As expected, my sagging front end was due to shot upper shock mounts. The foam literally crumbled out when I removed the assembly. I got the welsh poly mounts, new springs, and new shocks (the latter may not have been necessary, but I didn't want to disassemble that stuff again.

Anyway, I got the spring/shock/mount assembly and ready to put back in the car. However, the bottom of the shock doesn't want to slide into the bottom mounting bracket. The whole assembly is likely longer due to the new upper shock mount, but I can't figure out how to get around that. It's too long to insert first behind the bracket. The mount is flush with the fender. Help!(?)

Pictures below show what I mean

 

Try unbolting the sway bar link. That may allow the lower arm to drop a little. If that helps, then use a jack to raise the whole assembly back up so the sway bar links can be re-attached. May need to unbolt the sway bar links on both sides.

 

I wouldn't think it'd be that hard to compress the shock with proper leverage. Can you get a long screwdriver under the shock and use leverage to shorten / compress it the half inch or so to get the bolt in?

If you put a Jack under the arm, you can compress the spring, problem is how do you retain that when you release the jack a bit to align the holes...still got the spring compressor at the site?

John

 

I have had good luck undoing the sway bar link at the bar end for clearance. It definitely lowers the control arm.

 

Definitely first try unbolting the sway bar link. That should give you an inch or two and should be enough. If it isn’t a spring compressor would solve your problem.

 

The sway bar end link trick worked. The nut was basically rust welded on, but some penetrating fluid and a breaker bar did the trick. That lowered things just enough while I rested the hub on a jack. Will jack things back up to button them up.

Thanks for the trick, guys. As always, much appreciated.

 

Good that all is well now. With the sway bar still attached the position of lower control arm on one side will be dependant on that part's position on the other side. Always best to isolate side from side.

 

what is your ride height now? from center of wheel to apex of wheel arch.

 

Haven't put it all back together yet, and still have the other side to do. With work and class, I probably won't have an answer until the end of the week.

 

Follow up question--is it a dumb idea to put some kind of lubricant on the sleeves of the upper control arm bushes? I was thinking of using silicone grease (won't eat the rubber, may help against corrosion), pushing the fulcrum bolt through, and then cleaning off the end bit before reinstalling the nut (instinct tells me to use blue loctite on the end--should I follow that instinct?).

When I took the fulcrum bolt out to begin with, it was clearly binding on the front-facing bushing. I'd like to avoid this problem in the future if at all possible, as I didn't particularly enjoy the 2.5 hours it took me to get that bolt out.

 

I know what you mean about binding. I've read how many of us, especially those with poly bushes favor lubeing. Additionally I take a minute or 2 or 3 and polish the grime and corrosion off the fulcrum bolts. Fit a ratchet to your 1/2 inch drill. Insert the bolt head, take some metal polish, apply to smooth section of bolt, wrap a rag and turn the drill on. Knowing me I probably used a piece of 1 or 2,000 grit sandpaper too, I've got a bunch of that laying around, but I'm sure either will work.

Polished shiny, didn't remove any metal.

Last time I removed this bolt it took about 10 minutes, what a difference. Good luck.

John

 

I think you will find they are lubed. The OEM jag upper control arm bushes are more of a bearing than traditional metal bonded suspension bushes in that there is no rotational force applied to the rubber component, pretty much like the poly bushes use steel sleeves.
As far as the fulcrum bolt is concerned l use nickel anti seize paste along it's full length.

 

Thanks, guys. It looks like the old bushes had become warped due to corrosion build up, and the front one had warped enough to bind on the bolt (even after taking the bushing out, the fulcrum bolt wouldn't slide through). After popping them out, I cleaned up the control arm, lubed it, put some extra great in the bushing sleeves, and buttoned everything up.

The bolt itself was (somehow) corrosion free, so I didn't have to do much cleaning there. Took about 1 minute to slide it back in, even with the alignment washers.

stevepaa, my front ride height is now at 15.75in, give or take a hundredth. After seeing the state of the old springs, I'm not sure I would have gotten fully back into spec without new ones.