Removal
1. Block the rear wheels, apply the handbrake, jack up the front of the car and place it on axle stands. Remove the front wheel.
2. Proceeding as described in Section Removal and installation the front anti-roll bar, disconnect the ends of the stabilizer from the lower control arms, then loosen the mounting clamps and rotate the stabilizer so that it moves away from the control arms.
3a. Loosen the bolt securing the brace (where is available) to the front wing side member, and the nut that secures it to the lower arm.
3b. Remove the stretch (refer to the illustrations).
4. Remove the nut and bolt from the clamp securing the lower control arm ball joint to the steering knuckle (refer to the accompanying illustration). Loosen the lower control arm pivot bolts, then carefully separate the ball joint from the steering knuckle, being careful not to damage the drive shaft boots. Remove the plastic protective plate installed on the ball joint rod.
5. Remove the two pivot bolts and their nuts and remove the lower arm from under the vehicle.
Bulkhead
1. Clean the lower control arm and the area around its mountings and inspect it for cracks, other damage, and deformation. On some models, a shield is clamped to the control arm that deflects air to the brake disc; it also needs to be removed. Make sure the lower control arm ball joint moves freely and smoothly and that the ball joint boot is not cracked. Inspect the ball joint bolts for wear and tear. Replace components as needed.
2. Inspect the lower arm pivot bolt bushings. If they are worn or cracked, replace the bushings. Secure the lower arm and press out the bushing using a socket that should rest only on its solid outer edge. Do not remove both bushings from the arm at once, otherwise the new bushings will not be able to be seated correctly. Thoroughly clean the arm bore from dirt and grease and grind down any burrs or irregularities that could interfere with the installation of the new component. Apply a small amount of suitable grease to the outer edge of the new bushing. Install the bushing in its working position so that the distance between the inner ends of the bushings is 147 mm (refer to the accompanying illustration). Wipe off excess grease and repeat the procedure on the remaining bushing.
Installation
1. Bring the lower arm into working position and insert the pivot bolts (from the rear of the car). Install the nuts and tighten them by hand.
2. Install the plastic spacer on the lower arm ball joint, then insert the ball joint rod into the steering knuckle. Install the pinch bolt and tighten the mounting nut to the specified Specifications effort.
3. Where fitted, install the tie rod onto the front control arm pivot bolt. Install the mounting bolt and nut and tighten them finger tight for now.
4. Acting in accordance with the description in the section Removal and installation the front anti-roll bar, connect the ends of the anti-roll bar to the lower arms and lightly tighten the mounting bolts.
5. Install the wheel, lower the vehicle to the ground and tighten the wheel bolts to the specified Specifications effort.
6. Rock the vehicle to adjust the position of the lower control arm and stabilizer bar components. Tighten the lower control arm pivot bolts to the specified torque Specifications force, then tighten the stabilizer clamp nuts and bolts. When finished, tighten the control arm tensioner mounting nut and bolt (where is available).