Strut rod bushing replacement

[Robj]

Looking through the old posts and threads it looks like the LCA has to be removed to get the strut rod out. It looks like some guys are removing the LCA back at the pivot and leaving the steering knuckle and everything else attached?

Is this possible or am I misreading some old posts? Obviously the torsion bar would have to be backed out but what else is involved in this way of doing it or maybe I'm just reading this wrong.

 

[72bluNblu]

You don't need a ton of room to drop the strut rod out. You'll have to pull the shock, and you'll need to drop the lower ball joint from the spindle. Then you should be able to remove the nut on the pivot and the torsion bar clip from the rear socket and slide it back. The steering stuff you should be able to leave attached. If the bushings aren't totally missing, it might also be worth checking the movement on the LCA before you change the bushings. You can do that with the shock removed, spindle disconnected and torsion bar adjuster backed off, before you remove the pivot nut and torsion bar clip. That will tell you if you have any binding before you swap the bushings.

Then you should check that the new bushings are the same thickness as the old ones, or at least roughly so, since the old ones are probably in pretty bad shape. There's a few different versions of the bushings, and some match the old bushings better than others. Either way, once everything is installed I would check to make sure that the LCA moves up and down freely without binding. If you do have binding, you may have to adjust the thickness of the bushings a little to see if you can get everything to move freely through the entire suspension travel range. That's why adjustable strut rods are so handy, even if the rest of the suspension is fairly stock.

 

[FJ5]

I just did this. You do not have to remove the lower ball joint. Simply remove the torsion bar and The lower shock bolt on the nut on the pivot shaft. That will give you enough room to pull the strut rod and change the bushings.

 

[Robj]

Looking around and it seems that the Moog "improved" are giving best results. I've seen a lot of complaints about fit and binding with the poly bushings.

Thanks for the info. Not really a bad job just need to find a completely clear day where I can plow through without appointments or interruptions.....

 

[FJ5]

He asked about strut rod bushings. Not pivot shaft bushings.

 

[Robj]

Replaced the strut bushings this morning. It took less than four hours to change them out and that was with a couple breaks for coffee. I was indeed able to leave the the lower ball joints on. Pulled the clips on the torsion bars and just them slide out when the LCA was pried over. They slid right back into their sockets in the cross member. Not a bad job to do at all. I used the Moog "Improved" bushings and they fit perfectly. Very happy with the results. Thanks guys.