Can't get upper control arm seperated from knuckle

**hix5000** · 07-06-2009, 11:25 AM

Ok so I am trying to replace my front shocks. I have gotten to the point where the wheel is off, the stabilizer bar is disconected and the bolts are removed from the top of the shock mount (in the engine bay) and the bttom of the shock mount (the bolts in the LCA).

Now all I have to do is get the upper control arm separated from the steering knuckle and I can take my shock to the shop and have them deal with switching my springs around BUT, I am unable to get the upper control arm separated from the steering knuckle. I have tried prying it apart I have put a 2x4 up against it and hammered it with a 4 pound hammer, I even tried using my floor jack to push up on the arm to try and get that sucker to pop. No luck.

How do I get this sob to separate?

**ntimid8r** · 07-06-2009, 11:31 AM

Don't use a pickle fork on the ball joints....that can damage them. Get a BFH (Big F'n Hammer) and look on the upright knuckle (the big long piece that holds the wheel spindle) you'll see a flat spot facing the front of the car. That's the designed pad to hit with the BFH. You'll have to bring your arm back to Cleveland to swing hard at it, or a couple or so times...but the shock will pop out the ball joint and the shock and spring unit will come down.

**hix5000** · 07-06-2009, 11:44 AM

I have been hitting upward on the control arm trying to get it to pop. You want me to hit on the knuckle. Should I have the upper shock mount attached or unattached?

**ntimid8r** · 07-06-2009, 11:55 AM

Yep...hit that big long vertical one. Just make sure the upper control arm is bolted up so when you hit that upright, the control arm doesn't bash into the inner fender. Did you locate the little flat spot on the vertical upright? Also...a 4 lb hammer is a bit small, believe it or not.

**hix5000** · 07-06-2009, 11:59 AM

I bolted the upper mount back on and and whacked that mfer HARD (right where you said) a few times then the control arm popped right out. You sir have saved my day. Thank you.

**ntimid8r** · 07-06-2009, 12:02 PM

Good news. Glad to have helped. I'm at work and slow with my responses. Just found the link to a good website that details everything you have to do...with pics!
http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=6

**hix5000** · 07-06-2009, 12:51 PM

Second one went smooth. Now I'm off to get these springs taken care of. Thanks again.

**ntimid8r** · 07-06-2009, 12:56 PM

See, now you're a veteran of shock swaps.

**hix5000** · 07-07-2009, 02:02 PM

So I took the shocks down to the shop. When they were taking them apart one of the mounts broke apart which I was kinda expecting. I had them order me two new mounts and they swapped the new mounts and springs on my new shocks. However they did not mark them left or right. They are side specific right? There are no part numbers on the mounts and they look the same how can I tell them apart??

**hix5000** · 07-07-2009, 04:53 PM

Things just got more interesting. I figured out which mount was which because the upper control arms only fit on the correct mount you can't put the wrong one with the correct upper control arm.

I now have bigger issues. I bolted the drivers side shock in place (just the upper bolts) and the shock seems to be at the wrong angle. The bottom of the shock doesn't line up with the lower control arm. It's too far forward (towards front of car) by an inch and a half.

In case that wasn't enough of a problem the passenger side mount appears to have been bent or dropped because the two bolt holes in the mount are slightly off from the bolt holes in the upper control arm. I can't get those bolts to go in even if the shock is off the car.

WTH is going on here?