Rear End tricks?

[JerryDaugherty]

I just installed a set of MM box type upper and lower control arms. I have the uppers in now (all day- imma noob) and got one of the lowers done. Is there a trick to do this? Everytime i get one side done the othere will not fit into position. The anti-swaybar is another pain in the ass. I have 2 jacks and 2 jack stands... Someone tell me there is an easier way. Tommarrow will be day 2 of this ordeal and im not looking forward to spending 5+hours under that car again.

 

[89MustangGX]

I think it's probably easier to do both uppers and then both lowers.

 

[Curse]

I think it's probably easier to do both uppers and then both lowers.

Do the uppers first, never used an anti-roll bar so I can't help you there. Good Luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

[1EVIL88VERT]

ok put one lower control arm on then place a jack on the dogbone ( the big piece of metal right after were the driveshaft connects to the rear.) and jack it up a little...when you take the LCA off the rear end rotates pinion down..jacking the front of the rear up will make it easier to line up. now you still will most likely have to push foreward on the axle tube to get the bolt through...i hope this helps, good luck oh and put the swaybar on last...can't understand what problems you have with that though

 

[JerryDaugherty]

Thats my problem there then ... the sway bar. I dindt know if i could put it on last since i didnt take it off in that order. Thanks...

 

[TRWXXA]

ok put one lower control arm on then place a jack on the dogbone ( the big piece of metal right after were the driveshaft connects to the rear.) and jack it up a little...when you take the LCA off the rear end rotates pinion down..jacking the front of the rear up will make it easier to line up. now you still will most likely have to push foreward on the axle tube to get the bolt through...i hope this helps, good luck oh and put the swaybar on last...can't understand what problems you have with that though

I don't recommend putting the jack under the "dogbone". The bushings in the rubber isolators that mount it to the housing could come loose, especially if the rubber is a bit rotted with age. This would allow the housing to drop a little and shift. The rear end could slip off the jack pad.

Use a floor jack with a large pad, a place the pad directly under the housing, so that the rear of the pad is just forward of the differential cover. The axle housing should be pretty stable this way.

Get someone to help you move the axle housing around, so you can get the control arm bolts in. You can do it yourself, but it's a slow process. Took me 7 hours to change out my whole rear end last week. If I had someone helping it would have saved at least 2 hours.

The order of removal for rear end components (according to the Haynes manual) is: 1. Sway bar 2. Lower CAs 3. Upper CAs
Installation is the reverse of removal. Maybe that's why you're having trouble.

For the sway bar, hold one end of the bar up with a jackstand. Lift the other end into plane, and attach it with the most forward bolt onto the lower CA. Go to the other side and do the same with that end. Now you just have to rotate the bar up, and put in the rearward bolts.

Remember, all the suspension bolts should remain relatively loose, until you lift the rear end assembly up close to "ride height". Then tighten them all up.

 

[JerryDaugherty]

Thanks