.
19. Remove the protective cap (if equipped) from the ball joint on the new control arm.
20. Pry down on the control arm, and insert the ball joint into the steering knuckle. Its easier to do it now, BEFORE the subframe is raised back up, and you REALLY have to pry down on the control arm!
21. Insert the ball joint bolt and tighten the nut on. Remember that the bolt goes in from the front. Don't know if that matters much, but there ya go.
22. Install the nuts on the control arm bolts, and tighten. I tightened the two larger bolts first, for whatever that's worth.
23. Slowly jack the subframe back up, making sure that the two studs for the roll-restrictor go into the subframe holes correctly. The first time I tried it, they didn't, and I couldn't get the front subframe bolt back in! Also, make sure the radiator or A/C condenser support post (I don't remember which it is) goes correctly into the rubber isolator at the top of the core support crossmember. It probably will, but it kinda surprised me how far it sank into the car!
24. Insert the two subframe support bolts and tighten. You may need to CAREFULLY move the jack around, and/or pry on the subframe to get things to line up correctly. As stated above, if the roll-restrictor studs are sitting on top of the subframe, and not in the holes, you probably will not be able to get the front subframe bolt in.
25. Install the tire/wheel assembly.
26. Remove the unibody support from behind the subframe and lower vehicle onto ramp.
NOTE: If you are going to replace the passenger-side control arm as well (I did both, since they were both about equally trashed), continue with instruction 27. If you are NOT doing the other side, perform the following:
A. Install and tighten the two roll-restrictor nuts.
B. Replace the large horizontal plastic cover, and install and tighten the multitude of screws for it.
C. Congratulations!!! You're DONE! Test drive! WooHooo!
Now, for those of you doing the other side too...
27. Congratulations! One side down, one to go! This one's easier, too. Check your beverage status, and refresh as needed.
28. Basically, repeat the above procedure for the other side. It will be necessary to remove a plastic inner fender liner (two bolts) on the passenger side, but there is nothing stupid like a transaxle in the way at least! With that fender liner off, it looks like it would be an ideal time to install a DMD! But alas, I did not have one yet... Anyway, I didn't need to drop the subframe on the passenger side to get the control arm out, but I did have to drop it to get the new one in, so you might as well do it before removing the old one. Trust me, it will be easier.
29. When you are done replacing the control arm and tightening everything for it, remember to reinstall the roll-restrictor nuts and the large horizontal plastic cover, with its plethora of screws.
30. CONGRATULATIONS!!! You're DONE! Road Test!!! Weeeeeee!
I could probably do both sides in 2-3 hours this way, working at a fairly leisurely pace. If your bushings are shot, don't put it off! Having things flopping around up there can't be good for tire wear! I hope this is a help to those of you who need to do this. Take care!
Marty
