How to drop front suspension as a unit?

[Mark Wilson]

I want to drop Annie's front suspension to do some clean up, do new fuel lines, and change out torsion bars.

I see the concept and what needs to unbolt - 4 bolts for crossbar, 4 bolts at front of A arms, struts, steering u joint, and sway bar drop links. Is there any particular order to unbolt, or does it matter?

Warren installed 21/26 torsion bars with the intension to go with much wider tires and turbo flairs, but I want to reinstall the 19/24 setup. Should I R&R while in the ground or do it while in the car?

Thanks,
Mark

[jameshtaylor]

Order isn't critical but I'd do sway bar first, then maybe the several bolts holding the crossbar/A arms in place. If you are leaving the struts in place you need only grapple with the wedge bolt at the bottom where it attaches to the A/control arm. If the struts are coming out the brake caliper and hub are best removed first which you can do by removing the top nuts inside the trunk. Do a search here and on Pelican about removing the wedge bolt; there is much argument about whether to pull that or the ball joint. Both can be challenging.
Torsion bars can be changed anytime.

[smedley]

Leave it in the car! After watching film of the factory I thought it would be cool to assemble and install as a unit.

Not! You have no leverage to tighten fasteners or pressing the A-arms into the cross member as the thing is too big far a vise, and it will flop around on the floor.

Also, if you do manage to get the whole assembly together.....it is a LUMP!!! You won't be able to lift it up to the car and get all the holes lined up without help.

On stripped car the order is: sway bar, cross member, A-arms, struts, hubs/rotors, calipers, then torsion bars.

Let the weight of the structure/caliper assembly help pull down the A-arm to position the t-bar and cap. Viola! Done!

[jameshtaylor]

I totally agree with Mark about pulling the whole unit out as a unit. Take it apart, piece by piece. There is no advantage to keeping it all together and many disadvantages as he points out.

[68911+1]

I have swapped complete intact front suspension units between cars several times. Start with the steering, struts, A-arms and then lower the cross bar with 2 floor jacks. It is a bit of a mess as the the a-arm/struts flop around and the whole unit twists in place from the weight of the hub/rotor and brakes. You can place the hub/rotor/brake and a-arms on two floor jacks and roll it around. Use the 2-jack method to align and lift into position. Did I say it is not pretty.

[Mark Wilson]

I guess a lift would make it easier to take it out as a unit, but I'm doing it on jackstands. The lump sounds pretty unwieldy.

[smedley]

Mark,

I have a lift, two floor jacks, multiple jack stands, etc.

Be afraid, be very afraid!

Remember, the factory had special fixtures and jacks...and a bunch of hands. I've been there and watched them do it.

Mark

[jameshtaylor]

I know it can be done, but why? You'll be taking it apart anyway to do bushings etc.

[Mark Wilson]

Actually, Warren replaced all of the bushings and replaced the struts with new Konis... in 1982 when he installed the larger bars. At least that is what I am finding while researching his posts on Pelican.

[jameshtaylor]

Sounds to me like you want to leave it all in place and just replace the torsion bars. Easy.