Action
1. Test drive and verify customer complaint.2. Slightly loosen wheel bolts.
3. Raise car and remove wheels.
4. Check all four wheels by mounting on a balancing machine:
^ Check axial and radial runout by looking at the tire's lateral grooves to see if the runout is readily apparent.
^ Check amount of runout on each wheel by checking inner and outer rim flanges. If there is nothing wrong with the wheels and the tire is correctly fitted to the wheel, the tires must be changed. Tire = max. 1 mm; alloy wheel = max. 0.5 mm; steel wheel = max. 0.5 mm
^ Carefully balance all wheels.
If the remaining imbalance without any weights will be one ounce or more on each side, rotate the tire on the wheel 1800 and rebalance. If the remaining imbalance is still one ounce or more on both sides, the tire must be discarded.
5. Remove the cable to oxygen sensor(s).
6. Suspend engine with lifting beam (P/N 83 93 947) and foot (P/N 83 94 769).
7. Remove air shields under front spoiler.
8. Remove front exhaust pipe with three way catalytic converter.
9. Undo ball joints on left and right hand sides of steering swivel members using puller, P/N 89 96 696. See Figure 1.A.
The claw on the puller may need to be ground down to fit between ball joint and drive shaft. See Figure 2.
10. Remove two front and two rear securing bolts, P/N 43 56 666 (and washer P/N 43 33 811 if needed) and the two nuts securing the subframe. See Figure 1.B. Should you encounter difficulty in removing the rear securing bolts, see PSI 02/95-0553.
IMPORTANT
The two rear attaching bolts should be discarded and replaced with two new bolts when refitting.
WARNING!
Do not allow the subframe to hang from the two front bolts.
The frame or screws may be damaged, and there is also a danger of personal injury occurring.
11. Place engine support table J39580-SAA8 under the car and remove the two remaining center securing bolts from the subframe. See Figure 1.C.
12. Lower the subframe. Keep the two washers for the frame's rear securing bolts.
13. Remove anti-roll bar from bushings and subframe. See Figure 3.A.
14. Remove link arm and bushings from left and right-hand sides. See Figure 3.B.
15. Fit the new link arms but do not secure them.
Important
The final tightening should not take place until the car is sitting on the ground on all four wheels.
16. Install the sleeves in the rear bushings (Figure 4.C).
17. Tighten the joint to the suspension arms with Torx 55. (Figure 4.B).
Tightening torque: 115Nm (85 ft.lbs.).
18. Lubricate anti-roll bar bushings with Molycote 33 or equivalent and place anti-roll bar complete with bushings on subframe. See Figure 4.D)
19. Fit retaining clips over bushings, loosely fit bolts and place washers and rubber bushings on anti-roll bar links and fit securing nuts.
Tightening torque: 10Nm (7.4 ft.lbs.).
Note
The anti-roll bar must be installed so that the center section curves up. If it is installed upside down it can hit the exhaust when the car is in gear.
Check that the anti-roll bar ball joints have not become twisted after tightening (see Figure 4.A).
Then tighten securing bolts on retaining clamps.
Tightening torque: 26Nm (19.2 ft.lbs.).
FOR MODELS EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, see Automatic Transmission Equipped Vehicles.
FOR NON-AUTOMATIC VEHICLES, CONTINUE TO STEP 20.
IMPORTANT
Do not forget to place the two washers on the rear attachment of the subframe (see Figure 4.E).
20. Place engine support table with subframe under car and lift the subframe into place.
IMPORTANT
Do NOT use an air impact wrench.
21. Apply Loctite 242 to the two center securing bolts on the subframe and tighten them.
22. Apply Loctite 242 to all the remaining securing bolts and nuts for the subframe and tighten them.
Tightening torque: (see illustration).
23. Guide the ball joints into the steering swivel members and fit securing nuts.
Tightening torque: 75Nm (55.5 ft.lbs.).
24. Fit the front exhaust pipe complete with three way catalytic converter.
25. Fit air shields but do not tighten the bolt that holds that part of the air shield that covers the link arm attachment on the right-hand side.
26. Lower the car slightly and install the wheels.
27. Lower the car completely and torque the wheel bolts.
Tightening torque steel wheel: 90-105Nm (67-78 ft.lbs.). Tightening torque aluminum wheel: 105-130Nm (78-96 ft.lbs.)
When steel wheels are fitted, the new balanced wheel covers, P/N 45 45 729 should be installed on all wheels.
28. Remove the lifting yoke.
29. Fit cable to oxygen sensor.
30. Move the car to a lift where it stands on the wheels with suspension depressed and tighten link arm attachments.
Tightening torque: 125Nm (92.5 ft.lbs.).
31. Fit the remaining screw to the air shield that covers the link arm attachment on the righthand side.
32. Check toe-in. If necessary, adjust to 1.5 mm +/- 0.5 mm.
NOTE
This is critical. The toe-in will change when new components are installed.
33. Test drive the car and verify that the repairs are effective.