Removal

1. Raise vehicle on jack stands or centered on a frame contact type hoist.
2. Remove wheel and tire assembly from location on front of vehicle requiring upper control arm removal.

Fig. 6:

3. Remove the wheel speed sensor cable routing bracket from the steering knuckle.

Fig. 7:

4. Remove the cotter pin and castle nut from the upper ball joint stud.





5. Remove the upper ball joint stud from the steering knuckle using Puller, Special Tool, C-3894-A, or equivalent. Pull steering knuckle outward and position toward the rear of the front wheel opening.





6. Remove bolt attaching shock absorber clevis to the shock absorber.

Fig. 10:

CAUTION: When removing the shock absorber clevis to lower control arm thru-bolt do not turn the thru-bolt in the clevis. The serrations on the bolt and the clevis will be damaged.

7. Remove the nut and thru-bolt attaching the shock absorber clevis to the lower control arm.
8. Remove the clevis from the shock absorber by carefully tapping it off the shock absorber using a soft (brass) drift.





9. Remove the 4 bolts attaching the upper control arm/shock absorber mounting bracket to the shock tower of the vehicle.
10. Remove the shock absorber and upper control arm mounting bracket as an assembly from the vehicle.

CAUTION: Do not clamp the shock absorber in a vise by the body of the shock absorber. The clevis bracket must be reinstalled on the shock absorber clamped in the vise using the clevis bracket.





11. Install clevis bracket back on shock absorber and tighten pinch bolt. Then using the clevis bracket, clamp the shock absorber assembly in vise, with shock absorber in a vertical position.

WARNING:
- Do not remove shock absorber rod nut, before shock absorber coil spring is compressed, removing spring tension from upper control arm/shock absorber mounting bracket.

- When compressing coil spring for removal from shock absorber, the first full top and bottom coil of the coil spring must be captured by the jaws of the coil spring compressor.

Compressing Shock Absorber Coil Spring:

12. Compress shock absorber coil spring, using Pentastar Services Equipment Spring Compressor, 7521-A, or equivalent. Be sure the spring compressor is fitted with a top and bottom attachment shoe that correctly fit the coil spring used on this shock absorber.





13. Hold the rod of the shock absorber from rotating using Shock Absorber Socket, Snap-On A136 or an equivalent. Then remove the shock absorber shaft nut.





14. Remove the washer from shock absorber rod.





15. Remove the shock absorber/upper control arm mounting bracket from the shock absorber assembly.

CAUTION: The top and bottom bushings for the shock absorber rod are unique to the position which they are installed on the rod. When removing the bushings from the rod, attention must be paid to their location so they will be installed correctly when shock absorber is assembled.





16. Remove the shock absorber rod upper isolator bushing from the shock absorber/upper control arm mounting bracket.





17. Remove the shock absorber rod lower isolator bushing and sleeve from the shock absorber/ upper control arm mounting bracket. Then remove upper spring isolator from mounting bracket.





18. Remove the 2 bolts attaching the upper control arm to the bushings in the upper control arm mounting bracket.
19. Remove the upper control arm from the mounting bracket.