Control Arm: Service and Repair
STABILIZER BAR INSULATORFig. 4 Front suspension. XR4Ti:
Removal
1. Remove cotter pin and attaching nut and separate control arm from spindle carrier. With spindle carrier and control arm disconnected, the spindle carrier can easily cause damage to control arm ball joint boot.
2. Remove pivot bolt attaching control arm to crossmember.
3. Remove stabilizer bar to control arm attaching nut, Fig. 4.
4. Remove front washer/plastic cover from end of stabilizer bar.
5. Remove control arm and bushings as an assembly.
6. Remove rear washer/plastic cover from end of stabilizer bar.
Fig. 1 Removing control arm bushings:
7. Remove bushings from control arm as necessary, Fig. 1.
Installation
Stabilizer bar bushings are designed to allow control arm to move backward and forward somewhat.
1. Coat control arm bore and outer surface of bushing with non-petroleum lubricant.
Fig. 3 Installing control arm bushings:
2. Install control arm bushing, Fig. 3, inserting bushing quickly and with a continuous motion so that bushing deforms only for a short time.
3. If removed, press stabilizer bar bushings into control arm.
Fig. 5 Installing stabilizer bar bushings. XR4Ti:
4. Install rear washer/plastic cover on stabilizer bar. Rear washer has a shallower dish than the front washer. When washer is installed, ensure that plastic cover is in place between dished steel washer and the bushing and that dished side of steel washer faces away from bushing, Fig. 5.
5. Install control arm and bushing assembly on stabilizer bar.
6. Install front washer/plastic cover on stabilizer bar, ensuring dished side of washer faces away from bushing, Fig. 5.
7. Install stabilizer bar attaching nut, snugging but not tightening.
8. Position control arm ball joint stud in spindle carrier and install attaching nut, torque nut to 48-65 ft. lbs. and install cotter pin. If slots in nut do not align with cotter pin hole, tighten nut to next slot. Never loosen nut for alignment.
9. Grip bottom of tire and pull inward until control arm enters crossmember and aligns with bolt holes, then, using drift punch to hold arm in alignment, install attaching bolt.
10. Install control arm pivot bolt, plain washer and attaching nut, snugging but not tightening attaching nut.
11. Lower vehicle.
12. With vehicle weight on tires, torque control arm pivot bolt nut to 11 ft. lbs. then additional 90°, and the stabilizer bar attaching nut to 52-81 ft. lbs.