Rear Suspension 169
5. CONTROL ARM
Special Equipment Required:
To Renew Control Arm Bush — Press and suitable
removal tool
TO REMOVE AND INSTAL
(1) Raise the rear of the vehicle and support it
on chassis stands as describe d in the Wheels and Tires
section.
(2) Suitably mark the front and rear control
arms to ensure installation to the original locations.
NOTE: The front and rear control arms are
identical in appearance, however, on models
manufactured prior to March 1988 the
compound of the rubber bushes differ.
(3) Remove the nut and bolt securing the control
arms to the knuckle assembly.
(4) Suitably mark the rear inner pivot bolt cams
in relation to the crossmember to ensure correct
installation.
(5) Remove the rear control arm inner pivot
bolt, adjusting cam, nut and control arm from the
vehicle. (6) Remove the front control arm inner pivot
bolt, washer, nut and control arm from the vehicle.
(7) Inspect the control arm bushes for wear,
cracks and deterioration and renew as necessary. (8) Inspect the control arms for cracks, damage
and distortion and renew as necessary.
(9) Inspect the pivot bolts for damage and renew
as necessary. Installation is a reversal of the removal procedure
with attention to the following points:
(1) Install the control arms to the original
loca-
tions, ensuring that the inner pivot bolts are installed
from the front of the crossmember.
(2) Align the marks on the rear inner pivot bolt
Dismantled view of the control arms and associated
components. Disc brake model.
cams and the crossmember that were made prior to
removal. Install the inner pivot bolt nuts but do not
tighten.
(3) Install the bolt that secures the control arms
to the knuckle assembly and tighten the nut finger
tight. (4) Lower the vehicle to the ground. With the
weight of the vehicle on th e rear wheels, ensure that
the marks on the inner pivot bolt cams and the
crossmember are aligned. (5) Tighten the inner and outer control arm
bolts and nuts to the specified torque. (6) Check and if necessary adjust the rear wheel
alignment. Refer to the Re ar Wheel Alignment head-
ing in this section.
TO RENEW CONTROL ARM BUSH
(1) Remove the control arm as previously de-
scribed. (2) Using a press and press plates or a bush
removal tool, remove the bush from the control arm.
NOTE: If a press or bush removal tool is not
available, a simple alternative can be made
using a long bolt, large and small washers, a
nut and a tubular spacer. This method is
illustrated in the General Information sec-
tion under the General Repair Procedures
heading.
(3) Install a new bush to the control arm
ensuring
that it is pressed squarely into the control arm. When
installed, the bush should be equidistant from either
end of the control arm bore. (4) Install the control arm as previously de-
scribed.
Ensure that the cam and the crossmember are suitably
marked prior to loosening the nut.
170 Rear Suspension
6. KNUCKLE ASSEMBLY
TO REMOVE AND INSTAL
(1) Remove the rear hub as previously de-
scribed.
(2) On drum brake models, disconnect the brake
pipe from the wheel cylinder and plug the cylinder
and brake pipe apertures to prevent the loss of brake
fluid and the entry of dirt. (3) Remove the backing plate retaining bolts and
remove the backing plate from the knuckle assembly. (4) Remove the nut and bolt securing the control
arms to the knuckle assembly. (5) Remove the bolts and nuts securing the
suspension unit to the knuckle assembly. (6) Remove the nut, washers and bush securing
the stabilizer bar to the knuckle assembly, rotate the
knuckle assembly and remove it from the stabilizer
bar. (7) Carefully clean the knuckle assembly. Do not
immerse the rubber bush in solvent as damage will
occur.
(8) Check the knuckle assembly for wear, cracks
and damage. Installation is a reversal of the removal procedure
with attention to the following points:
(1) Install the knuckle assembly onto the stabi-
liser bar, maneuver it into position with the suspen-
sion unit and install the retaining bolts and nuts.
Tighten the bolts and nuts to the specified torque.
(2) Install the control arms to the knuckle
assem-
bly and install the retaining bolt and nut. Do
not
tighten the retaining bolt and nut at this stage. (3) Install the bush, washers and retaining nut to
the stabilizer bar. Do not tighten the retaining nut at
this stage. (4) Install the backing plate to the knuckle as-
sembly and tighten the retaining bolts to the specified
torque.
(5) On drum brake models, connect the brake
pipe to the wheel cylinder and tighten the flare nut
securely.
(6) Install the rear hub as previously described.
(7) On drum brake models, bleed the brake
hydraulic system as described in the Brakes section.
(8) With the weight of the vehicle on the road
wheels, tighten the control arms retaining bolt and nut
and the stabilizer bar retaining nut to the specified
torque. (9) Check and if necessary adjust the rear wheel
alignment. Refer to the Re ar Wheel Alignment head-
ing in this section.
7. STABILISER BAR
TO REMOVE AND INSTAL
(1) Raise the rear of the vehicle and support it
on chassis stands as describe d in the Wheels and Tires
section. Remove the rear wheels.
(2) Remove the nut. washer and bush retaining
the stabilizer bar to each knuckle assembly. (3) Remove the bolts retain ing the intermediate
exhaust pipe to the rear of the catalytic converter,
remove the bolt securing the exhaust mounting to the
underbody and slightly lower the intermediate exhaust
pipe. Support the intermediate pipe to prevent the
tailpipe contacting the lower bumper panel. (4) Remove the bolts retaining the stabilizer bar
mounting brackets to the underbody and withdraw
the stabilizer ba r from each knuckle assembly. Ma-
noeuvre the stabilizer bar from the vehicle.
(5) Remove the mounting rubbers from the
stabilizer bar and the rubber bush and spacer from
each knuckle assembly. (6) Inspect the stabilizer bar for cracks and
damage and renew as necessary. (7) Inspect the stabilizer bar mounting brackets
for wear and damage and renew as necessary. (8) Inspect the mounting rubbers, the rubber
bushes and spacers for wear and deterioration and
renew as necessary.
View of the knuckle assembly removed from the
vehicle. Disc brake model. View of the stabilizer bar mounting bracket and rubber
removed from the stabilizer bar.