Installing Ohlins DFV coilovers on my 2001 AP1. Three corners done, stuck on the rear left. Top hat nuts removed, lower coilover bolt removed, upper control arm bolts fully removed. Strut still won’t clear — not enough room to pull it out even with the upper control arm hanging free.

Is there another bolt I can remove to drop the lower control arm enough to get the strut out? Photo attached. I've tried to get the lower control arm bolt on the right side off, but the thing is seized like crazy so I'm hoping there is another way. Photo of said seized bolt also attached. Any help appreciated, car is on stands since Thursday and I’m trying to finish today.

 

disconnect the sway bar

 

Also, you're going to have clock all bushings to new ride height anyway, so easiest to just loosen all upper and lower control arm and toe arm bolts.

That also means you need alignment afterwards.

If not familiar w clocking bushings, look for diy instructions. Failure to do so will cause expensive bushing replacement (parts will cost more than you spent on coilovers.)

 

Used a 4x4 inch wood section to do mine to lever it down

 

I figured it out. It turns out the bolt I was using the impact gun on was attached to that oblong washer looking thing. I never claimed to be a smart man!

ill have to look into clocked bushings, didn’t know that was something that needed to be done. Is this not something they’d do when I get my alignment?

 

No your alignment guy will definitely not clock your bushings. Only necessary if you changed your ride height but a change in ride height is highly likely with a coilover install.

 

Why not just pop the lower ball joint?

 

The alignment guy will clock the alignment bushings only, and only if he loosens the adjustment locknut to fix an alignment spec.

 

Right, alignment clocks any bushings they actually adjust. Not bc they're making effort to clock them, but just bc its a side effect.

Clocking is basically loosening all the bushing bolts, then tightening them with car at new ride height.

Bushings must flex up and down from static ride height. So if they're locked down at other than ride height, they're already flexed, and will overflex over bumps, soon tearing themselves apart.

Meanwhile they'll be adding or removing spring rate. Messing up intended ride height, and messing up handling.

One way to tighten them at ride height involves getting car level on jack stands, loosen all bushing bolts. Then jack under one corners lower control arm until it just begins to unweight from that jack stand. It can still be in contact w stand, just beginning to rise off it. Tighten that corners bolts. Carefully, reaching in, don't get under car bc not safely on stands at that point.

Then lower safely back onto stand, torque wrench to final tighten.

Then carefully tighten the

 

Thanks for the reply. I did your method to clock bushings all the way around with the car on jackstands. Cheers all!