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nervous about rear control arms: best way to brace axle?

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    #1

    nervous about rear control arms: best way to brace axle?

    Hey!

    I meant to do this 3 weeks ago but I've been gone! So now I'm back home and can get 'er done I'm just nervous about the order of operations here, and not hurting myself when that axle comes free. Never done this job before.
    I got bushing kits from es suspension for the rear lower and upper control arms, which means cutting or burning out the old rubber.
    At present, and it'll make it easier, the fuel tank and the brake lines are already out.



    a) should I leave the wheels on, loosen the driveshaft, let the whole assembly drop to the ground and roll the axle out from there? The plus side is that it'll make the bushings on the axle itself easier to get to, should I need to burn them out or anything.
    b) should I put jackstands under the axle and let it drop 1/2" onto them? Should I make an effort to get the springs out of there before I remove the control arms?


    thanks!
    Tags: None
    #2
    Subscribed to this thread because I plan on doing the same job down the road.

    I've been told in the past that the rear axle doesn't need to come out to do the bushings if you do one side at a time. The arms come out and you can burn the old bushings out. The two on top of the differential need to be cut out. (It's pretty close to the gas tank). Like I said though, I haven't had the pleasure of doing the job yet. That's just what I've been told/read while researching.

    Edit: Just saw that you said the fuel tank and brake lines are already removed. If that's the case I guess it would be easier to just drop the whole thing out. lol

    '78 LTD | '87 Grand Marquis | '89 Crown Vic (RIP) | '91 Grand Marquis (RIP) | '94 Town Car (RIP) | '97 Town Car (RIP)

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      #3
      I just placed jacktands under the rear and removed all of the arms.... I did not want to mess with the parking brake cables or the brake lines.

      I also burned out the bushings on the diff and pushed them out with some sort of something I made sure that I would never want again....
      ~David~

      My 1987 Crown Victoria Coupe: The Brown Blob
      My 2004 Mercedes Benz E320:The Benz

      Originally posted by ootdega
      My life is a long series of "nevermind" and "I guess not."

      Originally posted by DerekTheGreat
      But, that's just coming from me, this site's biggest pessimist. Best of luck

      Originally posted by gadget73
      my car starts and it has AC. Yours doesn't start and it has no AC. Seems obvious to me.



      ​

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        #4
        Jack under the meatball if you don't have jack stands to put on the axles (If you're using them for the car itself.) David's right, burning them out is truly the only way. Or spend some time and anger banging them out, which I wouldn't do. They will catch fire so be ready for that, not a big deal but don't freak. Wasn't too bad when we did Nick's Towncar.
        __________________________________________________


        1985.03 Crown Vic. Coupe "CVGT" Build thread - china whirlybird, burnout machine.
        The only 6 speed box on a late model frame.

        Originally posted by SVT98t
        It has air ride. I've disabled it since I've been jacking it up and down.

        That is how you're supposed to jack it.

        Up and down.

        -ryan s.

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          #5
          Or sockets and "C" press.
          03 Marauder DPB, HS, 6disk, Organizer Mods> LED's in & Out, M&Z rear control arms, Oil deflector, U-Haul Trans Pan, Blue Fuzzy Dice
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            #6
            If you pull it, you have better access. You will need to fool with the brakes if you do it that way. If you don't want to mess with the brakes, put jack stands under it and call it good.


            The press is the way to go if you are replacing the bushings with stock types. Poly bushings require that the old sleeve remain in place. Not much choice for getting that to happen short of lots of cussing and fighting with a hole saw or just torching it. If you torch the upper ones on the axle housing, beware of the fact that you have a gas tank about a foot from you.
            Last edited by gadget73; 07-23-2014, 06:06 PM.
            86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
            5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley

            91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry

            1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal

            Originally posted by phayzer5
            I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousers

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              #7
              OK I'm going to pull it.
              With the parking brakes, fuel tank, and brake lines all out there's little else in my way. And I WILL have better access once it's out from under the car; it might even save time.

              So at this point...

              1) remove drive shaft, or at least, just loosen the 4 bolts and drop it.
              2) with shocks free, flex the axle to get the springs out first
              3) position jackstands under it (I did in fact buy a 3rd set)
              4) pull lower bolts out of upper and lower control arms, dropping it onto the jackstands
              5) find 2 friends, have them lift the axle from each wheel? get it off the jackstands and on to the ground, roll it out.
              6) do my thing with the bushings,
              7) rehire the same friends to help lift it back onto the jack stands? so it's at the right height again to get the control arms bolted back up.
              8) reassemble in general.

              do I have that about right?
              I'm looking at about 6 hours?

              Comment

                #8
                You can pull the rear end by yourself, I just put a jack under the diff and steady it as I pull it out, but for installation having a buddy over helps tremendously.
                2020 F250 - 7.3 4x4 CCSB STX 3.55's - BAKFlip MX4
                2005 Grand Marquis GS - Marauder sway bars, Marauder exhaust, KYB's
                2003 Marauder - Trilogy # 8, JLT, kooks, 2.5" exhaust, 4.10's/31 spline, widened rear's, metco's, addco's, ridetech's 415hp/381tq
                1987 Colony Park - 03+ frame swap, blown Gen II Coyote, 6R80, ridetechs, stainless works, absolute money pit. WIP

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                  #9
                  slack, I can tell you already that having that fuel tank out gives me head room to work in! Especially without a lift to stand under the car, I really appreciate it. Combined with the question about fire + gas, it makes it doubly helpful.
                  If your fuel tank is original, and you're doing rear control arms, they're complementary jobs.
                  I already did my tank but now I'm doing the fuel lines, which I should have done before, but whatever.
                  It took me maybe an hour to remove. The filler pipe is the most frustrating. I suggest cutting the giant o-ring on the tank that it slips into, and replacing it (as you ought to anyway).

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