Thread: How-to change lower control arms

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  1. #41 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    Killa Bee Scottydoggs's Avatar
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    find a new shop, and do tell everyone what shop you went to so people in your area can avoid them.

    98 Buick Regal GS, F body brakes, Caddy STS wheels, tinted tails L36 bottom end, lightly ported heads, 1.95 roller rockers, headers, gen 5 N* 3.0 pulley, FSIC, 42 lb injectors, a BrandonHall rebuilt trans, DHP tuned and AEM water/Meth injection https://goo.gl/gpV5kW
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  2. #42 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    Turbo is the way to go. REDCRAPGP's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by dsmuts View Post
    Take it to a different shop they are probably just lazy
    This. Lazy mechanic I'm sure someone else would like to earn your money.
    Squirrels are my engine. I need a Ford Regal
    04 Comp G.
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  3. #43 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    GT Level Member tdm571's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by joe0813 View Post
    be careful on the bolt with the torx bit.... some strip out... and some like on mine freeze to the bushing and wont come out. when this happens what i did was cut the bolt with my snap on straight cut off wheel and then go to a hardware store and got a grade 8 bolt and nut. MAKE SURE ITS A HARDENED STEEL BOLT!!... or if you dont want to cut the bolt... carefully cut the sleeve with a cut off wheel vertical and stick a pry bar in between it so it wont spin on you. But your better off just cutting it on and getting rid of the dumb torx bolt anyway
    I just attempted to change my LCA's and sure enough mine are seized in the sleeves. I'm going to cut them out and get some new bolts without the torx head. Other than grade 8, what are the specs for the nut and bolt? Also, what type of blade do I need for my reciprocating saw to cut it out?
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  4. #44 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    Turbo is the way to go. BillBoost37's Avatar
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    Go grade 10 or better. You are going to need a serious blade...those are hard bolts.

    I'd soak the hell outta them with pb/whatever for a day and keep pounding at them here and there to free them up.
    I drink..so consider that when reading my posts.

    2010 Audi A6 Dual IC's
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  5. #45 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    GTP Level Member Burbman's Avatar
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    Angle grinder with a cut-off wheel might work better here. I've never found a great quality metal blade for the recip saw, you may go through multiple blades sawing off these bolts.

    Before that, how big of a breaker bar have you tried using?
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  6. #46 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    GT Level Member tdm571's Avatar
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    I was able to cut thru the bolt. I only dulled two blades. The size of the bolt is M14-2.00 90mm. I used a metric 10.9 grade bolt which is the equivalent of a grade 8. I also decided to upgrade the sway bar while I was at it. There's a huge difference in the tightness of the steering. Glad I did it.
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  7. #47 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    GT Level Member Shiftingshaddow's Avatar
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    i would recommend cutting the bolt that is on the front bushing of the control arm--the one closest to the front of the car--if you cant get it out with a breaker bar and and a cheater bar. i know the last post on this was a year ago, but i did this job yesterday. its not a complicated job, but i decided to read the forum this morning to see what it said as i had a heck of a time getting that bolt out. it took two hours of heating and banging on it. i actually split the end of the cheater bar i was bashing on to get this bolt out. i put the cheater bar through the top of the hood and bashed down on that bolt very hard repeatedly. the only reason i didnt cut it is because i was in the middle of nowhere and i didnt have a replacement bolt. absolutely buy the above mentioned bolt before you do this job just in case you need it while on site; and have several good sawzall blades. the factory bolt is thick and hard as is the sleeve around it (that is what the bolt is seized to).
    2001 GTP Special Edition
    ZZP DP with Cat, Open Cone Intake, ZZP 1.0 PCM, 3.4 pulley, AL 104s, Rocker Panel Delete.....
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  8. #48 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    Moderator dsmuts's Avatar
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    I've done a dozen or so without having to do that but there is always that pain in the ass one lol
    98 GTP modded 1.9's, sd headers, 3.4", zzp 1.0 230K miles scrapped.
    04 Comp G zzp stb's, UMI ta's, Speedbuilt sways, bully flo heads, XP, zzp headers, fsic, thrasher shift kit, 60#, 2.6" corsa 2.5", Inferno hood
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  9. #49 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    GT Level Member Shiftingshaddow's Avatar
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    i did the other side today and it was easy. no issues at all. just wacky how that works. it might have been replaced at some point, though.
    2001 GTP Special Edition
    ZZP DP with Cat, Open Cone Intake, ZZP 1.0 PCM, 3.4 pulley, AL 104s, Rocker Panel Delete.....
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  10. #50 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    SE Level Member fmayo's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tdm571 View Post
    I was able to cut thru the bolt. I only dulled two blades. The size of the bolt is M14-2.00 90mm. I used a metric 10.9 grade bolt which is the equivalent of a grade 8. I also decided to upgrade the sway bar while I was at it. There's a huge difference in the tightness of the steering. Glad I did it.
    I'm getting ready to do this job on my '06 GP base. Does anyone know all the bolt sizes for the LCA? I'd like to replace them all when I swap them out but would like to have them on hand. The car is my daily drive so I'm not running to the store once I start tearing things apart.
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  11. #51 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    Killa Bee Scottydoggs's Avatar
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    21 mm iirc. you can turn the wheels to do a check before starting the job. you will also need a torx t55 on some cars, check the bolt head for a star inside it.

    98 Buick Regal GS, F body brakes, Caddy STS wheels, tinted tails L36 bottom end, lightly ported heads, 1.95 roller rockers, headers, gen 5 N* 3.0 pulley, FSIC, 42 lb injectors, a BrandonHall rebuilt trans, DHP tuned and AEM water/Meth injection https://goo.gl/gpV5kW
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  12. #52 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    SE Level Member fmayo's Avatar
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    Thanks. Why they used a torx bolt I'll never know. Surprised too that new bolts don't come with the arm...I'm in Massachusetts and everything under there is rusted and fused.
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  13. #53 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    Killa Bee Scottydoggs's Avatar
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    super rust. good chance they will still be ok. wont know till you try. spray the threads, bolt heads and nuts with penetrating oil for a few days before the job. (every night) PB blaster and such. will help out in the long run.

    98 Buick Regal GS, F body brakes, Caddy STS wheels, tinted tails L36 bottom end, lightly ported heads, 1.95 roller rockers, headers, gen 5 N* 3.0 pulley, FSIC, 42 lb injectors, a BrandonHall rebuilt trans, DHP tuned and AEM water/Meth injection https://goo.gl/gpV5kW
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  14. #54 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    Moderator dsmuts's Avatar
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    I had no problem on my super rusty 98 with 230k miles of IN and OH winters
    98 GTP modded 1.9's, sd headers, 3.4", zzp 1.0 230K miles scrapped.
    04 Comp G zzp stb's, UMI ta's, Speedbuilt sways, bully flo heads, XP, zzp headers, fsic, thrasher shift kit, 60#, 2.6" corsa 2.5", Inferno hood
    01 gt z7 turbo tep trans zzp motor
    08 g8 gt cam exhaust 11.87@118
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  15. #55 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    GrandPrix Junkie HighOctaneRacing's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fmayo View Post
    Thanks. Why they used a torx bolt I'll never know. Surprised too that new bolts don't come with the arm...I'm in Massachusetts and everything under there is rusted and fused.
    Where in Mass?
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  16. #56 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    SE Level Member fmayo's Avatar
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    I'm working in Mansfield now; just down the road from Foxboro.
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  17. #57 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    GrandPrix Junkie HighOctaneRacing's Avatar
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    Too far otherwise I'd help you out lol
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  18. #58 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    SE Level Member fmayo's Avatar
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    Appreciate it...just finding this thread was a huge help. Rides an '06 with 112k so everything is starting to go. One of the rear struts died a spectacular death the other day...so that's next.
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  19. #59 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    GTX Level Member SomeDudeAtHome's Avatar
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    I used this write up and it made everything SO much easier! And for the rust bolts I just used a fair amount of wd-40 and they all came off pretty easily. I have a 98 that's seen every Buffalo winter since then and they were rusty but i didn't break or have to cut anything.
    Black 98 GT bought in summer of 2009 w/28K miles- GTX Rims, Retrofit headlights, tinted tails, 20% tint all around, KYB Excel-G's, WBS Lowering Springs, 33mm Dorman front sway bar, 22mm Addco rear sway bar, BMR trailing arms, BMR STBs front and rear, ZZP control arms, Poly motor mounts, ZZP CAI, Thrasher shift kit
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  20. #60 Re: How-to change lower control arms 
    SE Level Member fmayo's Avatar
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    Finished the job last night and it all went well. Thanks to Dsmuts for the thread! One question for anyone out there: I installed the Dorman LCA'a with the sway bar mount but still have the original type sway bar with end links mounting to the strut. The sway bar had been replaced by the former owner and looks of good quality so I didn't want to switch it out. Anyway, the mount on the LCA is pretty close to the end link where it mounts to the sway bar. Has anyone out there run their car this way? Any issues where the mount & link come in contact?
    Last edited by fmayo; 07-13-2014 at 08:14 AM.
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