Front Cross-Member: Service and Repair
REMOVALFRONT SUSPENSION CROSSMEMBER
CAUTION: If the front suspension crossmember is being replaced due to collision damage, inspect the steering column lower coupling for damage.
REMOVAL
1. Raise the vehicle. Refer to Vehicle Lifting.
2. Remove both front tire and wheel assemblies from the vehicle.
Fig. 10:
3. Remove both stabilizer bar links from the vehicle (Fig. 10). Remove each link by holding the upper retainer/nut with a wrench and turning the link bolt.
4. Remove the stabilizer bar cushion retainer bolts and retainers (Fig. 10), and remove the stabilizer bar with cushions attached from the vehicle.
Fig. 11:
5. Remove the nut and pinch bolt clamping each ball joint stud to the steering knuckle (Fig. 11).
CAUTION: After removing the steering knuckle from the ball joint stud, do not pull outward on the knuckle. Pulling the steering knuckle outward at this point can separate the inner CN joint on the driveshaft.
NOTE: Use caution when separating the ball joint stud from the steering knuckle, so the ball joint seal does not get cut.
Fig. 12:
6. Separate each ball joint stud from the steering knuckle by prying down on lower control arm and up against the ball joint boss on the steering knuckle (Fig. 12).
7. Remove the two screws securing the cooler to the front suspension crossmember. They are located behind the cooler and can be accessed from above.Allow the cooler to hang out of the way.
8. Using wire or cord, support and tie off the power steering gear to the underbody of the vehicle, so when the crossmember is lowered, the gear does not fall away being held to the vehicle by only the steering column coupler and the fluid hoses.
Fig. 13:
9. Loosen and remove the four bolts attaching the power steering gear to the front suspension crossmember (Fig. 13). Remove the power steering gear from the front suspension crossmember.
10. Remove the drive-belt splash shield fasteners. Remove the shield.
Fig. 14:
11. Remove the pencil strut from the right front corner of the crossmember and body of the vehicle (Fig. 14). Remove the washer behind the strut from the torque strut bolt.
12. Remove the bolts mounting the engine torque strut in place (Fig. 14), then remove the engine torque strut from the vehicle.
NOTE: Before removing the front suspension cross-member from the vehicle, the location of the crossmember must be scribed on the body of the vehicle (Fig. 9). Do this so that the crossmember can be relocated upon reinstallation against the body of vehicle in the same location as before removal. If the front suspension crossmember is not reinstalled in exactly the same location as before removal, the preset front wheel alignment settings (caster and camber) will be lost.
Fig. 15:
13. Using an awl, scribe a line (Fig. 15) marking the location of where the front suspension crossmember is mounted against the body of the vehicle.
14. Position a transmission jack under the center of the front suspension crossmember and raise it to support the bottom of the crossmember.
Fig. 16:
15. Loosen and completely remove the two front bolts (one right and one left) attaching the front suspension crossmember to the frame rails of vehicle.The right side bolt can be viewed in the mounting bolt figure (Fig. 16). The left side bolt is located in the same location on the other side of the vehicle.
16. Loosen the two rear bolts (one right and one left) attaching the front suspension crossmember and lower control arms to the body of the vehicle until they release from the threaded tapping plates in the body of the vehicle. Remove the rear bolts from the body of the vehicle, but do not completely remove the rear bolts because they are designed to disengage from the body threads yet stay within the lower control arm rear isolator bushing. This allows the lower control arm to stay in place on the crossmember. The right side bolt can be viewed in the mounting bolt figure (Fig. 16). The left side bolt is located in the same location on the other side of the vehicle.
17. Lower the front suspension crossmember.
18. Remove each lower control arm from the crossmember by removing the front pivot bolt.
INSTALLATION
1. Install the lower control arms on the front suspension crossmember. Install the pivot bolts, but do not completely tighten them at this time.
2. Using the transmission jack, raise the front suspension crossmember and lower control arms until the crossmember contacts its mounting spot against the body and frame rails of the vehicle. As the crossmember is raised, carefully guide the power steering gear into mounting position.
3. Start the two rear crossmember mounting bolts into the tapping plates mounted in the body. The right side bolt can be viewed in the mounting bolt figure (Fig. 16). The left side bolt is located in the same location on the other side of the vehicle. Next, install the two front mounting bolts attaching front suspension crossmember to frame rails of vehicle. Lightly tighten all four mounting bolts to a approximately 2 N.m (20 in.lbs.) to hold the front suspension crossmember in position.
NOTE: When reinstalling the front suspension crossmember back in the vehicle, it is very important that the crossmember be attached to the body in exactly the same spot as when it was removed. Otherwise, the vehicle's wheel alignment settings (caster and camber) will be lost.
4. Using a soft face hammer, tap the front suspension crossmember back-and-forth or side-to-side until it is aligned with the previously scribed positioning marks on the body of the vehicle (Fig. 15). Once the front suspension crossmember is correctly positioned, tighten the rear two crossmember mounting bolts to a torque of 203 N.m (150 ft.lbs.), then tighten the front two crossmember mounting bolts to a torque of 142 N.m (105 ft.lbs.).
5. Tighten the lower control arm front pivot bolts to a torque of 163 N.m (120 ft.lbs.).
6. Attach the steering gear to the front suspension crossmember (Fig. 13). Install the four power steering gear mounting bolts. Tighten the mounting bolts to a torque of 61 N.m (45 ft.lbs.).
7. Remove the wire or cord suspending the power steering gear to the underbody.
8. Install the two screws securing the cooler to the front suspension crossmember. They are located behind the cooler.
9. Install each ball joint stud into the steering knuckle aligning the bolt hole in the knuckle boss with the notch formed in the side of the ball joint stud.
10. Install a new ball joint stud pinch bolt and nut (Fig. 11). Tighten the nut to a torque of 95 N.m (70 ft.lbs.).
11. Install the engine torque strut and mounting bolts (Fig. 14). To properly align and tighten the torque strut. Refer to Engine Mount.
12. Install the washer on the end of the stud extending from the torque strut bolt (Fig. 14).
13. Install the pencil strut to the right front corner of the crossmember and body of the vehicle (Fig. 14). Tighten the pencil strut nuts to a torque of 58 N.m (43 ft.lbs.).
14. Install the drive-belt splash shield and fasteners.
Fig. 17:
NOTE: Before installing the stabilizer bar, make sure the bar is not upsidedown. The stabilizer bar must be installed with the curve on the outboard ends of the bar facing downward to clear the control arms once fully installed (Fig. 17).
15. First, place the stabilizer bar in position on the front suspension crossmember. The slits in each cushion must point toward the front of the vehicle and sit directly on top of the raised beads formed into the stamping on the crossmember. Next, install the cushion retainers, matching the raised beads formed into the cushion retainers to the grooves formed into the cushions. Install the cushion retainer bolts, but do not completely tighten them at this time.
16. Install both stabilizer bar links back on vehicle (Fig. 10). Start each stabilizer bar link bolt with bushing from the bottom, through the stabilizer bar, inner link bushings, lower control arm, and into the upper retainer/nut and bushing. Do not fully tighten the link assemblies at this time.
17. Install the tire and wheel assemblies back on vehicle. Tighten the wheel mounting nuts to 135 N.m (100 ft.lbs.) torque.
18. Lower the vehicle.
NOTE: It may be necessary to put the vehicle on a platform hoist or alignment rack to gain access to the stabilizer bar mounting bolts with the vehicle at curb height.
19. Tighten each stabilizer bar link by holding the upper retainer/nut with a wrench and turning the link bolt. Tighten each link bolt to a torque of 23 N.m (200 in.lbs.).
20. Tighten the stabilizer bar cushion retainer bolts to a torque of 34 N.m (300 in.lbs.).
21. Check the front wheel alignment on the vehicle.