I spent the whole evening working on this and now i'm in a jam. I've got all the subframe bolts out no problem, but when i went to remove the bolts holding the sway bar mounts in it's given me one hell of a time. I think i spent 3 hours on those alone.

I've got 3 out; the first was removed with a TRIPLE wrench chain that was about 4 feet long through the passenger wheel well to get enough leverage to break it free,the second i somehow got a 18" breaker bar in there to break it loose, and the third i used a double wrench technique and then wrapped my hand around the sway bar and the wrench and squeezed to get it off. The fourth (passenger side, rear) bolt just won't budge. I've tried the double and triple wrench chain and can't get it to move, no room for a breaker bar, and theres nothing i can pull on to help with the leverage. I've doused it with WD40 to no avail.

Can anyone offer any advice on how to get this off? Is there some other technique I haven't thought of? I'm sure that if i got a crows foot i could use my breaker bar (and a 3 foot pipe if neccessary) to get it off, but i don't have one and i don't think my dad has one in 18mm. I can go to sears to get one, but its 45 minutes away and since we're going to that area for dinner tomorrow night and can't justify it plus it takes too much time out of the day. I've got autocross on sunday and really want to go.

My second question is how far should the subframe drop? i think i've only got it to drop 2 inches. Possibly if i drop it more i could get a socket on that forth bolt and use a breaker bar.

Please help! I really want to go to autocross on sunday :(

(sorry if this isn't coherent, but i'm really tired and my head hurts from tools falling on it)

WHY DO THESE HAVE TO BE ON SO TIGHT??????????????????

 

Well...I put the steering wheel straight and then disconnect the steering knuckle right at the firewall. It dropped it another couple of inches. Just make sure you put it back on the same way and that you dont push the grommet through the firewall by accident because it is a PITA to get back on right. But, you should have no problems. As far as getting to the last bolt....when I was under the car I would rest my feet on the front of the subframe and pull with all my might to break those bolts loose. I had to keep working at it and where some gloves. Finally, it eased it's way loose. Thought I was going to have a hernia......

 

Go ahead and drop the subframe all the way ; if you can’t access the bolt to remove it, there won’t be enough room to torque properly. Take a look here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=94861

 

Well at the expennse of a huge gash on my hand i broke the bolt free this morning, but the subframe still isn't low enough to take the bolt completely out (both bolts on the back side of the each mount).

I've removed everything that was supposed to be removed but it just won't drop any further. I'm afraid to remove the one you mention (nor am i sure where it is) because when it involves grommets and firewalls you can be sure i'll put it in there.

Is there something else i'm missing or can try? prying down on it isn't helping.

 

Wow that's involved. thanks for the link! a little more than i can do today but i may try as a last resort. I'll look and see about unbolting some of those to try and make it drop some more

 

IT ON!!!!!!!!! I found where the subframe was stuck with daylight and was able to finish it off. I got my resident gorilla to swing by and torque down on those bolts.

No change to take it for a real drive since its snowing outside (in april) but the quick dash to the tire barn to get a alignment (only to find out they closed 10 minutes prior) shows that i'm going to get the desired results.

thanks for the help! I'M NEVER DOING THAT INSTALL AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!

 

LOL...That's what I said...but I can probably do the install now in like 2 hours...

 

Yeah, if a mini buddy wanted me to do it with them (and had beer) I would be there. And it wouldn't take near as long either.

After i did my spring install last week and learned everything i figure that i could do that in a hour now