Hi guys, I'm really struggling to get my front track arms back on the car after fitting new boots to them. I've done it just how the book says but I'm getting nowhere. I've got everything loose, except the shock top at the moment, and done lots of pushing and pulling but I just can't get it near the mount. Anyone got any tips, I remember this being an issue before but I must have got there somehow, but I'm stuffed it I can remember how. Tried jacking from under the track arm, also on the rollbar but I'm literally getting nowhere. Any thoughts greatfully appreciated.

 

When I've done mine in the past I have put the ball joint in the hub then the roll bar back on and then the wheel and slowly lower the car/wheel down on some wood. Then the track arm should line up in the subframe.

You could also try jacking the hub up.

Some people use ratchet straps to pull the arm in.

 

Tried jacking the hub up and that didn't work for me unfortunately. I've got my rollbar undone at the moment, I wonder if bolting that up might help any, it's very frustrating!

 

Ball joint in first, then lever against the ARB with a big bar then put the inner TCA bolt in , might need to put a punch in before the bolt to line up the bolt hole in the bush and cross member.

Get a helper to push against the bar as there's a lot of tension on those roll bars!

 

There fookin nightmare. I've for my front end to strip down soon and I'm not looking forward to it.

 

I use a ratchet strap between both ends of anti roll bar/tca and pull it in so bottom ball joints go in easily

 

It's just me I'm afraid. I wonder if the strap might be the way forward, one side is in but the other will not go however hard I try.

 

Ratchet Strap tightened on the ARB, plenty of grease on the ball joint too

 

Do you use like a big truck type strap or a smaller one, just wonder if there were any issues getting it on or to stay in one place?

 

that is how I did it too

 

I used a small one but be careful.

 

Just been and got one, so tomorrow is D day.

Thanks for all the advice guys. It was driving me nutty.

 

Good luck, let us know when it’s on.

 

Will do mate, no doubt it'll be a struggle but I will get there.

 

Fingers crossed. The roll bar has some bloody tension on it.

 

That's exactly what I've done as well, made it nice & easy.....

 

I was talking to someone else about that this afternoon. The rollbars are so thick on the Cossie, I've got an MX5 and if you look at the rollbars on that they're tiny compared to the Cossie, I bet if you were feeling strong you could literally bend the rear one in your hands.

 

Which bit?

 

I tied a loop of rope and then twisted the rope with a bar to tension it. Pain in the a55

 

I'm really struggling with this. I'm even wondering now if I've got the roll bar on the wrong way round or something. I know I didn't go through this sort of hell with it last time.

 

It doesn't seem to want to go any further than this, so it's a bloody mile away. Any theories anyone. I've now unhooked it from the hub and still no joy.

 

Jack the arm that is already fitted up so it is horizontal. That way you need to compress the arb less. I use a ratchet strap as well and never had much problems.

 

Had everything lined up & lowered the car slowly & evenly. The lower arms simply moved back into position with only a little effort to help them.

 

Not sure how that worked for you mate, but glad it did. Managed to do it now with the ratchet strap and jacks etc. Hideous job though I thought.

 

That's pretty much what I did in the end mate. Never had to do such a thing on any other car though. What an arse.

 

Yeh there horrible to get back in. Glad you sorted it matey.

 

At least I know how to do it now, not that I'm EVER doing one again! Ballacheus Maximus!

 

I did mine cause I fitted poly bushes to the arm. Fit and forget I thought. Naa one of the poly bushes were worn causing the arm to move about.

 

I don't like the polybushes on the arms, I've put them on the anti-rollbar clamps but not in the arms, I did buy a set but they just looked too thick to me on the out side edges, so I went back to standard ones. I think some of these polybushes probably shouldn't be fitted to the car, they just make them so there is a complete set.

 

Here's another question guys, should all this stuff at the front be kept loose until the car is on the ground, then tightened. I've always wondered how you do that though. Or perhaps leave it all loose, jack up the arms and then tighten, so you can actually get access to everything? Or does it matter?

 

Yes they should be tightened with the wheels on the ground. After they are tightened any movement of the suspension is causing deflection of the bushes, as the metal tube of the bush is clamped by the bolt and therefore not moving. So when tightening the bolts with the wheels on the ground you make sure they is hardly any deflection in the bushes when the suspension is in it’s ‘normal’ position.

For poly bushes it doesn’t matter as the bush and the metal tube are not one piece.

 

I'm just thinking how I can get at them to tighten them when the car is on the ground. I wonder if I can drop the car onto my ramps on the front, do you think that would work?

Which bits need to be loose?

Inner track arm bolt?
Anti Rollbar end nuts?
Anti Rollbar clamp bolts?

Anything else?

 

Only the inner and outer track control arm bushes. Just put a jack underneath the arm and the jack up the arm to the normal position and then tighten them.

 

Cool, just a bit hard knowing what the normal position is, I guess so long as they're under tension it should work do you think?

 

I would look at the angle of the tca when it is in the ground and then jack up the tca to roughly the same angle.

 

Yes, I get you mate, I'll get there one way or another. Thanks for that.