Shocks and struts replacement on 2003 Windstar LX

[searcherrr]

Originally Posted by northern piper

what you need to do is make sure the LCA is attached at the frame. Put a long pry bar between the ball joint and where it attaches. Push down with the pry bar using the frame area as an anchor point for the end of the pry bar (the opposite end you're holding). Before all of this, liberally soak the area with PB blaster or aerokroil penetrant. It will come out, often with a big "pop" . These are suspension components designed to take big loads at highway speeds. Don't be scared to use some ummph, just be careful.

Yeah, thats what scares me... pushing down so hard on the van while I have it up on jacks. I know that it won't come down... but it just makes me very nervous.

Anyway, I went today to buy a 4' long piece of steel pipe already cut and ready to go. I think that will do nicely now that I have an understanding of how to do this from ya'll here and on youtube.

The biggest problem now is that I have to reattach all this mess just to get that lower ball joint off and tonight I realized as I was jacking up the knuckle to meet the NEW SUPPOSED "QUICK STRUT" that the welds at the bottom of the quick strut ...... well...... prevent it from being quick. It absolutely will not go into the knuckle....... and at the same moment I realized this my air compressor killed on me. I cannot get it started now.... I haven't drained it in a while or got the oil changed in it in a while... so I hope (if anyone can advise on that, that would help a lot to have my air compressor back on) after I do those things that it will work again.

So I have to file down the welds probably on both new quick struts to get them in the knuckles and hopefully get the air compressor back up and running all to get the lower ball joint off.

I wish I would've known to try to remove the lower ball joint first thing before removing all the other stuff.

[northern piper]

sorry to hear that the welds are sloppy on the quick strut. That shouldn't be the case. Did you buy them locally? If so, I wonder if checking there other stock would be worthwhile. When I got my quick struts, the section that fits into the steering knuckle was super smooth and they literally did just slip in. I'd hate for you to knick the shaft of that strut and damage it...

Sorry for your difficulties with this repair. It shouldn't be THIS bad.. keep the faith!

[scubacat]

My quick-struts were tough to get in but it's because the paint made it slightly thicker than the circumference of the hole in the knuckle. It was probably from rust, too, though. I just got out my trusty BFH (6lb sledge hammer) and tapped the knuckle down to remove the existing strut and then up from the bottom to install the new one. Sometimes these things take a little convincing..

[northern piper]

ya, my rule is... if you can't swear for 15 minutes straight without repeating yourself then you shouldn't be doing auto repairs..

[searcherrr]

Originally Posted by scubacat

Did you not remove the pinch bolt?? That bolt goes through a 'keyway' in the ball joint stud that locks it in place. You must remove that bolt!

And yes, reattach the two bushings to the subframe and then use that leverage to pry out the ball joint. Push down on the angled arm (the one that goes to the front corner bushing). In my case, even my biggest pry bar wasn't strong enough to break it loose, hence the section of steel pipe.

I didn't remove the pinch bolt. I didn't think it would be required to remove it all the way... so I just backed it back about 3 threads worth. So...... there's one thing wrong... I gotta take that out apparently. I still don't see why, but maybe I will once I get it out. Gotta get this van out of the garage. Taking up whole garage and we're having to park under the trees outside.

Thanks for the procedure for the ball joint (everybody). Once I get everything reattached I will report my success or failure.

[searcherrr]

Originally Posted by 12Ounce

You need more beer!

It helps with controlling stress and kidney stones.

JEezzz.... you have no idea. I tell ya.... when I'm mad with it..... I cannot think at all. It takes me till the next day to figure out how to get at the problem smart. More stress than stones. Luckily the stone only lasted one day.

[searcherrr]

Originally Posted by northern piper

sorry to hear that the welds are sloppy on the quick strut. That shouldn't be the case. Did you buy them locally? If so, I wonder if checking there other stock would be worthwhile. When I got my quick struts, the section that fits into the steering knuckle was super smooth and they literally did just slip in. I'd hate for you to knick the shaft of that strut and damage it...

Sorry for your difficulties with this repair. It shouldn't be THIS bad.. keep the faith!

I filed down the welds tonight on both struts. Both seemed to have a finishing weld "knot", if you will, at the bottom of them. NOT gonna wrestle by myself with a wheel/axle knuckle that should just easily glide right back on... so tomorrow I'll try to get them back on and report. I may spray paint the filed spots too, but I dunno if I really need to.

The flat "tab" section of the bottom of the strut that fits into the knuckle looks fine on both struts... it was just that finishing weld spot at the very bottom of the strut (on both) that was the problem. Hopefully that is all that was the problem and the circumference of the strut itself isn't the real issue or else I'm done and I will return the struts to ROCKAUTO. It shouldn't be this hard. Amazing what 1000's-th of an inch can cause problems with.

[searcherrr]

Originally Posted by northern piper

ya, my rule is... if you can't swear for 15 minutes straight without repeating yourself then you shouldn't be doing auto repairs..

lol - Ah yeah good times right?

[searcherrr]

I'm asking for one of these for Christmas:
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/acc...questid=697209

Would make all my automotive repairs so much better.

[northern piper]

this is going to garner undoubtedly a "you suck" label from the crowd, but this is the lift I have in my garage..


http://www.mohawklifts.com/wp/consum...lifts/system1/

granted.. it lifts a 2000 windstar 3.8 but I digress

[phil-l]

Very nice! I keep considering lifts, but the realities of kids, schedules and budgets seems to intervene...

[scubacat]

Originally Posted by searcherrr

I didn't remove the pinch bolt. I didn't think it would be required to remove it all the way... so I just backed it back about 3 threads worth. So...... there's one thing wrong... I gotta take that out apparently. I still don't see why, but maybe I will once I get it out. Gotta get this van out of the garage. Taking up whole garage and we're having to park under the trees outside.

Thanks for the procedure for the ball joint (everybody). Once I get everything reattached I will report my success or failure.

The bolt goes through a notch (often known as a "keyway") in the ball joint. It won't go anywhere with that bolt there. I'll try and track down the ford service manual procedure (that actually specifies the pry bar placement a few of us mentioned already) and post it here.

[northern piper]

Here's what alldatadiy.com says

Remove and discard the ball joint pinch bolt and nut.

84778961.gif

then...

Using a pry bar between the front subframe and the front suspension lower arm, push down until the lower ball joint is free of the front wheel knuckle.

[searcherrr]

Originally Posted by northern piper

this is going to garner undoubtedly a "you suck" label from the crowd, but this is the lift I have in my garage..


http://www.mohawklifts.com/wp/consum...lifts/system1/

granted.. it lifts a 2000 windstar 3.8 but I digress

Yer right. You suck.

WOW. lol. Either you have a big garage or holes in your ceiling for the posts. If you have that kind of $$$..... why DIY !?!? lol

[searcherrr]

Ok guys, with your help I finally got the lower control arm out and the ball joint out of it.... the ticket was indeed removing that locking bolt that goes through the notched "KEYWAY". It came right out actually... after I'd had it sit in kroil a bit.. it just came out with ease.

The biggest problem I had with all this after that point was getting the damn lower control arm back in place. I and a friend fought with that thing like it was Rocky Balboa in the 1st and 2nd Rocky movies. Little did we realize till it was in all the way is that the front control arm connection point sits at a tilt instead of sitting straight. We had so much trouble with it that I have decided not to do the driver side one and just let the shop do it.

I know there must be some technique to getting it back in easily, but I couldn't figure it out and neither could my friend. Looking back now it would seem more helpful to use the pry bar pipe in the opposite direction "prying up" (instead of down like for the control arm ball joint removal) on the front control arm connection point with the bolt halfway through the hole and then once its aligned by the pry bar/pipe have someone push/turn the bolt the rest of the way through the other hole to get the nut on that really long bolt. Still it seems like it goes better in my head than it does in real life.

Unless ya'll can clarify an "EASY" procedure for me.. that would get the control arm back in place ... again easily.... I'm gonna let the shop do that and I will just do the sway bar links and the strut.

FYI - The quick struts went right in after I'd filed down the bottom welds.

So tomorrow I have the strut and link to do. I may/may not do the rear shocks myself since my compressor is still out (bad capacitor on it). Then I will put the wheels back on it and bring it to the shop on Monday.