I need to lower the rear end and want to know how to get the bolts out without tearing the whole rearend apart. I thought someone had said here I could do this without removing anything but the bolts but I can't seem to figure it out. :confused: :confused:

 

Mark,

Your BB probably has a rear sway bar, so you'll have to remove the sway bar end links/brackets in order to be able to remove the bolts. The spring end bolts pass through holes that are hidden under those brackets.

:cheers:
-Pedro


[Modified by Pedro'74, 6:51 PM 11/24/2003]

 

Be careful removing the bolts securing the T-arms to the spring. There is an enormous amount of energy stored there and the nuts will shoot off like bullets if you don't unload the spring first. :eek:

 

:iagree:

Have everything at hand---the new bolts and all the necessary tools---before you jack up the ends of the spring. Place a c-clamp on to the spring near the end, where the spring connects to the rear trailing arm, to keep the spring from throwing the jack to the other side.

:cheers:
-Pedro


[Modified by Pedro'74, 7:16 PM 11/24/2003]

 

:iagree:

Its not hard - just make sure the c clamp is on the spring real tight.

Take the time to jack the trailing arm up so that the spring bolt is straight up and down as it makes things easier to get off and on.

Takes about an hour to do both sides easy. :hurray:

:cool: :cool: :cool:

 

Mark....

Do you mean-

1) You want to remove the differential from the car? or

2) Lower the rear ride height of the car?

1)
The diff is bolted with 4 bolts down through the crossmember into the diff.
The crossmember is bolted with the single bolt on each end to the frame.
Water tends to settle here... they rust... and can snap off (especially if you side-load them). - depends on the history of the car.

You cannot reach the 4 bolts without dropping the crossmember down from the frame at least a little. They need to be torqued when you re-install them, so you need room for a torque wrench in there as well. Easiest way to work on it is to drop the whole thing. IMOP.

2)
When the spring releases from the bolt, it "de-arches". The amount of stored energy depends on the spring rate and the age of the spring... but it can be enough to send you to the hospital. I've had the cheap 1.5T floor jacks go flying across the room like a rocket.

If you just want to exchange the factory bolt for an adjustable bolt to lower the ride height, you can raise the spring off its cushion enough to remove & replace the bolt without de-arching the spring (using a floor jack perpendicular to the side of the car) as long as you get a good grip on the tip of the spring leaving enough room to work. The c-clamp would be insurance in your favor, but it has to be a big clamp... no toys.


Tommi Lee