Disassembly and Spring Removal

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Here's a pictorial of removing the front suspension.

Remove the wheel.

Remove the caliper cotter pins from the locking blocks.

Remove the locking blocks with a hammer and screwdriver.

Remove the Caliper by pulling it straight out.

RemoveCaliper.jpg

Remove the support bracket by removing these bolts.

SupportBracket.jpg

Remove the disc retaining bolts, ring and disc. You may have to hit it lightly with a rubber mallet.

RetainingBolts.jpg

Remove the dust cover.

Cover.jpg

This lockplate bolt always gives me trouble. On the driver side I tried using a socket wrench and failed. This time I tried an impact. PLEASE NOTE, using an extension with an impact is dangerous and even though it's shown in the picture, I don't recommend using an impact wrench for this bolt.

One trick a friend told me about was to slightly tighten the bolt with a wrench before removing it. I haven't had much luck with this. You should replace the control arm or drill out the bolt and tap it. An easy-out probably won't work and didn't in this case.

Lockplate.jpg

It probably will break. It's the nature of the beast.

BrokenLockplateBolt.jpg

Removed the strut bar nut. It's under the radiator, so you need to use a socket wrench. Be sure to spray all threads with liquid wrench or something similar. (The foot isn't necessary unless you do this step last.)

RemoveStrutBar.jpg

Remove the nut attaching the control arm to the pillar.

ControlArm.jpg

Remove the nut attaching the strut bar to the control arm and lock plate.

StrutBarLockplate.jpg

Remove the nut attaching the steering arm to the pillar.

SteeringArm.jpg

Remove the nuts holding the strut to the pillar.

StrutBracket.jpg

Leave one of the bolts in to hold the pillar in place until it's ready to be removed.

StrutBracketLeaveBolt.jpg

Use a fork and hammer or an air hammer to remove the steering arm.

HammerForkSteering.jpg

Use a fork and hammer or an air hammer to remove the control arm.

HammerForkControl.jpg

Remove the pillar.

RemovePillar.jpg

Use a fork and hammer or an air hammer to remove the strut bar and lockplate from the tontrol arm.

RemoveStrutBarLockplate.jpg

Use an impact wrench while holding the strut with one hand to remove the shock retaining nut.

RemoveShockRetainerNut.jpg HoldStrut.jpg

Carefully remove the strut assembly and disassemble.

StrutRemoved.jpg

Remove the nut retaining the control arm to the body.

RemoveControlArm.jpg

You probably will need to use a crow bar to remove the bolt.

CrowBarControlArm.jpg

Remove the 3 nuts holding the camber plate to the shock tower.

ShockTower.jpg

I didn't remove the caliper completely, but if you do, make sure you plug the reservoir before removing the brake line.

AllDone.jpg

In this case, I used a zip tie to hold the caliper up while I worked on the suspension.

ZipTieCaliper.jpg