It is a bit difficult. With the car on the ground I cannot get my torque wrench on that nut with enough room to do any good. What I did is, while the car is on jack stands, take a jack underneath the LCA and load up the suspension and then torque it. You can't get the suspension 100% loaded with this method since the other jackstand is still supporting a little bit of the weight, but it takes most of the droop out of the suspension.

 

Would it be possible if I used a low profile race ramps, that way I have access to the LCA easier and the suspension should be loaded? Or does everything needs to be flat leveled.

 

All things considered, sounds like a solid solution.

 

You can absolutely do that...doesn't have to be level, just loaded.

 

Alright. Set on trying to install it tomorrow if there is time. Thanks!

 

One thing i would caution is the removal of the inside bolt for the bushing housing...it's the only 17mm head bolt.
On mine both sides were tight coming out.
The first one did not want to go back in...was even tighter trying to get it in than out. (and before someone suggests it, no...it was not crossthreaded)
After working it back and forth with my impact gun i eventually got it in...thank god!
On the other side I noticed it was tight coming out too, so before removing it completely, i worked it out and in with the impact gun before finally removing it completely.
This helped it go back in like butter.

 

Is this for everyone in general? I don't have a impact gun so that may pose an issue.

 

This could just be an environmental issue as to where I live, or it could be because of something else.
You can still accomplish the same thing by hand with a ratchet, it will just take more elbow grease and a little more time.

 

Factory manual says to support the crossmember with a jack. Perhaps it does something to prevent this issue? Also when reinstalling use hand tools and a torque wrench

 

I had my car on a lift when I did it and didn't have any issues with the bolts. I didn't use any air tools either, just wrenches and torque wrenches. You'll need a pry bar too or something similar.

 

 

Thanks. Noted, probably going to install it when I have access to a lift to make it a little easier to work on.

 

The likelihood is that the issue is environmental.
Due to traditional winter the roads get covered with salt and brine...so it just destroys the undercarriage of vehicles. You can see surface corrosion everywhere...heaven only knows what's forming in the nooks and crannies.
That particular bolt (17mm head) goes into a captive nut in the subframe.
Jacking (or not jacking) the vehicle on the subframe won't have any impact on this at all.
The fear with the captive nut is that if you strip or spin the nut you're pretty much f****d.
There's no way to access the nut as it was placed in the subframe prior to it being welded together...so basically you have to cut the subframe open to get to the nut.
Trust me...you don't want to be that position.

I did reassemble the vehicle with handtools and a torque wrench...the impact was used only for disassembly and to save my 17mm bolt.
It may sound weird that a saved the bolt with an impact wrench...but it was one of those situations that using handtools would have actually made the situation worse.

 

I wasn't judging you at all for using an impact wrench, I just wanted OP to know that using regular tools should be enough. I had to use a pry bar to get the bushings out and the new ones in there was no way it was happening without that. I didn't run into the same issue as you with that 17mm, so I guess it is the environmental impact. My car only had like 7,000 miles when I did the swap and no salt in Atlanta lol.

 

Lol...no judgement taken Flash...all good.
I was just pointing out that the hand tools is likely a better choice in this scenario...and of course not everyone has a compressor and impact gun available to them...but still need to get the job done.
As for my bushings, i just pulled the back of the arm down slightly and they slid off...I was surprised. I had a pry bar and hammer at the ready...didn't even pick them up.