how$to:’changing’outfrontstruts’and’passenger’side’...
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How-‐to: Changing out front struts and passenger side lower control arm (2-‐bolt)
This how-‐to should work for any Ford Contour, Mercury MysBque or Cougar and possibly some models of the Ford Mondeo.
Tools needed
• Socket wrench set, with 8, 10, 15, 17, 18mm sockets • Torx-‐55 socket • 18mm open face angle wrench (what’s the real name ?) • Jack stands • 6mm allen key • Crowbar • Hammer or mini-‐sledge and a small wood block • Hydraulic jack • PlasBc bucket • Zip Bes • Spring compressors • Air tools are not necessary, but will reduce the amount of cursing required
to finish the job • PB blaster or similar product • Lithium grease or similar product • Wheel chocks
New parts I bought
• BAT European Handling kit (K400A) • BAT front swaybar links (2x K407L) • BAT upper front strut mount (2x K404F) and rotaBng bearing front (2x K403)
• BAT front bump stop/boots (2x M405B) • Moog passenger side lower control arm (2-‐bolt), (MOOG RK80389)
• BAT outer Be-‐rod ends (K434LA + K434RA) (note this part is for 1997-‐2001 models)
Disclaimer
• You are using this how-‐to at your own risk. This document represents the best I know how to perform this replacement, but I am not an expert and probably a lot of people reading this are rolling their eyes.
Lif the front • You can lif the enBre front or just the side you are working on • Chock the rear wheels ! • For bonus points, put addiBonal jack stands under other support points • For double-‐bonus-‐points put an old rim and Bre down flat under the trim rail on the side you are working on
Remove the wheel
• Put the lug nuts in a bowl so you don’t scajer them around
• In fact, put all the loose small parts in the bowl.
Remove the splash shield
• Remove the larger, right splash shield using 8 and 10mm sockets. You can remove the lef hand one, but it is not necessary.
Remove this one
Remove the brake assembly • Use a 15mm socket to remove the 2 bolts that hold the brake assembly to the knuckle.
• Make sure that you do not use the brake line to support the weight of the caliper.
• Sit the removed caliper on an upside down bucket or a crate and zip-‐Be the caliper to the car frame so it wont fall off
• Avoid touching the brake pad surface
• I didn’t have any trouble sliding the caliper on and off the rotor, but you may have a different experience
15mm
Remove the ABS sensor • The ABS sensor is posiBoned near the ABS tone ring. It is important not to damage these. I didn’t really want to remove them, but thought it would get in the way.
• Use a 8 or 10 mm wrench to remove the bolt that anchors the sensor to the knuckle.
• Tuck the sensor out of the way.
Remove the brake rotor
• Avoid touching the surface of the rotor with your bare hands
• Inspect the rotor for bad wear, cracks and breaks. Cracks or breaks make the rotor non-‐usable.
• Measure the thickness of the rotor. The SVT rotor should be at least 22.2 mm, any less than that and the rotor should not be used (a catastrophic failure of a brake rotor could ruin your day).
Several ways to proceed
• If you only need to replace the struts, you wont necessarily do the same things I do from now on.
• If you only need to replace the passengers side lower control arm, you wont necessarily do the same things I do from now on.
Don’t do this
• I thought I would be clever. Because I wanted to replace the strut and the lower control arm (LCA – in my case, the 2 bolt version), I decided it would be a good idea to use the jack to lif under the ball joint so that the LCA was level with the front subframe – while the strut was sBll ajached to the LCA. Then, it would be easy to remove the bolts ajaching the LCA to the subframe, and then I could drop the strut off the LCA easily.
• So, with the strut sBll ajached to the LCA, I lifed the assembly at the ball joint, and removed the 2 LCA bolts
• When I pulled the second LCA bolt out, the enBre assembly popped out several inches away from the car.
• This caused no apparent damage, but I didn’t understand why this happened.
Don’t do this • I have to skip ahead a bit to make my point, but afer reinstalling the strut
and pupng the new LCA in, I was unable to get the knuckle pinch onto the ball joint. At best I had a 1” gap.
• People told me the CV joint must of popped out, but I couldn’t tell.
• I tried rotaBng, (both in gear and in N), pushing, pulling, cursing, none of which allowed me to get the pinch over and onto the ball joint.
• It turns out, when I removed the LCA+strut, and the enBre thing popped out, it popped the inner CV joint out of bajery – and the rubber boot then prevented the tripods from going back into the CV valleys.
• If your inner CV joint looks like this, odds are,
the tripods are out of the valleys, and you need
to manipulate the rubber boot so the tripods
can pop back in. Once I realized this, it was prejy
easy.
Remove swaybar links and brake line anchor
• Remove the swaybar link using a 15mm socket on the front nuts, and you might need a 17mm wrench on the bolts if they turn freely.
• Remove the nut and bolt that secures the brake line anchor to the strut.
15mm
15mm
2 ways to proceed
• There are 2 correct ways to proceed, both with pros and cons. • If you use the how-‐to from “deliveryguy” (UKCougar.net) , he
removes the CV axle from the knuckle. This makes it much easier to get the knuckle off and back on the strut, but you have to remove the axle nut and you will need an axle puller tool. Furthermore, the axle nut is a limited use part and might fall apart once you take it off. You bejer have a replacement on hand.
• The other way, which I used, is to leave the CV axle in the knuckle, and wrestle the knuckle/axle off the strut. You will need a helper to get the strut back into the knuckle, but you don’t have to mess with the axle nut.
Pull knuckle off the balljoint
• Using a Torx-‐55 on the bolt and a 18mm wrench on the nut, remove the bolt from the pinch that holds the knuckle on the ball joint.
• Use a flat blade screwdriver to gently pry open the back of the pinch for 1-‐2mm.
• Use a crowbar or similar tool to lever the lower control arm down so the knuckle comes free from the ball joint.
• I didn’t have any trouble gepng the knuckle off the ball joint, but I don’t have any rust.
• If you are not replacing the LCA or the balljoint, put something over the balljoint to avoid damaging it.
Pull the Be-‐rod end off the knuckle
• Remove any cojer pins from under the castle nut. My Be-‐rod ends did not have any cojer pins or holes for them.
• Using a 15 (17 ?) mm wrench, remove the nut from the Be-‐rod end that anchors the Be-‐rod end to the knuckle.
• Use a ball joint splijer to gently force the Be-‐rod end from the knuckle. You could use a pickle fork, but you might damage the boot.
• Use zip-‐Bes to hold the Be-‐rod end away from the acBon and keep it from hanging free.
Pull the knuckle off the strut
• Soak the area where the strut goes into the knuckle with PB Blaster.
• Using a 18mm bent angle wrench, loosen the top nut of the strut (inside the engine compartment) about 5 turns. You may need the 6mm allen to prevent the strut from turning.
• Use a 18mm socket to remove the bolt that holds the knuckle on the lower strut.
• Get a bucket or crate under the knuckle so that once free, the knuckle cannot drop more than a few inches. This is important, as the outer and inner CV joints have a limited range of moBon. Do not let the CV axle hang free.
• Using a friend to support the knuckle at the lug bolts, use a small wood block and mini-‐sledge to push the knuckle off the lower strut. Only hit the top of the knuckle, never the strut.
Remove the strut • With the knuckle off, support the weight of the strut. At the
same Bme, have a helper completely remove the top nut (in the engine bay) from the strut.
• Wiggle the strut free from the car. As you lower the strut out of the strut tower, make sure not to lose the top strut nut, or the mounBng donut just under it.
• Make sure that the knuckle, sBll on the CV axle, is securely sipng on a bucket, and is not hanging free.
Disassemble strut • In the previous step you removed the top strut nut. NoBce
that this is a nylock nut. This nut is not the same and is not interchangeable with the lower strut nut, which you are about to become familiar with.
• If you have air tools and a really deep 18mm impact socket, this might be easy. If not, go directly to Pain In The Ass.
• Before you do anything, use a set of spring compressors to wind the spring Bght.
• All I had to use was a set of “widowmakers”. If you are lucky, use something bejer.
• Poor (“widowmakers”) bejer Best
Disassemble strut • If you are using the “bad” spring compressors, be wary. If one
of them slips slightly, the two parts can slam together on one side, and the spring will launch itself. Do not put parts of your body inside the diameter of the spring, or in front of the strut.
• Soak the lower strut nut with PB blaster. • I don’t have air tools, so I had to use the bent open face
18mm wrench and a 6mm allen key. I used a set of channel lock pliers to grip the allen key.
• That didn’t work. I turned the allen key into a spiral allen key.
Disassemble strut • I had to go to the auto store and purchase a 6mm allan key
mounted to a ½” socket. This worked quite well.
• AlternaBvely, if you know that the strut is toast, you can use something to grip the strut to prevent it from turning while to take the lower strut nut off.
• If you live in an area where cars rust, the lower strut nut could be seriously stuck. Impact wrench Bme.
• Once the lower strut nut is almost off, make sure you have something to catch to soon-‐to-‐be-‐flying nut.
Disassemble strut
• Once the top nut is off, slowly release the tension on the spring compressors. Be careful.
• Now take all the parts off the strut. • If you need to re use the boots and/or bump-‐stops, carefully
remove them from the strut. • You must reinstall bump stops and boots onto the new strut ! • If you didn’t buy new upper strut mounts and rings, save
those. • Save the spring hat as you probably cant find a replacement part.
• Clean up any parts you will re-‐use.
1= bojom nut 2= upper strut mount 3= rotaBng bearing 4= spring hat 5= spring 6= boot 7= bump stop
Disassemble strut • Keep the new strut upright and cycle the acBon on the strut 4 or 5 Bmes. • Onto the new strut, first put the bump stop and boot
on. • If you have the BAT struts, noBce there is a white
plasBc lip on the strut used to anchor the bojom of the boot in place. Make sure the boot is firmly in place.
• Put the spring onto the new strut. • Put the spring hat over the spring, onto the new strut. • Make sure the orientaBon of the spring is correct and fits into the spring
housing on the strut and the spring hat. • Place the upper strut mount and ring over the spring hat. • With the BAT springs, I had to set the strut upright and lean down onto the
upper strut mount unBl I had enough thread showing so I could put on the lower strut nut.
Reassemble strut
• Use the spring compressors to compress the spring.
• With the BAT springs, I didn’t have to compress them as much as the OEM springs.
• Run down the lower strut nut on the threads. I think this was all the way to the end of the threads, but I don’t remember for sure.
• Slowly remove the tension on the spring compressors.
• Wasn’t that fun ?
Remove LCA • If you want to replace the passengers side LCA, now is the Bme to do it. • Use a 15mm (top) and 18mm (bojom) wrench
to remove the 2 bolts that fix the LCA to the front subframe.
• Pull the LCA out, away from the car. Odds are, you can easily noBce that the bushings are shot. People tell me that it is possible to press the old bushings out and press new ones in, but I don’t have a 10 ton press.
• Why don’t I replace the drivers side LCA ? Because 1 of 2 bolts on that LCA sits right under the transmission housing, and you cant lif the bolt out. To do this correctly, you have to lif the engine out or drop the front subframe slighty, neither of which is a job you are probably going to do outside of a shop.
Install LCA
• With the strut out, put the new LCA and bolt it in.
• Tighten down the bolts. • Protect the ball joint from damage.
Place strut back into the strut tower
• Wiggle the strut back up into the strut tower. • Put the donut back onto the strut shaf, and then put the
upper strut nut (probably a new one that came with the new struts) down so a few threads are showing.
• You need to slip the knuckle onto the end of the strut. Before trying this, clean the inside of the knuckle, and the strut. Lube the lower strut with lithium grease.
• One person needs to use a crowbar to press down the LCA, and support the knuckle. The other person will use a small wooden block and mini-‐sledge to knock the knuckle up on the strut. This is a PITA as the LCA tends to get in the way.
• Remember not to bend the CV axle too far out of linear.
Finish Strut onto knuckle
• When the knuckle is in place onto the strut (the strut has a guide piece and hole for the bolt, so its fairly obvious), put the bolt in , but don’t run it down all the way.
• Tighten up the upper strut nut a few more threads, but not all the way.
• Mount the knuckle pinch back onto the balljoint. This should go fairly easily. Put the bolt in the pinch, but don’t run it down yet.
• Congrats – the hard part is over.
Remount Tie-‐rod end
• Align the knuckle so that the Be-‐rod end will slide down into guide on the knuckle.
• Push the bold on the Be-‐rod end as far down as you can into the guide on the knuckle. A lijle PB blaster might help.
• Put the 15 (17 ?) mm nut back on, but don’t run it down all the way.
• In every how-‐to I have read or seen, they have a cojer-‐pin on the end of the bolt, to prevent the castle nut from falling off. My car (2000 CSVT) did not have cojer pins, nor did my 1 of my 2 new Be-‐rod ends.
Reinstall swaybar link and brake line anchor
• Bolt the top of the swaybar link to the strut.
• Bolt the bojom of the swaybar link to the swaybar.
• Install the brake line anchor back on the strut.
• Go ahead and run the nuts down.
Reinstall brake rotor and assembly
• PosiBon the rotor back on hub. Avoid touching the rotor with your hands.
• Slide the brake assembly back onto the rotor. Hopefully this goes easily. I didn’t have much trouble.
• Install the 15mm bolts that ajach the assembly to the knuckle, and Bghten down.
• The rotor should rotate without too much resistance.
15mm
Tighten down bolts
• Tighten down the nut on the Be-‐rod end to the knuckle (15 or 17 mm)
• Tighten down the bolt on the knuckle that anchors the strut (18mm)
• Tighten down the pinch bolt that ajaches the knuckle to the balljoint (Torx-‐55 and 18mm)
• Tighten down the 18mm top strut nut and 6mm allen (engine bay), but be careful not to overBghten. The BAT struts came with a very large warning not too over Bghten. I Bghtened mine unBl the mounBng donut could not move freely.
Torque specs
• Some people are fanaBc about using the proper torque specificaBons.
• Some people tell me to get the bolts “snug”.
Final Check
• Do you have lefover parts that should be on the car ? • Do you have extra bolts that should be used ? • Are all the parts where they should be ? • Are all the bolts Bghtened ?
What about your new Be-‐rod ends ?
• If you remember, I listed new Be-‐rod ends as parts that I bought.
• I didn’t install these because I was worried I would really screw up the alignment.
• You will need to get a front alignment done, one way or another, so I just let the professionals do it.
Reinstall wheel and do a test drive
• Reinstall the wheel and lower the car of any supports. • Do a test drive. • While you shouldn’t drive with one new and one old strut, a
test drive should be fine, unless the new strut is radically shorter/taller than the old one.
• Check the brake funcBons, and listen for clanks or rajles from the front. Go slowly unBl you are sure everything is fine.
• Now you get to do the other side !
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