Sorry for the long post.
After thinking I'd been supremely careful putting on every part and with the engine coming in next week I just noticed it's possible to install the lower A-arm bar upside down. I notice this because the right/front (2 bolts) were not threaded as fully as the left and the thread was visible between the bar and the cross member, where as the left bar is fully seated at the front.
I'm looking for a second/third ... opinion on a safe way to spin the bar short of having to remove the spring (a second opinion on my being a moron is not required but welcome).
My thought is as follows. (note, this is a rolling chassis at the moment with no engine/tranny but everything else is complete). Install the engine which will provide additional weight to hold down the frame. Jack up the frame a bit from centre cross member (with a wood board and foam to distribute the load). Place a jack under the lower A-arm bar. Loosen the front and rear screw to allow the bar to rotate. Remove the 2 front bolts and the large rear bolt from the bar then slowly lower the jack down about to another jack to support the lower Arm, about 2 inches to allow the bar to spin 180 degrees. Jack the bar back in place.
For added safety I could place a some sort of wood brace between the shock and the spring on the tire side (in case the spring wants to shift).
The big question is if the engine provides enough ballast to hold down the frame allowing the bar to be jack back up to the frame.
Alternatively I could rig a spring compressor but it seems better to leave the spring as unloaded as possible. (It may make sense to just raise the frame at the middle until the A-Arm bar is unloaded but it seems the tire might want to move outward if the arm is not supported).
Anyone else had to do this before - and recovered safely???
Thanks for the help as always.
Michael B.
After thinking I'd been supremely careful putting on every part and with the engine coming in next week I just noticed it's possible to install the lower A-arm bar upside down. I notice this because the right/front (2 bolts) were not threaded as fully as the left and the thread was visible between the bar and the cross member, where as the left bar is fully seated at the front.
I'm looking for a second/third ... opinion on a safe way to spin the bar short of having to remove the spring (a second opinion on my being a moron is not required but welcome).
My thought is as follows. (note, this is a rolling chassis at the moment with no engine/tranny but everything else is complete). Install the engine which will provide additional weight to hold down the frame. Jack up the frame a bit from centre cross member (with a wood board and foam to distribute the load). Place a jack under the lower A-arm bar. Loosen the front and rear screw to allow the bar to rotate. Remove the 2 front bolts and the large rear bolt from the bar then slowly lower the jack down about to another jack to support the lower Arm, about 2 inches to allow the bar to spin 180 degrees. Jack the bar back in place.
For added safety I could place a some sort of wood brace between the shock and the spring on the tire side (in case the spring wants to shift).
The big question is if the engine provides enough ballast to hold down the frame allowing the bar to be jack back up to the frame.
Alternatively I could rig a spring compressor but it seems better to leave the spring as unloaded as possible. (It may make sense to just raise the frame at the middle until the A-Arm bar is unloaded but it seems the tire might want to move outward if the arm is not supported).
Anyone else had to do this before - and recovered safely???
Thanks for the help as always.
Michael B.
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