Shocks and struts

[thesameguy]

Where is the Like button?

[Buffalobill]

If you're only doing a strut change, and you pry the AR bar down, you should be able to slide the new strut so it pops into the loose knuckle, though you may have to kick the knuckle a couple times to get it to align with the strut bottom.

But, if you're doing anything more, a Ford Tech showed me an easy way to reinstall the AR bar/struts/track control arm. This works with strut replacements if you're also doing other suspension work. I used to do the ratchet straps and even a come-along on the AR bar, and it was a huge PITA. This is easy, though a bit tougher with an oversized AR bar.

When the car is at rest, on a level surface, by design there is no twisting/loading on the AR bar, except maybe in the front/rear direction due to the "king pin" angle of the strut . And, there should be none, or barely minimal lateral out/in loading (i.e., the AR bar does not push the strut knuckle in or out). If you're on an uneven (L/R) surface, or the car's been in a wreck, there might be some other loading at rest, and it makes this harder. But, if you're on a level surface, the strut/knuckle, AR bar, and TCA should align by themselves.

So, if you haven't already done it for maybe a TCA replacement, with the front off the ground, unbolt ONE of the TCA's at the cross member (take it out all the way), loosen the AR bar brackets a bit, and the nyloc nuts where the bar attaches to the TCA. Do this up in the air, or it'll likely be a PITA to take out the TCA bolt.

IOW, you want everything assembled semi-loose, with one of the TCA bolts out at the cross-member. Put a little bit of grease on the TCA bushing where it meets the cross-member, then slowly lower the car until its almost all the way down. The static geometry will push the TCA into the cross-member close enough to ideal that you could put a screw driver in the hole and bring it in line with the cross-member hole so you can feed in the TCA bolt.

You may have to lower the car completely, and slightly roll it back and forth, but then put the jack back under the car and play around with tire height and the screw driver until you get the TCA hole aligned, and you're done. Then tighten everything up.

I'm going to have to try this way, I bought a 5 ft pinch bar and with the sway bar and lower control arm still hooked up, the strut still won't clear the fender by a few inches.....

Am I supposed to attach it at the top, then wrestle the bottom into the knuckle? Or does everyone just have to totally disassemble the front suspension?

I remember putting bc racing coilovers on my e46 bmw, every corner was 20 minutes.....

[thesameguy]

Top first, wedge the LCA down and slip the strut in. It really should only take a few minutes per side!

[Buffalobill]

Ok, that makes sense, bottom first seemed to be a no go....

[john keefe]

The knuckle will be floppy-loose, even with a newer pivot/ball joint... so get the strut top in first, then push the TCA down until the strut bottom is almost ready to slide into the knuckle then try kicking the strut bottom, or the knuckle (that'll be fun if you keep kicking it out of alignment with the strut). One of those things you just have to do, and once you figure it out, you'll remember how to do it for a long time.

[Buffalobill]

Lol, I did it top first, and it took me about 5 minutes....I feel like an idiot...... thanks for the help guys!