How To: Remove Lower Control Arm

[double b26]

• With the car on the ground, break loose the lug nuts
• If applicable, jack the car up and remove the hub cap, reinstall lug nuts finger-tight, and set the car back down on the wheel.
• Remove the cotter pin in the axle
• Break loose the axle nut (30mm Deep Well Socket)
  
• Jack up the car and secure with jack stands
• Remove the Lug Nuts and Wheel
• Remove two bolts securing the brake caliper (14mm) and hang the caliper from the strut spring using zip ties, wire, etc.
  
• Remove the two bolts securing the brake pad bracket (19mm)
  
• Pull the rotor and brake pad bracket forward and set to the side
  
  
• Break loose the strut/wheel assembly bolts (17mm Nut & Bolt), letting one side rest against the wheel assembly as you turn the opposite. Leave in the holes.
  
  
  
  
• Remove the outer tie rod end's cotter pin and nut (19mm), then pop the tie rod end out of the wheel assembly. hang from strut with ties.
  

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[double b26]

• Remove the sway bar end link lower bolt (14mm)
  
• Remove axle nut
• Remove the strut/wheel assembly bolts, then lower the control arm/wheel assembly/axle toward the ground until the sway bar end link clears the control arm.
  
  
• Rotate the sway bar end link 180 degrees, so that the threaded post is pointing up.
• Pull the axle from the wheel assembly, taking care not to damage the splines or CV boot, by pulling the wheel assembly toward you while pushing the axle away, toward the engine bay. hang axle from the strut with ties.
  
• Remove the ball joint cotter pin and nut (22mm), and separate the wheel assembly from the ball joint/control arm.
  
  
• Remove the front control arm bolt (22mm Bolt & Nut) by using a second ratchet on the nut, and allowing it to rest against the car body while loosening the bolt.
  
  

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[double b26]

• Remove the 3 rear contol arm bolts (14mm) and remove the control arm from the vehicle.
  
  
  
  
  
• RE-INSTALLATION IS THE REVERSE OF THIS PROCEDURE

this shows the right side of the car (passenger side). other side is the same, except the axle is tougher to get in and out of the wheel assembly

[sprocketser]

Wow , nice & hard work in there buddy , thanx for the pix , appreciate that

[CHiP]

Awesome! Thanks for the detailed write-up.

[double b26]

not a problem guys. thanks for the atta-boys!

i figured that since you have to tear down the whole suspension to get to the control arm itself, i should take some pics, as it would also serve as a good reference for nearly all suspension work. also a good place to send people with questions because the pics can show them whats what. plus, i ran into a lot of conflicting info as far as what size the axle nuts were, and a few other things, so i thought, "Why not make the end-all-be-all suspension how to for the B15?" you know, set the record straight!

not to mention that the B15 sentra forum is pretty sparse... with a lot of zero-reply threads too. i was really surprised, because the altima section gets a good bit of love. i think it might be because the labeling makes it sound like its for the s-er (or whatever they are) only. maybe it is... but i have a 1.8 gxe, and that's what ill be posting about since there's no forum labeled for it, specifically. if that impression isnt intentional, then maybe someone should change the name of this sub forum to include 'normal' trims.

even though this car is new to me, the front suspension is a common type... built exactly like a dodge neon/pt cruiser up front, except for the way the brake pads mount (pad brackets are part of the wheel assembly on the dodges). so once i got the wheel off, i was like, "this looks pretty familiar." i used to own a POS neon, and my sister has a pt cruiser, which are the same underneath.

[double b26]

sooooo CHiP... how bout making it a sticky?

[CHiP]

No problem.

Done.

[AVICE]

Hey guys sorry about this possibly unrelated post but I had a question. I'm relatively new to this forum and was wondering what a "sticky" was? I've seen the term around here and there