Lower Control Arm Assembly

ASSEMBLY- FRONT ISOLATOR BUSHING
To perform removal and replacement of the lower control arm isolator bushings, the lower control arm must be removed from the vehicle.





1. Mount Bushing Installer, Special Tool 6876 on screw portion of Remover/Installer Special Tool C-4212-F (Fig. 31).
2. Start front bushing into lower control arm by hand, making sure it is square with its mounting hole in the lower control arm. Bushing is to be installed in lower control arm from the machined surface side of lower control arm bushing hole.
3. Install lower control arm on Special Tools assembled for installation of front isolator bushing into lower control arm (Fig. 31). Be sure Special Tool 6758 is square on lower control arm and Special Tool 6876 is positioned correctly on isolator bushing.
4. Tighten screw on Remover/Installer Special Tool C-4212-F pressing front bushing into lower control arm. Continue pressing front bushing into lower control arm until bushing is sitting flush on the machined surface of the lower control arm. This will correctly position front bushing in lower control arm.
5. Install lower control arm assembly back on vehicle.

ASSEMBLY- REAR ISOLATOR BUSHING
To perform removal and replacement of the lower control arm isolator bushings, the lower control arm must be removed from the vehicle.





1. Start rear bushing into lower control arm by hand, making sure it is square with its mounting hole in the lower control arm. Bushing is to be installed from the machined surface side of lower control arm bushing hole, with the void in rubber portion of bushing facing away from ball joint (Fig. 32).





2. Mount Bushing Installer, Special Tool 6760 on screw portion of Remover/Installer Special Tool C-4212-F (Fig. 33).
3. Install Special Tools assembled for installation of rear isolator bushing into lower control arm on the lower control arm. Be sure Special Tool 6756 is square on lower control arm and Special Tool 6760 is positioned correctly on isolator bushing (Fig. 33).
4. Tighten screw on Remover/Installer Special Tool C-4212-F pressing rear bushing into lower control arm. Continue pressing rear bushing into lower control arm until bushing is sitting flush on the machined surface (Fig. 33) of the lower control arm. This will correctly position rear bushing in lower control arm.
5. Install lower control arm assembly back on vehicle.

ASSEMBLY- CLEVIS BUSHING
To perform removal and replacement of the lower control arm clevis bushing, the lower control arm must be removed from the vehicle.
1. Start clevis bushing into lower control arm by hand, making sure it is square with its mounting hole in the lower control arm. Bushing is to be installed in lower control arm from the machined surface side of lower control arm bushing hole.





2. Mount Bushing Installer, Special Tool 6877 on screw portion of Remover/Installer Special Tool C-4212-F as shown in (Fig. 34).
3. Install the assembled special tools for installing the clevis bushing into the lower control arm, on the lower control arm and clevis bushing (Fig. 34). Be sure Special Tool 6876 is square on lower control arm and Special Tool 6877 is positioned correctly on clevis bushing (Fig. 34).
4. Tighten screw on Remover/Installer Special Tool C-4212-F pressing clevis bushing into lower control arm. Continue pressing clevis bushing into lower control arm until bushing is sitting flush with the machined surface of the lower control arm. This will correctly position the clevis bushing in the lower control arm.
5. Install lower control arm assembly back on vehicle.

INSTALLATION








1. Position rear of lower control arm into front suspension crossmember first, then install front of lower control arm in front suspension crossmember. Install bolts and nuts attaching front and rear of lower control arm to front suspension crossmember (Fig. 27) (Fig. 26). Do not tighten front attaching bolt at this time. Tighten lower control arm rear attaching nut and bolt (Fig. 26) to 95 Nm (70 ft. lbs.) torque.





2. Install lower control arm ball joint stud into steering knuckle. Install the steering knuckle to ball joint stud castle nut (Fig. 21). Do not tighten nut at this time.





CAUTION: When installing tie rod on steering knuckle, the heat shield (Fig. 35) must be installed. If heat shield is not installed, tie rod seal boot can fail due to excessive heat from brake rotor.

3. Install outer tie rod stud into steering knuckle. Start outer tie rod-to-steering knuckle attaching nut onto tie rod stud. While holding stud of tie rod end stationary, tighten nut using a crowfoot and 11/32 socket. Tighten nut to 61 Nm (45 ft. lbs.) torque (Fig. 35).





4. Tighten lower control arm ball joint castle nut to 74 Nm (55 ft. lbs.) torque. Install cotter pin (Fig. 21).
5. Position stabilizer bar link into its lower control arm mounting hole.











6. Align stabilizer bar bushing clamp with mounting holes in front suspension crossmember and body of vehicle. Install and tighten bushing clamp mounting bolts to 61 Nm (45 ft. lbs.) torque (Fig. 25).
7. Install and tighten stabilizer bar link-to-lower control arm nut to 102 Nm (75 ft. lbs.) torque. When tightening nut, hold stud of link from turning using an alien wrench (Fig. 24).
8. Align shock absorber clevis with bushing in lower control arm and install thru-bolt and nut (Fig. 23). Do not tighten nut at this time.





CAUTION: When supporting lower control arm with jack stand, do not position jack stand under the ball joint cap on the lower control arm. Position stand in area of lower control arm shown (Fig. 36).

9. Position a jack stand under lower control arm, so that when arm is lowered onto it, vehicle will be at curb height (Fig. 36).
10. Lower vehicle with jack stand positioned under lower control arm (Fig. 36). Continue to lower vehicle until total weight of that corner of vehicle is supported by jack stand and lower control arm.

CAUTION: When tightening the thru-bolt and nut, do not turn the bolt in the clevis. The serrations on the bolt and the hole in the clevis will be damaged.

11. With the vehicle's suspension at curb height, tighten the clevis-to-lower control arm bushing thru bolt nut (Fig. 23) to 88 Nm (65 ft. lbs.) torque.
12. Tighten front lower control arm nut and bolt (Fig. 27) to 182 Nm (135 ft. lbs.) torque.
13. Raise vehicle and remove jack stand from under lower control arm.
14. Install wheel and tire assembly. Install wheel mounting (lug) nuts and progressively tighten in proper sequence to 135 Nm (100 ft. lbs.) torque.
15. Lower vehicle.
16. Check wheel alignment specifications and set front toe to preferred specifications.