I have noise coming from the driver side aftermarket upper control arm( It come with the car when I bought it). I am going to change it. What is the correct way to install it. Look like the spring is in the way of the bolts. Is it that you have to loosely install the bolts and lower the car with the tire back on, then tighten the bolts to spec. Thanks.

 

you have to remove the shock. Remove the 1 bolt that attaches the shock to the fork, then remove the bolt that attaches the fork to the lower arm, slide the fork off the end of the shock and out of the way. Then remove the upper 5 bolts that attach the shock to the car. remove the shock then you can seperate the upper ball joint and remove teh 2 upper control arm bolts. Removing the shock shouldnt take mroe than 5 min its that easy.

 

Thank for your reply. If I remove the shock, do I need an alignment? Let say I install the upper control arm with the shock removed, I can use my torque wrench to tighten to spec. However, how do I position the UCA before I tightn it?

 

you should get an alignment after you do any ting suspension related. It probably wont be necessary but i still would.

As for your question, once the shock is removed you have clear access to the bolts. Once installed torque every thing into spec. As for how do you position the Upper Control Arm?? What do you mean? It only goes in one way. there is no positioning of it, no adjustment.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIj248oB-eQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY2ZNius_eY

Let me explain more with the help of the above video. I use a control arm from my Civic in the video. As I turn the bushing, it is very stiff and it turn a little bit. After tightening the bolt to the car, the sleeve or the piece that the bolt go through should not rotate, only the control arm move up and down. My question is if the UCA is not at the proper angle or the tilt position, there will be a lot of stress to the bushing when lowering the car to the ground. The second video shows the tilt angle that I mean. Thanks.

 

The proper way,[sometimes nearly impossible] is to put the arm in with the bushing nuts loose and tighten them with the weight of the car on the wheels.

 

I dont get what your trying to describe with the videos. A new ball joint shouldnt need to be adjusted or turned, there isnt a right or wrong way. when reinstalling it simply goes into the knuckle. The shaft is slightly tapered. As long as you place it squarely in the hole nothing will go wrong.

 

Thank you Fsttyms1. I got the TL upper control arm and found out the design is different from that of the Civics. The UCA can tilt up and down freely after the bolts are tighten;therefore, it is a very straight forward installation. Thanks again.