K member and A arm Swap questions

[LETZRIDE]

So this is gunna be my questions thread...



Thats the K member...Its going in starting tommorrow during the day.

First question I have...I've never installed rod ends, and I have one rod end on my A arms...what do I put through it? (this is a dumb question) but am I just reusing a bolt and putting it through this? just a normal bolt?

secondly, for those that have installed the K member before, Im going to assume it goes through the oval kinda sliced hole are, and not the round hole? This kinda through me off when I was looking at it trying to figure out how this goes together....

[Blizzard242]

Re: K member and A arm Swap questions

Yeah, I reused a few bolts. You'll understand what goes where when you pull your old one out cause it bolts back on exactly the same way. The A-arm.. where the **** is steve?

[ssms5411]

Re: K member and A arm Swap questions

Its best to take out the R&P and then whole K member and A arms together, then install the new TUb. K and then do the A arms and install the R&P back in and have some zip ties for the brake lines and the R&P. The way you have the tub K in the pic is right those metal tabs go into the frame so its just a matter of getting the old one out and finding the right bolts to install the new one. We used a piece of wood under the oil pan to hold it up until we were done. The passenger side is the hardest if you have A/C , one of the bolts will hit, the R&P bolts are a pain , just install them in reverse so you don't run into it again if you need a new R&P down the road. Just post ?'s as you go and I will see if I can remember.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: K member and A arm Swap questions

sweet...I have no A/C so no issue there...Here is one that is boggling my mind right now though...the A arms came with 2 codder pins and what looks to be 2 nipples for a grease input? What the heck are these for and where would these go??

[ssms5411]

Re: K member and A arm Swap questions

cotter pins go through the lower A arms bolts just like the tie end rods so the bolt doesn't come loose, the fittings go on the bottom of the A-Arm bushing to grease them , they just screw in and just pump some grease in them.

[bigbrian442]

Re: K member and A arm Swap questions

.the A arms came with 2 codder pins and what looks to be 2 nipples for a grease input? What the heck are these for and where would these go??

They go in the ball joints.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: K member and A arm Swap questions

Ok I'm stuck getting the lower A arms off. I have what looks like all the bolts, but the thing isnt budging...Heres what I think is holding it in.

There is one bolt that is mounted sideways through the bushing material closest to the steering boot...how do I get this out because it hits the steering boot.

and the second bolt is directly across from that one at the back of the A arm towards the back of the car...there is a bolt that comes straight down into the A arm (where the rod end would be on the new unit)...I got the bottom nut off, but that bolt doesn't smack out? I wacked it pretty hard a couple of times and it seems pretty solid in there.

Does the Tie rod have to come off at all?

The steering rack was only 2 bolts right? that seemed fairly easy for me...the two motor mount bolts are out...

[ssms5411]

Re: K member and A arm Swap questions

Tie end rods need to come off to take the rack & pinion out, some of those bolts will need a good hit to come loose. Also put a little weight , with a jack where the bolt is since it is probably holding it back with more than 300lbs over it. I know there was a couple a BFH was need and some weight put on it.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: K member and A arm Swap questions

I dont need to remove the steering rack though do I? Im just swapping the K and A arms...can I leave those two back A arm bolts attached to the K member, and just drop the K member down with the bolts still attached as if everything was just one piece? Easier to wrestle with bolts when they are off the car...

[ssms5411]

Re: K member and A arm Swap questions

You will have all the powersteering lines and whatnot in the way easier to take the R&P off since it will be easier to zip tie everything back up, thats what we did when we did mine, plus having the R&P hanging by the tie end rods is not a good idea. I'm just saying thats how we did mine.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: K member and A arm Swap questions

that means I gotta disconnect all the power steering lines then to right? I dont even know where to start for that one...if I take the tie rod ends off I would want to go all new parts...no use in putting 236K parts back on the car...but they do look ok, and I am strapped for cash at the moment, so....if it doesnt need to be done...I would rather put it off for the time being...

[LETZRIDE]

Re: K member and A arm Swap questions

got everything out...was able to leave the steering rack and everything attached with no issue....that damn back A arm bolt WILL NOT come out...I had it out on the floor and beat it with a 6lb sledge hammer and it didnt even move a fraction....tried wiggling the arm and putting it in different positions, still nothing.

Secondly, I busted off the 2 rear most K member bolts in the frame (1 on each side)...so I gotta figure out how to get those bolts out...I was thinking of tapping them out maybe? I dunno what grade bolts those are though? I thought they were 8's?

and lastly, although this is unrelated to this section...Ive found a busted ground wide on the drivers side of the car that bolts to the inner engine compartment area....Just a little bit below and to the right of the abs module...no idea where it was suppose to connect to...anyone have any idea? This could explain why my battery gauge has been going to the red everytime I come to a stop light, then slowly make its way back up...

[ssms5411]

Re: K member and A arm Swap questions

The bolts are 10.9 I think , for the ground wire just bolt it to the frame or engine, when I go back under mine I could tell ya after looking fo it. You must have alot of rust up under there snapping bolts and what not.

[LETZRIDE]

Re: K member and A arm Swap questions

good old canadian winters...the problem with that wire is, I can only see the side that is bolted to the side frame there....I have no idea where the other end is, so I have no idea what it runs to...if I did I would just make a new ground somewhere or reattach it...

[Blizzard242]

Re: K member and A arm Swap questions

lmao, that wire on my 98 was destroyed before I even got the car. And I still haven't done anything to fix the problem. However, when I was having fuel pressure problems I bought a redundant wiring harness (wasn't the problem) which came with a bigger batt to frame cable which could be making up for the loss in that cable.