lowering bolt question??
Drifting
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 1,677
Likes: 22
From: Newark CA
Re: lowering bolt question?? (venom98)
Here's my version of the procedure. The procedure works on all suspensions. It's not a simple task, though.
Set the parking brake, raise the front of the car with a floor jack. For the front suspension adjustment, set jack stands under the frame at the sides or front crossmember. Loosen the lug nuts. For the rear adjustment, set jack stands under the rear crossmember. The rear wheels do not need to be removed. If working on either the front or back separately, block the tires.
Front suspension
1. Remove the wheels.
2. Disconnect the sway bar from the lower control arm. Hold the nut with an 18mm wrench and turn the link clockwise with a #35 Torx bit in a ratchet. Remove both left and right side nuts. Rotate the sway bar up, dislodging both links from the control arms.
3. Use a jack and small wooden block to support the leaf spring between the sides of one of the control arms (left or right side).
4. Remove the two bolts and nuts on the lower end of the shock absorber. Hold each bolt (at the top) with a 13mm wrench and turn the nut with a 13mm socket using a short extension and ratchet. Remove the bolts.
5. Remove the nut on the lower control arm balljoint. Turn the nut counterclockwise with a 13/16" wrench or socket. It may be necessary to hold the end of the balljoint while turning the nut. The end of the balljoint is a 6mm allen socket. I used a 13/16" sparkplug socket that could be held with a wrench to remove the nut. To hold the balljoint, I used a 6mm allen wrench cut down to 1 ½ inches in length, attached to a ¼"-drive ratchet.
6. Lower the jack and the control arm should drop. If it doesn't, raise the jack and replace the nut part way. Place the jack and block under the brake rotor. Lightly tap on the top of the nut with a wooden block and hammer to free up the balljoint. Once the balljoint is loose, lower the jack and place it under the control arm. Remove the nut and lower the jack.
7. Remove the clip from the adjustment bolt that is screwed into the leaf spring. It should turn counterclockwise, or it may be necessary to use long-nose pliers to pull it off. Turn the bolt clockwise with a 10mm ratcheting wrench or 10mm socket and ratchet to remove it. It will be necessary to push down on the control arm and turn the bolt from underneath to remove it completely.
8. Clamp the bolt in a vise and cut off ¾ of the rubber bushing with a hacksaw. Clean up the face of the remaining bushing with sandpaper.
9. Replace the bolt in the spring, and use the wrench or socket to raise the bolt until the flat portion contacts the bottom of the spring. Reinstall the clip. The front suspension is now adjusted as low as it can go. If it is later necessary to raise the body, all that needs to be done is to jack up the car and turn the bolt clockwise some.
10. Insert the lower balljoint into the spindle and replace the nut loosely. Place the jack and block under the control arm and raise the arm. Align the shock-absorber holes and drop the bolts in. Apply a drop of blue Locktite on the nut threads and tighten the nut on the balljoint. Apply Locktite on the shock-absorber nut threads and tighten the nuts on the shock absorber.
11. Repeat steps 3 through 10 for the other side of the suspension. Insert the sway-bar bolts by rotating the bar, then apply Locktite and tighten the nuts.
12. Lift the car, remove the jack stands, and lower the car. Put some miles on the car, the check the ride height.
Tools for Lowering
3/8" ratchet
3" X 3/8" extension
3/8" to ¼" adapter
6 mm X 1 ½" allen-head bit
6 mm X 3 ½" allen-head bit
10 mm socket
13 mm socket
13 mm combination wrench
carpenter's level
tape measure
blue locktite
torque wrench
¾" X ½"-drive socket
breaker bar
6" X ½" extension
3/16 flat screwdriver
T35 Torx drive
Hacksaw
Vice
¼"-drive nut driver
6 mm socket
drop light
floor jack
drive-on blocks
jack stands
Set the parking brake, raise the front of the car with a floor jack. For the front suspension adjustment, set jack stands under the frame at the sides or front crossmember. Loosen the lug nuts. For the rear adjustment, set jack stands under the rear crossmember. The rear wheels do not need to be removed. If working on either the front or back separately, block the tires.
Front suspension
1. Remove the wheels.
2. Disconnect the sway bar from the lower control arm. Hold the nut with an 18mm wrench and turn the link clockwise with a #35 Torx bit in a ratchet. Remove both left and right side nuts. Rotate the sway bar up, dislodging both links from the control arms.
3. Use a jack and small wooden block to support the leaf spring between the sides of one of the control arms (left or right side).
4. Remove the two bolts and nuts on the lower end of the shock absorber. Hold each bolt (at the top) with a 13mm wrench and turn the nut with a 13mm socket using a short extension and ratchet. Remove the bolts.
5. Remove the nut on the lower control arm balljoint. Turn the nut counterclockwise with a 13/16" wrench or socket. It may be necessary to hold the end of the balljoint while turning the nut. The end of the balljoint is a 6mm allen socket. I used a 13/16" sparkplug socket that could be held with a wrench to remove the nut. To hold the balljoint, I used a 6mm allen wrench cut down to 1 ½ inches in length, attached to a ¼"-drive ratchet.
6. Lower the jack and the control arm should drop. If it doesn't, raise the jack and replace the nut part way. Place the jack and block under the brake rotor. Lightly tap on the top of the nut with a wooden block and hammer to free up the balljoint. Once the balljoint is loose, lower the jack and place it under the control arm. Remove the nut and lower the jack.
7. Remove the clip from the adjustment bolt that is screwed into the leaf spring. It should turn counterclockwise, or it may be necessary to use long-nose pliers to pull it off. Turn the bolt clockwise with a 10mm ratcheting wrench or 10mm socket and ratchet to remove it. It will be necessary to push down on the control arm and turn the bolt from underneath to remove it completely.
8. Clamp the bolt in a vise and cut off ¾ of the rubber bushing with a hacksaw. Clean up the face of the remaining bushing with sandpaper.
9. Replace the bolt in the spring, and use the wrench or socket to raise the bolt until the flat portion contacts the bottom of the spring. Reinstall the clip. The front suspension is now adjusted as low as it can go. If it is later necessary to raise the body, all that needs to be done is to jack up the car and turn the bolt clockwise some.
10. Insert the lower balljoint into the spindle and replace the nut loosely. Place the jack and block under the control arm and raise the arm. Align the shock-absorber holes and drop the bolts in. Apply a drop of blue Locktite on the nut threads and tighten the nut on the balljoint. Apply Locktite on the shock-absorber nut threads and tighten the nuts on the shock absorber.
11. Repeat steps 3 through 10 for the other side of the suspension. Insert the sway-bar bolts by rotating the bar, then apply Locktite and tighten the nuts.
12. Lift the car, remove the jack stands, and lower the car. Put some miles on the car, the check the ride height.
Tools for Lowering
3/8" ratchet
3" X 3/8" extension
3/8" to ¼" adapter
6 mm X 1 ½" allen-head bit
6 mm X 3 ½" allen-head bit
10 mm socket
13 mm socket
13 mm combination wrench
carpenter's level
tape measure
blue locktite
torque wrench
¾" X ½"-drive socket
breaker bar
6" X ½" extension
3/16 flat screwdriver
T35 Torx drive
Hacksaw
Vice
¼"-drive nut driver
6 mm socket
drop light
floor jack
drive-on blocks
jack stands
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 2,329
Likes: 30
From: USA
Re: lowering bolt question?? (venom98)
Several people on this forum have taken the adjusting bolt on the front out. You then have metal to metal contact which I would not do.
You can put or glue a thin piece of rubber between the lower control arm and the spring if you want.
You can put or glue a thin piece of rubber between the lower control arm and the spring if you want.
