[s-cars] control arm sleeve install

[Jeremiah Curry]

Thanks Dave,

I have ordered new sleeves.  I tried taking the old ones out with the wheel 
bolt, but just ended up getting them more stuck in.  Then I tried to force 
them down from the top and ended up creating a rivet :(  Once I am able to 
get them out I will replace them.

I am hoping on the side I have taken all apart I can replace the sleeve 
without taking apart the antiroll-bar and ball-joint.

Jeremiah

-----Original Message----- 
From: David Forgie
Sent: Wednesday, November 26, 2014 8:53 AM
To: s-car-list
Cc: jeremiah at curryclan.net
Subject: [s-cars] control arm sleeve install

Jeremiah: I have replaced my LCA's as part of complete front suspension 
rebuild (subframe out, new bushings, etc).
I recently helped a local UrS owner with his front end rebuild and LCA 
replacement. Based on this experience, I found that
the No. 10 sleeve is actually a "lock" that holds the LCA in the subframe 
(even with the long bolt out). Checking the length
of the sleeve to the width of the subframe opening, I think the ends of the 
sleeve protrude into both the upper part and
lower  part of the LCA subframe opening when installed correctly.

In my experience, the LCA can not be removed from the subframe until you 
extract the sleeve from the bushing. To do so,

grab one of your OE wheel bolts and, with the long LCA bolt removed, thread 
the wheel bolt into the bottom of the sleeve
until it starts to bite. Then continue to turn the bolt clockwise while 
gently but persistently pulling down on the bolt.
The sleeve should spin and slowly be pulled out. Then you can pull the LCA 
out the subrframe (assuming it is free of the
sway bar and wheel bearing housing).

Examine the sleeve. When new, one end of the sleeve is perfectly round, the 
other slightly oval. The intent is, when you
install the new LCA, you get the LCA into the subframe with no sleeve. Then 
you push the sleeve up into the LCA bushing,
round end up, oval end down. The oval end is forced to go round as you push 
it up, creating s "spring" tension that holds
the sleeve into the LCA bushing. Push the sleeve in so the top of the sleeve 
is in the upper part of the subframe while the
bottom part of the sleeve is still in the bottom part of the subframe. The 
install the long bolt.

At least that is how I did it.

NOTE: The pdf below shows the PNs for this work as well as the torque values 
involved. Wherever there is a "+1/4" it means
that the bolt is a stretch bolt and should technically be replaced. I 
recommend replacing them, rather than worrying about
them.

http://12v.org/urs/FrontSuspensionTorqueValues.PDF


Dave F.