FocusCanada Forums

Hello !

I'm taking apart my whole rear suspension to clean it up and replace all the seized bolts and I was wondering how I should place the control arms before tightening the bolts.

Let me explain : If the rear suspension has no weight , all arms are hanging so if I tight the bolts right there when I'll put the car back on it's wheels the bushing will be twisted all the time even if the car is standing still , option 2 if I put the car on it's weight and thight the bolts , now when the car will be parked the bushing will have no tension on them , when the suspension will compress the bushing will twist but will comeback to neutral position when the suspension is not moving ( parked ) .

I don't know if you understand what I'm trying to explain.


Let me know what you think ! B)

I don;t want to come accross as a dick...but why would you do this???


I dunno, it just sounds like a ton of work for nothing.

Suspension is assembled with the weight off the wheels in the factory. Put everything back together and then tighten to spec. If you read instructions for mostly everything automotive, when possible this is the prefered way of re-assembly IMHO. That way everything is back to a close to neutral location before applying torque to the bolts.

I can compare this to a rubber hangner for the exhaust , after been stretch for so long it will rip apart ( or lose it's elasticity ) .


I don't know if you took your rear suspension apart lately but when the arms are bolted they are pretty stiff to move ( because of the rubber bushings ) so this is why I thought by tighting them with the weight of the car they will be in neutral position ( no tension or stress ) applied to them this may extend their life and the rubber will not be stretch all the time when not needed... <_<

Focus man, Focus.,Jan 24 2007, 01:07 PM Wrote:Suspension is assembled with the weight off the wheels in the factory. 
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Did not know that...

Focus man, Focus.,Jan 24 2007, 01:07 PM Wrote:Suspension is assembled with the weight off the wheels in the factory.  [right][snapback]224409[/snapback][/right]

I may have found the answer...




What I was looking for was : Design Height setting I did not know how to call it , so from the factory they don't bolt the suspension hagning down , they have specific mesurement to set up the height.

Here's the procedure from the haynes manual..:



1. remove the rear coil springs

2. use a jack to raise the lower arm until the fabricated spacer (113mm for sedan/coupe, 187mm for wagon) can be put between the lower arm and crossmember in a vertical position, this is then the Design Height setting. (On the sedan and coupe it will be neccessary to remove the bump-stop to locate the spacer vertically.)

3. when set in this position on both sides, all the rear suspension bolts can be tightened to their specified torques.

4. The spacers can then be removed and teh coil springs installed.

5. install the rear wheels and lower vehicle to the ground.

mpcv2000,Jan 24 2007, 12:30 PM Wrote:I can compare this to a rubber hangner for the exhaust , after been stretch for so long it will rip apart ( or lose it's elasticity ) .


I don't know if you took your rear suspension apart lately but when the arms are bolted they are pretty stiff to move ( because of the rubber bushings ) so this is why I thought by tighting them with the weight of the car they will be in neutral position ( no tension or stress ) applied to them this may extend their life and the rubber will not be stretch all the time when not needed...  <_<
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to avoid this, lube the hell out of the metal sleave inside the bushing so that is doesnt seize up. this should releive some of the stress that you are worried about.

Just to let you know the bushing ( any bushing ) on the rear suspension doesn't turn on the bolts ( it does until you tight them ) the bushing does the work , when it's all tight the bushing act like a spring ,it doesn't spin freely .

whats the purpose of doing all of this? if you go threw with it good luck theres prolly gonna be alot of knuckle hitting and swearing haha anyways get the torches out and grinders GOOD LUCK!!!!

danny,Jan 27 2007, 01:09 PM Wrote:whats the purpose of doing all of this? if you go threw with it good luck theres prolly gonna be alot of knuckle hitting and swearing haha anyways get the torches out and grinders GOOD LUCK!!!!
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I don't know exactly what you mean but I took everything out last night and everything was seized , my whole rear suspension is going to be painted tomorrow and I'll be putting everything back sometime next week and when I'll take this stuff apart again I will not run into seised stuff again...

holy attention to detail man! kudos!

I hope your hard work pays off...

darkpuppet,Jan 27 2007, 11:44 PM Wrote:I hope your hard work pays off...
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My payoff is my personal satisfaction... :P

ahhh i see i thought you were doin it just for fun but i see where ur comin from good luck and im sure it will all pay off!!!

I'm getting all parts back tonight , I should start putting it back together this week end .

I just went through this and if you are using the poly bushings there is no need to do as you explain the poly bushings move unlike the rubber stockers