I know I have to remove the strut to remove the control arm and plate above it but do I need spring compressors to remove the strut or will it come out by hand if the lower control arm is extended all the way down?

 

Based upon my very recent experience installing shocks and springs on my 1994 Camaro, and assuming the design is the same on your car, it should not be necessary to compress the spring in order to remove the shock assembly from the car.

 

Great, thanks. I've slid them out of other cars without compressors, I just didn't want to get blindsided in the middle of the project.

 

If you are just replacing the upper control arms, you do not need spring compressors. The shock/spring assembly comes out as a whole. Now if you needed to replace the shock mounts, then you would need to compress the spring to be able to remove the nut on the shock in order to remove the mount. But the upper control arms just slide off the studs of the shock mount after removing the whole assembly from the wheel well.

 

Yep, just replacing the upper control arms. Thanks for the response.

Is an alignment required after swapping the upper control arm?

 

Unless you had to disconnect a tie rod, you should be fine. However, personally I would get one done just in case and for peace of mind. When was the last time it had an alignment?

 

probably not a bad idea to replace the upper shock mount while you're in there if they're still the originals.

 

I changed the passenger side on Sunday. Oddly the upper shock mount looked great. However the Control Arm support looked like crap. I scraped and wire wheeled it then used rust converted and painted it. It took longer than I wanted but looked way better and I couldn't put it back in like it was.

 

I would have probably replaced my control arms when I did my shocks and springs had I known what kind of shape they would have been in. I just took a wire brush to them, painted them, sprayed them with lithium grease and put them back on the car. I did replace the shock mounts and their associated isolators/insulators.