THIRDGEN FRONT SUSPENSION REBUILD |
Overview |
Here are the items that I decided to replace when I did my front suspension rebuild:
Control arm bushings
Ball joints
Springs
Struts
All hardware
When I decided to rebuild the front suspension on my car I didn't how much of a job it would end up being. I figured I could take care of all of the above things in only a few days of work. I couldn't have been more wrong. Had everything come apart the way that I had wanted, it would have been a relatively straight forward job, easily done in a single weekend. But, when you're talking about parts that have probably been on there for 15+ years, it's not that simple. Look below for details on each individual part of the job.
If you plan on doing much work on the suspension of your Thirdgen, then you better get ready for a lot of bloody knuckles and a lot of swearing. Those bolts and suspension pieces have probably been on the car for quite a few years, and they won't want to budge. Here are some tools that you will want to make sure that you have handy:
Sockets - Make sure that you have a lot of relatively large sockets on hand. Mine were all metric, so I bet that yours will be too. Not only did i use these for their intended purpose, but I ended up using a couple as spacers to get my control arm bushings apart.
Drive Tools - Ratchets, Breaker Bars, etc. The bigger the better.
Penetrating Oil - To try to loosen the bolts, spray the hell out of them with liquid wrench or something like it. Let it sit, and go for it.
Air-Powered Impact Tools - I have an impact wrench that I used, but honestly, it didn't help much. I did use it to save some time, but for the bolts that are REALLY stuck, it didn't do a damn thing. But still, it is nice to have.
Spring Compressor - Not the McPherson Strut compressor that all the parts stores try to tell you that you need. The one that goes up through the middle of the spring.
Front Suspension Service Tool - Also known as a Ball Joint Tool. If you've never seen one before, it's basically a pretty big, heavy duty c-clamp with a bunch of different attachments.
Control Arm Bushings |
Installation Notes |
Hardware Required |
Springs |
Installation Notes |
Hardware Required |
Struts |
Installation Notes |
Ball Joint |
Installation Notes |