guys, help with upper control arm...please!

red Supercoupe

Registered User
Guys, my driver side upper control arm needs to be replaced as the rubber is shot. It even pulls when I brake towards the driver's side.
I just need a step by step procedure on how to remove and install a new upper control arm.
Thanks guys!
 
Its pretty easy (1/2 - 1 hour) if you have the right extensions for your ratchet. Here are the steps borrowed from other posts:

1. Loosen lug nuts, jack up car, insert jack stand, remove wheel.

2. Loosen pinch bolt nut and back almost all the way off.
Hammer on the bolt till it pops out, finish removing the nut and remove the pinch bolt. Hammer the sides of the arm up until the stud pops out.

3. Knock the tabs off the frame bolts by knocking them back and forth with a screwdriver. To Loosen the bolts, you can reach behind the spring with an extension, socket, and ratchet. Use a backup wrench on the nut and a breaker bar on the ratchet (1/2" drive recommended). The only one which is tricky to get to is the rear nut on the passenger side. Go underneath and you can see it clear as day.
All you need is a little grip on the nut as its a backup wrench. It doesn't even need to fit tight.

4. Remove both bolts, remove the arm.

5. Install new arm and hammer balljoint stud into the spindle.
Do not torque the frame bolts just yet. Torque the pinch nut (Not the bolt!) to 60 lbs.

6. Raise the whole assembly by using a jack under the lower arm until the car just starts to come off the jack stand. Torque the frame bolts or nuts to 80 lbs.

7. lower the jack, install the wheel, lower the car, torque the lug nuts.

On the driver side, if you can't reach the front nut, you might have to move the washer reservoir out of the way. For the rear, just reach in below the HCU and feel around with a wrench.
 
You're lucky guy because the passenger side control arm is much more tougher to do, because there's so much less space to turn the wrench. I changed my passenger side arm in 3hours.
 
Uhm I can do both sides in 27minutes and have the back on the ground with both tires bolted up and center caps back on.
 
Of course one needs to ask why? If the seals, aka rubber boots, are in good condition, that is pliable and not cracked, then the grease contained inside the part is good for life. Dirt, water stay out... grease stays in... ball joint lasts forever. Its when the seals get dry and brittle and crack that problems happen. Grease gets out... water+dirt get in... wear occurs and regreasing just buys you some time as it too gets out again. I'm not sure, but I think the replacements use a siliconized rubber, its clear, and I'll tell you all in about 5 years how well it holds up compared to the OEM part ;)
 
Passenger side rear bolt and nut problem

Its pretty easy (1/2 - 1 hour) if you have the right extensions for your ratchet.

...

3. Knock the tabs off the frame bolts by knocking them back and forth with a screwdriver. To Loosen the bolts, you can reach behind the spring with an extension, socket, and ratchet. Use a backup wrench on the nut and a breaker bar on the ratchet (1/2" drive recommended). The only one which is tricky to get to is the rear nut on the passenger side. Go underneath and you can see it clear as day.
All you need is a little grip on the nut as its a backup wrench. It doesn't even need to fit tight.

...

I had to pause the work on the removal of the UCA because I haven't been able to get the rear bolt loose.
I can't get a grip on the bolt head since the corners are rounded, and I can't find a 6 point wrench. Also there is no room for a socket... Maybe I will have to remove the shock/suspension unit to get at it?
It's kind of difficult to reach the nut too, there is the AC stuff in the way. Wouldn't like to dismantle that...

Anyway the bolts are said to be replaced... all 3 I guess? I don't have any replacements. Could the old ones still be used?
 
It's kind of difficult to reach the nut too, there is the AC stuff in the way. Wouldn't like to dismantle that...

Anyway the bolts are said to be replaced... all 3 I guess? I don't have any replacements. Could the old ones still be used?

Raise the car and go at it from the bottom side.. that impossible to reach 18mm nut will be sitting there plain as day.

Reuse the frame bolts.. the only one thats a problem is the spindle bolt because its knurled. IF you didn't botch it up, and it still stakes out rigidly in the spindle opening, you might be able to reuse it.. but if it was twisted on removal, you shouldn't reuse it.. you need a new one. That one bolt requires the extra tension due to the stress put on that joint. A new bolt should come with each new UCA.
 
OK thanks, will try that.

Well yeah I certainly botched that one. I tried to read up about it but I never saw that mentioned, so it has been thoroughly rotated in the seat...

And no I didn't get a new one. Where would I get one of those bolts?
 
The bolts should have come with the UCA. Pretty sure I have 4 brand new bolts if you're interested in them. I see you're in Sweden. You can have them for the cost of shipping if you cannot source them locally.
 
Thank you, that's very much appreciated. It's hard to find stuff around here.

I checked the nut from under the car, and I could see it but I couldn't reach it (I don't have a 3 foot 18mm wrench :cool: ). So I ended up doing it from above, but I needed assistance to manipulate the ratchet inside the fender at the same time...
I put it together with the old bloated bolts and nuts for now. I guess I will have to deal with all the stuff under the hood that I dislodged tomorrow.
 
I've done them on two birds now. I pull the strut assembly every time. Once you have the strut out you can hold the 18MM wrench above while you ratchet below. It's difficult but it works. Let me know on the bolts.
 
I've done them on two birds now. I pull the strut assembly every time. Once you have the strut out you can hold the 18MM wrench above while you ratchet below. It's difficult but it works. Let me know on the bolts.

Or you can, you know, leave the flags on, and then all you need to do is use the 18mm ratcheting box wrench ...

RwP
 
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