Front suspension rebuild

[Guy]

Doh !!!!! There's a moral to this story. Thanks to all for their input.

[Dick Koch]

Rickey is right. after reading the shop manual it clearly states that the lower control arm bushing is replaced by pushing the entire shaft assy that goes thru the frame crossmember from the torshion bar side (hex) of the lower control arm using a hydraulic press. cut a piece of galvanized pipe or buy a pipe nipple to fit over the nut and on the washer in the hole and the whole assembly comes out including the bushing. Then you remove the cotter pin, back off the nut and remove the bushing. Install the new busing on the shaft, the washer, and torque the nut as per the manual, then insert the cotter pin. Make sure your pipe is long enough to cover the long shaft and press the whole assembly into the lower control arm, be sure the pipe rests on the flange of the bushing and the flange seats properly other wise you push the shaft to far. See the diagrams in the manual. No more bending and trying to thread the cotter pin in that small space without going insane. Good luck.
Dick.

I just finished replacing upper and lower bushings, ball joints, idler arm bushing and strut bushings in the convert. I pray that they last in my other cars until I'm gone. Believe me it's no fun, it's the hardest thing I've had to do yet.
Dick.

[Guy]

Thanks for the information Dick. Car is in a local garage as I don't have the space to work on it at home. One side is rebuilt but progress has been slow as they are doing the work around their regular garage business. Once the engine was out and suspension stripped down we found sections of the front chassis that required repair. Anyway that's all done. Engine is back together and lots of new paint to engine, firewall, inner fenders( we call them wings in the UK). Hope to get it finished in the next couple of months. I'll post pictures when it's done (if I can work out how to do that). Regards