Thread: planning on replacing rear/rear lateral control arm...how difficult/easy is it?

checked both of my rear/rear lateral control arms and they're both slightly bent going to order a pair of new ones from rockauto(anyone ever use the mevotech brand?) soon. my question is, with the rear jacked up, is it an easy as unbolting the bolts on the subframe and the one on the strut and thats it since the rear/front lateral arm is already holding the strut in place?

You might not even have to lower the strut. Can't say for sure..because my struts were out when I did them. Jack and support at the drip edge. There's 4 bolts holding the subframe up. Be wary of the brake line that is clipped to it and you'll be able to get those bolts.

where's the 'drip edge'? i imagine i will do one side at a time and not disconnect both at the same time. four bolts 'holding the subframe up'? you mean 2 per side where the front/rear and rear/rear connect to the subframe? im not going to disconnect the front/rear so that'll hold the subframe in place while removing the rear/rear only correct?

You'll probably need an alignment afterwards, just fyi.

im aware of that. thanks

Drip edge is where the manual tells you to jack from to replace a tire.

There's pictures in my photobucket. Right now work did something and I can't get there..
ID: BillBoost37
psd: Boosted

To go albums, all albums and go to Regal mods, under regal mods...you should see 2000 Regal. Pics are in there. i say do it that way because something is goofy with the 2000 Regal album not showing unless you go at it that way. Never bothered to look at it.

ah ok thanks bill. im currently at work as well so i'll have to check the pictures out when i get home in the evening. hopefully taking teh old ones out isnt a PITA but i'll spray PB Blaster on the strut bolts and subframe days before i'll start working on it. there's not any threads on this forum or the other forum in regards to swapping and replacing the lateral arms/links. one other question is if i should remove the tires or not since they dont seem to be in the way but other car forums show that the tire is removed and the rotor ot whatever part is jacked up to relieve the tension off the lateral arms/links?

Ok.. Let me write you up a general procedure then.

Jack and support at the drip edges. Both sides (have the back of the car off the ground.)
Remove both rear tires
Lower back half of exhaust by unclipping the rubber supports after the catback mid car support.
Remove bolt for lateral arm at knuckles (aka by brakes) This will take pressure off it.
Unbolt sway bar from subframe 15mm.
Bring a couple more stands or blocks of wood etc to hold subframe about 2 inches lower than it currently sits. Maybe 4 inches.
Remove the 4 subframe bolts and allow it to come down to the support you put in place.
Remove bolts holding the arms you are replacing.
Swap arms and bolt subframe back into place
Reconnect laterals to knuckles
Put tires back on
Get alignment.

That's what you need to do. I would not take off the brakes (although my pics show me swapping knuckles, because I swapped to 04-08 calipers/knuckles/struts/etc etc.), or struts etc to do the job. I would do exactly as I've detailed above. If something gets in the way.. move it.

hmm im more of a visual person so i'll definitely check the photobucket pics cause the part "Bring a couple more stands or blocks of wood etc to hold subframe about 2 inches lower than it currently sits. Maybe 4 inches.
Remove the 4 subframe bolts and allow it to come down to the support you put in place.", i'm having a dyslexic time picturing it

Dyslexia is fine..cause you'll be upside down and probaby backwards while working on it.

Definately pop into the ...hey it's working!

here's the drip edge. Where it has 2-3 layers of metal..that's where you support the car.


And it's taking forever to load pages. Yawwwn
On that section you were confused on. You want to lower the rear subframe enough to get at the bolts holding the lateral arms. But you don't want to take it completely out of the car. Therefore if you lower it just enough to get to the bolts, you have a lot less work to do. Like not unhooking your brake lines etc that run and are bolted to that subframe.

Here's what I was putting on


Difference between a stock arm and what I used.


This picture is looking in from one wheel well at the rear subframe sitting on the blocks. You can see the body of the car (white) and the subframe and the distance I lowered it to do the work.


Jack stands holding up the subframe with lateral arms still attached to the subframe. That little line on the top of the subframe is the brake line I mentioned. Oh crap.. BTW, lower your exhaust in the rear. Just undo the hangers on the back half and you'll be ok.


More of that brake line and how far I lowered it.



New arms in place and subframe bolted back to body of car.


Ready to be bolted to the knuckle


And...you'll have to unbolt the sway from either the struts or the subframe. In my swap..I did it all and therefore it was all out at once. I need to update my directions list for you.


Nice shot of where I supported the car. Apparently I didn't use the drip edge on this project. I used some body structure a little further in.


All back together


See the one bolt holding the laterals in place? That's the bolt to take off that will allow no pressure etc on the subframe from being dropped.



Lemme know when you are ready for the next project in the front end...ok?

PS..updated the post with the directions.

Enjoy.

thanks bill. i didnt think you'd need to unbolt the 4 subframe bolts to lower it to get to the (rear/rear) lateral arms that is boltetd to it as well. it looked like you were replacing both front/rear and rear/rear lateral arms as well as the struts so it may had been required to lower the subframe. does it sond like im making any sense? if not then i'll shut up and follow per your instructions

It sounds like you may not have gotten under there yet and realized there's no room to get the bolts out due to the body/spare tire area in the way on the rear/rear bolts. You might be able to sneak them around by hand..but why fight if you have air tools?

Yes..I did all the arms. no more tinfoil for me.

i have no air tools

Then you may be able to do it w/o the subframe coming down. I do remember..it looks either tight or like the bolts are going to hit w/o bringing down the subframe. W/O air tools, I feel bad for ya. Best of luck, you can do it. It'll just give you a good work out.

hmm gotcha, worse case is lower the subframe enough for the bolt to clear....hopefully. ever heard of teh brand mevotech from rockauto? a forum member said he thought it was made by Moog but cheaper.

I think I have..but not any memory of experience. I'm sure it'll be perfectly fine. Look at it from this perspective, it's not bent.

If you get your car towed, that's the first thing they hook. I've seen one tow guy that hooked the subframe properly instead of bending an arm.

eww that sucks. thanks for the info bill

Np.. There isn't much I haven't taken apart or taken pics of.