bavarian06

I finally got the parts in and I'm hoping to complete the install this weekend. How much time do you think I should allocate for each job (replace front control arm bushing and change just the front springs)?

Removing the front lower control arm seems pretty straight forward. Two long bolts plus the one that's caster eccentric right? I was thinking of leaving that alone and removing it from the top where it connects to the ball joint. Tools for the job I have a hacksaw, air-chisel, c-lamp, rubber hammer, torch.

For replacing the front springs, it looks like two bolts at the bottom of the shock that holds it to the uprights and four ontop of the shock tower. Seemily striaghtforwad, just slide the whole thing out once its unbolted?

But with all the yrs of DIY, nothing is ever straight-forward , not even things as a simple HID retrofit (had to drill the H1 housing to fit the xenon bulb in).

FD Motorsports

This may help on the bushings:
http://www.fdmotorsports.net/Control...%20Install.pdf

bavarian06

thanks, i printed that out already =]

i'm just watching out for potential snags along the install process.

deekay911

It's easy and safe to remove the caster eccentric, go that way. I had access to a light press to get the old large bushing out (the smaller ones you will have to cold chisel but doesn't take more than 5 mins each side for that one). Without the press the large bush can be a pig from what I have read here. With the press, 20 mins to make a stand for the arm, then 30 secs and out.

johnsjmc

I think you will need to be able to compress the spring after removing the strut to change just the spring. If changing strut with spring you can just bolt it in

targagr

I just finished installing bushings yesterday. Not a difficult job just needs patience. The only thing i had my mechanic do is remove the front bushing with a press...i had a hard time sawing through the rubber. With a press bushing came out nice. No issue removing or reinstalling control arm. Be prepared to get that sticky stuff everywhere....i used up the whole jar. I removed the castor eccentric since i am going for an alignment anyways. Very straightforward job it just takes time.

bavarian06

http://www.homedepot.com/Tools-Hardw...atalogId=10053



i just went and bought one of these for the job; figure my c-clamps wouldnt generate enough force. hopefully it will work. anyone have any idea how wide of a mouth i would need? hopefully the thickness of the control arm+bushing wont exceed 4.5"

as for the springs, i have spring compressors.

funbug

My Chris Walrod bushings arrived today. Will hopefully install them shortly.

e9stibi

You missed the "fun part"...

If you do it the old fashioned way without press, make sure that you cut TWO grooves about 8mm apart and to make the cuts deep enough. Be patient here but the "reward" is enormous. You can chisel down and open it like a fish can. And get a good chisel set with SHARP chisels.

chris walrod

You really dont need a spring compressor to change springs/dampers. The springs on the 993 are not preloaded like on other cars.

bavarian06

interesting... but the car is running motons. changing out the front springs for different spring rates. who knows, maybe i wont need it, fingers crossed (hate working with spring compressors; a little better now that i have air-tools).

GARY 95 993

I just replaced mine a couple of weeks ago with no problems, pretty straight forward. Just make sure you completley cut through the old bushing before you try and drive it out of the A arm. Plan on 4-5 hours.

bavarian06

what a pig of a job. removing the control arms off the car wasn't hard. i removed it by unbolting the caster centric bolt as everyone suggested but i still think its easier to remove it from the ball joint nut sitting ontop of the upright (just a little harder to get to).

however, removing the old bushing was a POS. my front bushings were tearing only slightly so it was really difficult to punch out the top hat sleeve. after 2hrs of cursing and trying to chisel it out with an air hammer, i gave up and took it to a shop. apparently they had a hard time as well since it took them 2hrs to complete both sides.

unfortunately i couldnt watch them perform the job cause i come to find out they reversed two of the sleeves! i was trying to drive the bolt back through the sleeves to reconnect the control arm to the car but it just wouldnt take. i was reluctant to yank them out since lining up the tunnel from the sleeves through the control arm was so difficult. in the end, i still had to. bottomline, make sure the sleeves are orientated properly and are really pressed in or it will be really difficult to put the control arms back on. most shops will press them for under $100 bucks, worth it IMO unless you have a lot more time than money.

btw, anyone have the torque specs on the two 19mm bolts? i noticed if you over-tighten it, it whole assembly doesnt want to pivot.

after this, changing the springs was like a walk through the park.

chaoscreature

65 Ft-lbs for a grade 8.8, 90 ft-lbs for a 10.9
If the head of the bolt isn't marked I would play it safe and stick with the lower torque spec.

The torch in combination with Using a die grinder/carbide burr to cut the inside of the bushing apart worked very well for me. The bench vise should have plenty of pressue to install the new bushings.
A long tapered drift punch is useful for aligning stubborn bushings so you can slide the bolts through.
Good luck on the rest of your install.

bavarian06

that's what i did at first, 65ft-lbs factoring its size. but at those rates, the bolts pinched the control arm to the body and barely allows it to pivot up and down at ease. i just hand tightened to what i felt was secure.