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Just got some aftermarket non adjustable lower control arms for the ‘02 T/A. Passenger side went in no problems but I can’t for the life of me get the drivers side to line up. I’ve had the rear jacked all the way up and down but at best I’m still half an inch off. Any ideas?
Either end-if I put it in the rear end first then the other end won’t line up and vice versa. It’s about a half inch off but lowering or raising the rear isn’t doing anything. The cars rear is on jack stands and I’ve been raising/lowering the rear with a jack under the diff.
Passenger side. Luckily the phr went in with no issues.
Originally Posted by HCI2000SS
Did you remove both stock lcas before installing one of the new ones?
i did one side at a time. Passenger side first and when I couldn’t get the drivers side in I was able to get the stock one back in since I had to drive the car to work. Now I can’t get the stock one back in either.
its not rocket science.....you can get things to move around to line up.....hammers.....pry bars....line up bars....grease up the bushings and or the frame slots... rear end slots to slide in easier
i think my first time was not so easy.....but every time since......a breeze
i suggest the frame side first cuz the rear end can move around much easier.....maybe unbolt the lower shock mounts to allow it to twist if needed
wait til you install a 3 point SFC and have to get ALL those holes to line up..............
Last edited by sjsingle1; Feb 16, 2018 at 08:35 PM.
Finally got it. Had to undo my passenger side shock to get it to drop just a little more so the drivers side would go in. Not too bad.
Strano springs and sway bars soon then a much needed alignment.
Good deal. Like mentioned above usually it's a matter of moving things around in some way shape or form. Glad it worked out
I was planning on having the local Chevy dealer do an alignment. Anything special I should have done? Just my daily driver but I hear the f-body’s are a pain to have done.
I was planning on having the local Chevy dealer do an alignment. Anything special I should have done? Just my daily driver but I hear the f-body’s are a pain to have done.
Nah nothing special. Belle Tire did mine in 40 mins, and said it was no problem
Nah nothing special. Belle Tire did mine in 40 mins, and said it was no problem
Is that a dealer? What’s a 4 wheel alignment go for these days? Last time I had one done on this car was about a decade ago at a Chevy dealer for $150.
Is that a dealer? What’s a 4 wheel alignment go for these days? Last time I had one done on this car was about a decade ago at a Chevy dealer for $150.
Belle Tire is a huge chain tire outlet. 100's of locations across the midwest. I think it was around $75 for a 4 wheel alignment
havent driven it yet. Also installed the Strano master cylinder brace and phr. If it doesn’t snow I’ll be driving it to work tomorrow night.
Gotcha. I'll be curious if you notice a difference. When the weather breaks I'll be installing non-adjustable lca's with a non-adjustable torque arm and a relocation crossmember for the torque arm. I'm hoping it will be a substantial difference
The preferred install is to jack the car up and place the jack stands under the body, not the rear axle. Then replace the lower control arms one side at a time while the rear end is hanging without a load. Removing the tires helps take a lot of weight off the rear end. But you just want to let the rear end hang freely and do one side at a time.
Then after you have installed both control arms you jack it back up and move the jack stands from under the body and place them under the rear axle. Let it down so the weight is resting on the jack stands and the axle. Then tighten and torque the bolts.
Your rear end must have moved a little during your install. You might need some help from a friend now to get things lined back up.
Jack stands under the body, rear end hanging free, install arms, move jack stands to under the rear end to put a load on the rear end, then tighten.
The preferred install is to jack the car up and place the jack stands under the body, not the rear axle. Then replace the lower control arms one side at a time while the rear end is hanging without a load. Removing the tires helps take a lot of weight off the rear end. But you just want to let the rear end hang freely and do one side at a time.
Then after you have installed both control arms you jack it back up and move the jack stands from under the body and place them under the rear axle. Let it down so the weight is resting on the jack stands and the axle. Then tighten and torque the bolts.
Your rear end must have moved a little during your install. You might need some help from a friend now to get things lined back up.
Jack stands under the body, rear end hanging free, install arms, move jack stands to under the rear end to put a load on the rear end, then tighten.
No I haven’t. That’s cheap though.
isnt there some $79 tool needed to adjust camber on the f-body’s?
The lower control arms on a 4th gen F-body, sometimes can be stubborn to get positioned correctly. There is a turnbuckle-like tool, called a "J-Hook", that is placed into holes in both the frame and the control arm, then the center of the tool is rotated, which then moves the control arm into position.
Some shops may have one or two of these tools, many don't, and simply use a pry bar, to "get it close". Most Chevy dealers should have the tools. I bought a couple of them, years ago, when I still had my Camaro. Having two of them is very helpful, because setting the camber and caster has you adjusting the tool to significantly different lengths, which takes a couple of minutes, per side. Having two of the tools, already adjusted, close to the proper length, speeds up the job.
I sold the car 3 years ago, and I should probably sell the tools......
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Lower control arm install issue 
