Steering and Suspension Rebuild - Days 2 & 3

Day 2


Day 1 was exhausting, but day 2 started out better.  After running some errands, I was able to complete what took 8 hours the day before in about 2 hours.  Sounds about right?  It takes for ever to figure something out and then takes about 1/4 of the time when you do it the second time.  Well I knew it was too good to be true, because after I was able to get all the suspension components off the car, it was all downhill trying to get all the steering components free.  Removing the steering components was extremely tough and exhausting.  I tried everything: pullers, pickle forks, heat, and BFH.  Finally I had some success with the BFH.  And after about 3 hours, I finally had a steering linkage out of the car, but still attached and I needed everything off because I need to reuse the center link.  Frustrated I called it a night....

Why won't you come apart???
...and no, the rubber mallet in the picture is not the BFH I was trying to use to get everything apart.

Will this ever be finished?

Day 3


I ended up taking a personal day from work on Monday because I was hoping to finish this up and allow Marissa to park in the garage again (wishful thinking).  Yeah that really didn't happen.  I was able to take the steering linkage over to this cool shop called Carl's 66 Service Station.  They made short work of the linkage still attached with an anvil and an even bigger BFH.  Looks like I need to get both! Now that everything was off the car, it was time to start putting on new parts!

Old Spring (left) vs New Spring (right)

Bigger and beefier Front Sway Bar (bottom) should be better than the old one (top)

After some persuasion I was able to get the new Moog lower control arm in, plus the spindle and upper control arms on the passenger side.  I called it a night though after that.  By that time on Monday night after all day Saturday and Sunday, I was drained physically and mentally.  Done.  So I left it alone for the week and tonight I was actually able to go and complete that side by putting in the new spring and new Koni Shocks.  There is still a lot of work, but it felt good to at least have that part completed.

This might actually work

There is still a lot of work and I hope to have it competed by the end of this weekend.  It is supposed to be almost 90 degrees this weekend, so that should make it interesting and fun.  Here goes nothing....