Q. 1.) Removing lower control arm...

[24OZ]

Hi all,

Operation Bushing Renovation has begun..

I managed to undo the lower control arm bolt which attaches onto the suspension member, however It looks as if i have to remove the steering rack inorder to get clearance to take the bolt off..

Is this correct or is there an easier way, without having to remove the steering rack?

Thanks.

[Bambikiller240]

I did not have to remove the steering rack to remove the bolt on my 72 240Z. You are referring to the bolt that holds the lower control arm (traverse link;) ) to the cross-member that the engine mounts to, right? Should not be a need to deal with the steering rack to do that.

Carl

[24OZ]

Hi Carl,

... you remembered.... I kinda gave up calling it a transverse link after i totally confused most people!

Yes, you are correct I am referring that the very bolt you have just described. I have undone the bolt which is at the rear of the control arm, now i have to slide the screw out towards the right and then you get the steering rack in the way so the bolt cannot be fully slided out..

Anyone else found this?????

[2ManyZs]

I guess the question is this George, are you going to put urethane steering rack bushings in?

If you have the strut assembly off the control arm you should be able to get just enough room to remove the bolt if you unbolt the ball joint so you can raise the steering arm up off the control arm and that should raise the tie rods enough to get the bolt or bolts out.

If you are planning on replacing the steering rack bushings, then you might as well loosen the rack, it's only 4 bolts to loosen, so you can raise it a bit to get the bolts out.

FWIW, when I rebuilt mine, I inserted the bolts from the back and put the nut towards the rack so I'll never have that problem again.

[g260]

240Z,

I removed mine yesterday and replaced them with two others I had with urethane bushes. I had no real problems with the bolt removal. The lhs came straight out and whilst the rhs (drivers) was close to the rubber gait around the steering arm it still came out and went back in with little trouble.

The biggest problem I had was rebolting the TC rod to the lc arm as I didn't undo it at the frame end.

All in all a fairly simple job, made easier by having a spare pair of lc arms with the old bushes already removed.

fwiw,

cheers,

Geoff

[Victor Laury]

Ola Jorge,

(I'm from Los Angeles) Jack up the axle and that will raise the angle to the tie rod and the bolt comes out - !Si, no problema!

[24OZ]

Keith, I am not going to put steering rack bushings in as they look very new.. However as you and others said its only 4 bolts and no big deal... I may have another go before i do that to see if it jsut clears it. Keith your FWIW is a good idea and I may do the same.

Thanks Geoff, for your tips..

Victor Que pasa? . I may even give your tip a go too...

a number of different and good alternatives..

Cheers Guys

George. (Jorge to Victor )

[24OZ]

Hi all,

I just wanted everyone to know that was following this post that I eventually, today, removed the lower control arm.

If anyone else has the bolt end not the nut end of the control arm facing towards the front, it can easily be removed even if it looks as if the steering rack is in the way. Turn the steering wheel to full lock (either left or right, depending on which control arm you are working on) and you will see that it clears the bolt!

N oneed to remove or loosen the steering rack, phew!