Install new height adjuster screws - possible without disconnecting control arm? (Resolved)

[luxuryrules]

Have a replacement set of height adjuster screws to replace the ones on my 06. Found mine were missing the rubber pads entirely, and one of them was even snapped in half!

Anyways, I can jack up the spring, and with the shock and sway bar disconnected, I can get reeeeeaaaaaaal close to clearing getting the new one in there (it's taller than the old ones since it actually has the rubber pad).

Before I start doing dangerous math of how much I can push on the spring (where I'm lifting the car off the jack stands) to get the extra clearance, what's the safer way to do this? Disconnect upper control arm from the chassis, maybe? I figure that would let me lower the whole knuckle without having to fight a ball joint.

 

[luxuryrules]

Above is front old vs new. Below is one of my rear screws. Check your height adjusters!

 

[TheOldMan]

If you haven't already, here is a link to someone who did it another way. FWIW

Trim height adjustment bolt replacement​

W

Thread 'Trim height adjustment bolt replacement'

Sep 15, 2015

My driver information center (DIC) kept showing a service Stabilitrac message on my 2006 XLR-V. I knew the ride height was uneven because the right rear of my car was ¾” lower than the left rear. I took it to a dealer and they couldn’t turn the trim height adjusting bolts on my rear transverse leaf spring. So they stuck 6 washers under the right rear trim height-adjusting bolt to make the rear of the car level. I talked to the service manager who agreed that I shouldn’t have to pay the $106 that they charged me. I then bought the Kent-Moore J42854 trim height measurement gauge...

• WVsunnydays
• Replies: 13
• Forum: Cadillac XLR Technical Discussion

 

[TheOldMan]

Also there are youtube videos on C5 - C6 corvette on how to do it

 

[luxuryrules]

Thanks! I looked at that Kent Moore tool for the trim height adjustment but wasn’t sure it would get me the clearance I needed to get the bolt out the whole way. Good to see it worked and I’m surprised my search-Fu didn’t get that thread before but thank you!

Ended up being not bad disconnecting the upper control arm at the chassis, just have to be mindful of the washers behind the bolts. I also had sway bar, shock, and ride height sensor disconnected, and the wheel speed sensor wire unplugged and pulled back. Using two jacks so that I could independently manipulate the knuckle and the spring while the car remained supported on jackstands, this did what I needed it to do.

If my other four corners are as bad as that one was, no wonder I was so far off of specified ride height! Can’t wait to get this thing corrected.

Edit - adding for reference if anybody else is searching this. Torque specs: upper shock nut 26Nm, lower shock bolts 28Nm, UCA to chassis bolts 65Nm, sway bar link nuts 76Nm

Edit 2 - rear also requires disconnecting the toe adjust tie rod end. Torque specs for rear: upper shock bolts 30Nm, lower shock bolt 145Nm, sway bar link nuts 76Nm, UCA to chassis bolts 110Nm, tie rod end 30Nm + 120 degrees

 

[luxuryrules]

Posting more info, as I made an interesting discovery last night. Disconnecting the rear UCA from the chassis (as well as shock, sway bar link, and height sensor) doesn’t get enough clearance to drop the LCA far enough to get the height adjuster out of the spring. There isn’t enough clearance between the LCA and the driveshaft. The corvette guys and the video indicated above seem to be removing the whole knuckle in its entirety, I’m trying to avoid that as I don’t want to do battle with ball joints on this job.

I’ll be disconnecting the LCA at the frame, which means marking the alignment bolts to put them back in the correct position, and getting an alignment afterwards (which is advisable anyways).

Torque specs for the LCA cam bolts: 145Nm for the front bolt and 95Nm for the rear bolt.

Edit - confirming this method worked and got me the clearance I needed. Rear adjusters can be changed by only disconnecting the LCA at the chassis, sway bar, height sensor, shock, and tie rod end.

 

[TheOldMan]

Thanks for the update. Information like this is great.

 

[luxuryrules]

Adding final update, buttoned up the job tonight, got the photo of one new versus the four I removed. Holy smokes.

 

[mickeytee]

Good job. Thats a lot of work.to late to rrcommend but i sand the spring where the rubber meets the spring to make sure its smooth. Plus add a touchnof silicone grease to the rubber. Not much.. Ive used the kent tool to adjust the heights as its really simple to release pressur so you can turn them. Not sure if it would raise it enought to remove them but ill check