Reassembling front suspension. Tips?

[PabloX]

I have the front control arms out on my '86 3.2. The've been refinished by Tru 6 (as well as all associated hardware) and I've installed Elephant rubber bushings and Rennline ball joints. So now, I have to get it all put back together. I did not remove the struts, which may have been a strategic mistake but we'll see.

Looking at the problem. it seems I need to insert the sway bar into the two control arms on the ground, and then bring all 3 components up as a unit. Then I need to get the rear into the aluminum cross member as well as the ball joint pin into the bottom of the strut. This altogether looks like a bit of *****.

Does anyone have any tips for making this easier? I used handsoap for the bushings as Elephant recommended. Same thing for getting the sway bar into the bushings on the control arms?

I'll also need a better helper.

[David Inc.]

Okay first problem is that you've clearly left too much fur on the subframe, and it's absolutely not supposed to have a tongue and a face. Man you've got a lot of work left on that one!

I'd say put the control arms up individually and then put the sway bar into the bushings (handsoap is a must). With the control arms unattached to the struts and no torsion bars in them it should be decently easy to get the sway bar in. It's always a ***** to do, though, so get ready to flex some muscle.

[PabloX]

Originally Posted by David Inc.

Okay first problem is that you've clearly left too much fur on the subframe, and it's absolutely not supposed to have a tongue and a face. Man you've got a lot of work left on that one!

I'd say put the control arms up individually and then put the sway bar into the bushings (handsoap is a must). With the control arms unattached to the struts and no torsion bars in them it should be decently easy to get the sway bar in. It's always a ***** to do, though, so get ready to flex some muscle.

Thanks David.

That subframe is a perpetual fur machine. The quantity that comes off is stunning.

The torsion bars are currently in the arms, but no retaining caps on them. So your order is?

1. mount control arms
2. insert sway bar to control arms (sounds like I'll be cursing)
3. insert ball joint pin into strut
4. bolt sway bar to body
5. torque everything.

[David Inc.]

Originally Posted by PabloX

Thanks David.

That subframe is a perpetual fur machine. The quantity that comes off is stunning.

The torsion bars are currently in the arms, but no retaining caps on them. So your order is?

1. mount control arms
2. insert sway bar to control arms (sounds like I'll be cursing)
3. insert ball joint pin into strut
4. bolt sway bar to body
5. torque everything.

Yep, that's probably your best bet. I would hold out the torsion bars until the control arms are mounted unless you've got something in the way (jack stands or something) that would prevent you from sliding the bars in. Feel it out as you go, though, 4 before 3 might be easier (assemble loose).

Surprisingly the worst part when I've done this in the past is getting the skid plate bolted back up with the sway bar. If anything has moved it's all going to be out of alignment and you're going to end up trying to line up a bunch of different parts all attached to a spring at once, half-way disassemble everything, get mad and maybe strip a bolt.

Or everything will bolt back up juts fine and you'll wonder why I even mentioned it. I hope you get the latter!

[GH85Carrera]

I sure remember that feeling of walking back out into my garage and seeing my 911 up on jack stands, with no suspension. I said it out loud, Glen, what have you done!

It was a big relief to get it all back together. The front end is easy. The rear is a bit trickier.

[PabloX]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I sure remember that feeling of walking back out into my garage and seeing my 911 up on jack stands, with no suspension. I said it out loud, Glen, what have you done!

It was a big relief to get it all back together. The front end is easy. The rear is a bit trickier.

This project has taken quite awhile. COVID and related supply chain issues have gotten in my way. Also, I have to admit, my motivation could have been better (the motorcycle has been a distraction).

Anyway, control arms are in and I wish I got the bushings on a little further. It was tight and I had to use a bit of persuasion on one side but not too much. I'll tackle the sway bar and ball joints tomorrow.

Thanks all.

[Locker537]

Originally Posted by PabloX

Thanks David.

That subframe is a perpetual fur machine. The quantity that comes off is stunning.

The torsion bars are currently in the arms, but no retaining caps on them. So your order is?

1. mount control arms
2. insert sway bar to control arms (sounds like I'll be cursing)
3. insert ball joint pin into strut
4. bolt sway bar to body
5. torque everything.

I did this project for the first time recently. It's not too bad. I believe I attached the strut to the control arm before I re-installed the sway bar. Almost certainly.

For the sway bar, silicone grease is good on the bushings. You can jack up and compress one strut / control arm to help get a better angle for installing the sway bar. It takes some trial and error, but you can do it solo.

[Michael7810]

I recently did my 85 and I think the sequence was L control arm and ball joint bolt, sway bar, then R control arm and ball joint bolt. My thinking was it’s easier to side the control arm onto the sway bar than bending the sway bar to plug it in the control arm bushing. I spread silicone inside the sway bar bushings.

[917_Langheck]

Lots of good info and techniques from this guy. In German with English subtitles.

https://youtu.be/ib8L5YuEIXY

[MichaelSJackson]

I left everything very loose. Bolts started but not even cinched down much less torqued. This allowed everything to moved/shifted around and be adjusted as additional parts were added. Once it was all assembled in place, I went back and cinched things down and another pass to torque to specs.

So the cross member was loose as well as the steering rack, control arms, etc.

I have a new sway-bar that attaches with drop links, so it didn't end up being the PITA that the stock bar obviously can be. But at the time I wondered if installing one control arm, then inserting one end of sway-bar in it, then getting the other end started in the loose control arm and finally attaching the second control arm, might be a simpler method? Anybody tried that?

[PabloX]

Progress update:

Control arms in. When I mounted the bushings using the Elephant racing tool and a pipe clamp, one of them would only go so far before it squished back. So, when I went to mount the arm, the bolt holes were very slightly not aligned. So I had to use an Irwin Quick Grip bar clamp to compress the arm back towards the cross member.

I also got the sway bar in. As you guys warned me, that kind of sucked. I didn't have to move my jack stands which was good and I started on the left side. On that side I pushed the bar in too far on purpose, to hopefully gain me a shorter distance on the right side. That worked but then pushing it back out wasn't easy. I also needed a helper (actual human this time) to swing the other end back and forth to work it into the bushing.

Again, the Irwin bar clamp came in very handy on the right side. I used that to bend the sway bar the last bit to line up with the bushing.

After that I had to push the bar back out on the right side and in on the left side. I used a big c clamp with a socket on the end of the bar to push it out, while my neighbor used the bar clamp to push it in on the driver's side.

Next up is attaching the strut to the ball joint. Thanks again for all the advice. I don't think I could own this car without the information in this forum.

[rokemester]

Love your helper! How many times have you looked back on a Porsche project and think how the hell did I do that! I went back through my pics and notes on front suspension reassembly and can only remember it being such a pain in the ASS! And that was using a 2 post lift. My hat is off to you Pelicans doing this job with car on Jack stands. Unbelievable!

[PabloX]

Originally Posted by rokemester

Love your helper! How many times have you looked back on a Porsche project and think how the hell did I do that! I went back through my pics and notes on front suspension reassembly and can only remember it being such a pain in the ASS! And that was using a 2 post lift. My hat is off to you Pelicans doing this job with car on Jack stands. Unbelievable!

Thanks. Yes, I really would like a proper lift. I will say the Esco jack stands are great, for jack stands. The moral support from Pelican and my helper goes a long way.

Final update for the day, wedge bolts in. Those were a PITA so I used an air hammer. It felt kind of wrong but so much easier. Now I need to put the caps on the torsion bars and the sway bar to the body. I need to more of the foam dust covers though. I made one stupid mistake and put the dust covers between the control arm and cross member, instead of cross member and end cup. The other ones are staying where they are.

[Locker537]

That foam ring being in the wrong place was probably part of the reason why it was hard to get the control arm seated fully. Maybe.

[PabloX]

Yeah, I’m sure it didn’t help but the other side was easy. It seems like it shouldn’t be a big deal, I hope. If so I could drop the inside of the arm down.