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**Bobcat** · 03-25-2015, 10:33 PM

Your list looks perfect, I see that you did some thorough reading. Take a picture of the current position of the Upper Control Arms, before removing them. You're going to need an alignment. But it won't be horribly shitty if you copy that closely.

1.) I would get the eccentric bolts (The ones that adjust the position of the upper control arm ball joint) from a junkyard, I found a couple on the internet and I didn't see the worthwhile-ness of spending 40$ (10$ ea) on them when junkyard ones will do just fine.

2.) Mine coils did, wasn't very scary or dramatic.

3.) 7/8, you'll want a socket and wrench; it's a through bolt that will spin.

I just did this a couple weeks ago so I'm sure i can give you some recent knowledge.

First, what I did was remove both shocks, then you'll want to jack up the lower control arm and disconnect the top balljoint from the spindle. Once the spindle is free, lower the jack down *SLOWLY* (I would have your car a good 1' off the ground give or take a little) when lowering the jack down, the spring will start to want to come out but it will not, you should be able to jiggle it free with a crowbar or tug it out. This is if you do not previously have a spring compressor, as reinstalling those stock length springs would probably be a bastard without one. (Sorry, I installed speedway coils; they're shorter.)

The upper control arm will be two bolts that hold it to the frame of the car, you'll need to impact those off (Or wrench on them, though I don't even waste my time killing myself doing that.) and you'll see one nut per bolt and it will have a large sheetmetal square attached to it. Once the UCA is off, the lower control arm will be held in by two 7/8s nuts and bolts of which I would also impact off, using a wrench to hold the nut from spinning. (Personal experience. The impact and deep socket will not fit to get off the LCA bolt and nut towards the cabin of the car. You'll need a short impact socket.) Once you're done with that, you'll yank out those bolts and probably have to use a crowbar to give the LCA a little help to get out of its spot. If your bushings are real shit, you won't have to and it'll just drop out.

At this stage you should look at your newly dismembered car and take a picture to show your friends that you're a real hard hitting motherfucker and have all these mechanic skills. But you should also have the upper control arm off, the coils off to the side (If you plan on re-using them.) and the lower control arms should be off, with the spindle, rotor, caliper and soft line attached. Now you can reinstall your new LCA (Your 98-02 LCAs should be nearly the same as the stock ones other than some appearance changes, you wouldn't need 98-02 LCAs specifically. Stock will work.) put your bolts in. You'll want to use 92-94 UCAs? (Don't quote me) as 95' was the cross over year and you'll either find the ones with the shaft through the middle or no shaft.
Alternatively you can buy the later control arms (95-02) and burn out the bushings and remove the metal casings and place your original cross shaft in them, as you'd need to do the same to your original. But. It's a real bastard and a waste of time.
Anyways, with the UCA on, you can use your spring compressor (Or risk your life with the coil and the jack, you can get away with it pretty easy with the speedway coils.) and place your coil in the housing, raising the jack up under the LCA to equate for the short length of the spring and attach the spindle onto the lower control arm ball joint shaft. Then you can attach it to the UCA ball joint shaft (Make sure they're strongman tight. Make sure that the spindle is all the way up to the ball joint boots.) and release your spring, lowering the jack down as well. Now install your hub, rotor, caliper bracket and caliper. With the new lines and make sure to grease all your ball joints.

I'm no expert, just typing the way I did it and it wasn't very hard at all.

I assume you're doing this to your 83' Coupe. (Of which you should ditch that wheezy two barrel and intake and goto something with a little more oomph such as a four barrel intake and carb. But don't listen to me since I'd also say to ditch that non-roller, wheezy LOPO, too.) Glad to see more people starting to care about brakes rather than go-go speed.

**Bobcat** · 03-25-2015, 10:36 PM

Your list looks perfect, I see that you did some thorough reading. Take a picture of the current position of the Upper Control Arms, before removing them. You're going to need an alignment. But it won't be horribly shitty if you copy that closely.

1.) I would get the eccentric bolts (The ones that adjust the position of the upper control arm ball joint) from a junkyard, I found a couple on the internet and I didn't see the worthwhile-ness of spending 40$ (10$ ea) on them when junkyard ones will do just fine.

2.) I assume you're asking if your 98-02 soft lines will attach to your stock hard lines? They do. Off the top of my head, the stock hard lines are 1/4.

3.) 7/8, you'll want a socket and wrench; it's a through bolt that will spin.

4.) Mine coils did, wasn't very scary or dramatic.

I just did this a couple weeks ago so I'm sure i can give you some recent knowledge.

First, what I did was remove both shocks, then you'll want to jack up the lower control arm and disconnect the top balljoint from the spindle. Once the spindle is free, lower the jack down *SLOWLY* (I would have your car a good 1' off the ground give or take a little) when lowering the jack down, the spring will start to want to come out but it will not, you should be able to jiggle it free with a crowbar or tug it out. This is if you do not previously have a spring compressor, as reinstalling those stock length springs would probably be a bastard without one. (Sorry, I installed speedway coils; they're shorter.)

The upper control arm will be two bolts that hold it to the frame of the car, you'll need to impact those off (Or wrench on them, though I don't even waste my time killing myself doing that.) and you'll see one nut per bolt and it will have a large sheetmetal square attached to it. Once the UCA is off, the lower control arm will be held in by two 7/8s nuts and bolts of which I would also impact off, using a wrench to hold the nut from spinning. (Personal experience. The impact and deep socket will not fit to get off the LCA bolt and nut towards the cabin of the car. You'll need a short impact socket.) Once you're done with that, you'll yank out those bolts and probably have to use a crowbar to give the LCA a little help to get out of its spot. If your bushings are real shit, you won't have to and it'll just drop out.

At this stage you should look at your newly dismembered car and take a picture to show your friends that you're a real hard hitting motherfucker and have all these mechanic skills. But you should also have the upper control arm off, the coils off to the side (If you plan on re-using them.) and the lower control arms should be off, with the spindle, rotor, caliper and soft line attached. Now you can reinstall your new LCA (Your 98-02 LCAs should be nearly the same as the stock ones other than some appearance changes, you wouldn't need 98-02 LCAs specifically. Stock will work.) put your bolts in. You'll want to use 92-94 UCAs? (Don't quote me) as 95' was the cross over year and you'll either find the ones with the shaft through the middle or no shaft.
Alternatively you can buy the later control arms (95-02) and burn out the bushings and remove the metal casings and place your original cross shaft in them, as you'd need to do the same to your original. But. It's a real bastard and a waste of time.
Anyways, with the UCA on, you can use your spring compressor (Or risk your life with the coil and the jack, you can get away with it pretty easy with the speedway coils.) and place your coil in the housing, raising the jack up under the LCA to equate for the short length of the spring and attach the spindle onto the lower control arm ball joint shaft. Then you can attach it to the UCA ball joint shaft (Make sure they're strongman tight. Make sure that the spindle is all the way up to the ball joint boots.) and release your spring, lowering the jack down as well. Now install your hub, rotor, caliper bracket and caliper. With the new lines and make sure to grease all your ball joints.

I'm no expert, just typing the way I did it and it wasn't very hard at all.

I assume you're doing this to your 83' Coupe. (Of which you should ditch that wheezy two barrel and intake and goto something with a little more oomph such as a four barrel intake and carb. But don't listen to me since I'd also say to ditch that non-roller, wheezy LOPO, too.) Glad to see more people starting to care about brakes rather than go-go speed.

**kishy** · 03-25-2015, 11:01 PM

Thanks a bunch, lots of good stuff there!