Soo I just started working on cars within the past 5 years and I just came to my first screw up with my '88 LX.
So I had a bad ball joint for a good while, and got around to try to replace it. I had read that when a ball joint goes bad, you need new front control arms, or the A arms. But I went ahead and tried to press the bad on out and press a new one in.
Well that made the whole bigger, which then didn't allow the new ball joint to press in. So it looked liked I had no other choice than to buy new A arms. So I purchased a pair of replacement A arms from latemodelrestoration and tried to install them.Yes, they are the right control arms, the 87-93 replacement arms, with the spring cups and swap bar mount etc etc.
I also have new Eibach lowering spring I was going to put in at the same time. Turns out when I took the old A arm off, the spring that was in there had actually broken/snapped off 1.5 turns from the bottom of the spring, good thing I am replacing them.
The issue I found was the spring compressor I rented from Advanced Auto Parts doesn't work...the threaded rod hits the top of the upper spring cup before I am able to compress the spring. The spring compressor has a threaded rod and the two pieces that go on the threaded rod, each with two hooks on it. It was a pain in the ass, and I couldn't get it to work. So I tried just using a floor jack to compress the spring enough to put the bolts to the K member through...I couldn't get that to work because the front springs have that slight bend.
So at this point, my daily driver is sitting in my driveway, with its left front A arm off, hoping I can figure out a way to get it on.
If I had a spring compressor I could get to work, I don't think I would have had much of a problem. I just couldn't figure out a way to get it to not hit the top of the upper spring cup.
So here is a noob asking for any advice, tips, or help.
I guess this is just the that happens when you work on cars.
So I had a bad ball joint for a good while, and got around to try to replace it. I had read that when a ball joint goes bad, you need new front control arms, or the A arms. But I went ahead and tried to press the bad on out and press a new one in.
Well that made the whole bigger, which then didn't allow the new ball joint to press in. So it looked liked I had no other choice than to buy new A arms. So I purchased a pair of replacement A arms from latemodelrestoration and tried to install them.Yes, they are the right control arms, the 87-93 replacement arms, with the spring cups and swap bar mount etc etc.
I also have new Eibach lowering spring I was going to put in at the same time. Turns out when I took the old A arm off, the spring that was in there had actually broken/snapped off 1.5 turns from the bottom of the spring, good thing I am replacing them.
The issue I found was the spring compressor I rented from Advanced Auto Parts doesn't work...the threaded rod hits the top of the upper spring cup before I am able to compress the spring. The spring compressor has a threaded rod and the two pieces that go on the threaded rod, each with two hooks on it. It was a pain in the ass, and I couldn't get it to work. So I tried just using a floor jack to compress the spring enough to put the bolts to the K member through...I couldn't get that to work because the front springs have that slight bend.
So at this point, my daily driver is sitting in my driveway, with its left front A arm off, hoping I can figure out a way to get it on.
If I had a spring compressor I could get to work, I don't think I would have had much of a problem. I just couldn't figure out a way to get it to not hit the top of the upper spring cup.
So here is a noob asking for any advice, tips, or help.
I guess this is just the that happens when you work on cars.