I figure the lower control arm has no bar on it, so I can easily get the rubber bushings out, can someone correct my process

ball joint still good

raise car
removed wheel

remove cotter pin, loosen lower ball joint castle nut.

place jack under control arm

knock ball joint loose with nut on top to save threads.

remove nut, lower arm to release tension of spring.

let arm hang.

remove both bolts that holds the arm to the chassis

replace in reverse order.

I don't think I even need to remove the rotor or caliper.


and how do you do the tops by themselves later?

"place jack under control arm

knock ball joint loose with nut on top to save threads."
That would mean knocking the ball joint out of the A arm which I rather doubt you could do. If you are going to do it just take everything apart and do upper and lower arms at the sametime.

no to knock the connection from the knuckle, leave the joint in, it is still good.

I can do the lowers at home the bushings I can get out with a ball joint press, I don't have a hydraulic press and the uppers you need those, comprehend?

this way I can remove the upper arm without removing everything at someone's house that has a press.

I don't mind doing it a step at a time, it's all the same it will take a lot of time, i just want to space out the misery, or not trouble someone else with the complete job, if i can do some of it myself. as in this case the LOWERS.

I tried to figure out(visualize) how to remove the top bushings but the center shaft part I don't understand.

can you explain?

Then you are meaning to place the jack under the upper control arm? My point earlier is that if you place a jack under the lower control arm your plan won't work. I suppose it is possible to support the spindle and seperate it from the lower arm, but you would also have to unbolt the shock absorber. I never heard of that being done before, it might be possible. Can you get a hammer in there to knock it loose?

Not sure on your year, but on later years the lower A arm rear bolt is also a problem and you have to remove the motor mount brace to get the bolt out. Another wonderfull move by GM to put the bolt in backwards for us - thanks GM.

thanks for reminding me, this stops the job, mine is an 89, I am sure it was an oversite at GM.

i have to go look when I put in my new shocks, can you explain the motor mount scenario?

Found out about that bolt the hard way

decided to wait until the engine was out.

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Get under the car and look at the rear bolt that holds the A arm on. If the head of the bolt is towards the rear of the car then it will hit the motor mount brace before you can get it out. If the nut end of the bolt is towards the rear you are OK and it won;t be any problem.

Brian - you found this the hard way too? Wasn't it fun?

The shock limits travel. Once you remove that the spring will try to rip the lower ball joint out.

Support the LCA with a jack. Watch out for the ball joint grease fitting.

Then seperate the lower ball joint, (I use a "pitman arm puller" from autozone. Fits in there just barely. A ball joint puller is too tall. A pickle fork will mangle the aluminum.

Then disconnect shock, sway bar, etc, and lower the jack to let the spring extend fully.

Now you can unbolt the control arm. Sometimes the bolts are a bitch to get to, consider reversing them for future work.

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Tons especially when your on a borrowed lift and need to put the car back together when you ran out of time after taking it all apart.

so worse case, I am not looking at the car just yet, but...

what is required to pull the "LCA" if the bolt is facing the wrong way, cut it off???
can get a replacement?

what grade is it is it cut-able?

is the replacement difficult to locate?

Need to pull the support, which some have done w/o pulling the engine, it's an extra support that was added in later. Hence the GM snafu!

so the support stiffens the chassis? have a pics?

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I sure hope nobody was stupid enough to do it by pulling the engine...

4 bolts to remove the brace. BFD.

I ran into this issue too. I used a drill into the side of the bolt to remove the head. Then pulled it out the front. The bolts are installed from the front in these pictures.

http://www.corvette-guru.com/modules/ ... id=123092#forumpost123092

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If your pulling the engine anyways what's so stupid about waiting?

thanks for the links with the bolt issue, now I understand how the upper shaft goes through,

one upper bushing is just 1 piece not 2, with a smaller shoulder on one end....