Okay, I replaced my pillows on my 93 about 3 years ago and don't recall having this issues. I can't for the life of me get the lower control arm with the two pillows in it to fit back into the rotor/caliper hub assembly. I am sure its because the old ones were more worn, but its like the new pillowball is just a hair too wide to fit back into....it's driving me nuts. Do I need to pry the hub bracket apart somehow a little? Thanks!

Trev

 

pry it...

 

Cool. I figured that was the answer, but at 2:30 in the morning when I was working on it my brain just isn't think that way.

Those lower and upper control arms are symmetrical for driver and passenger side correct?

Trev

 

yes but i believe there is a tab on one of the sides that you'll need to know which one goes on which side. Check out some of the pictures in my build thread in the beginning of the thread to see exactly where they go. Can't remember...sorry. And good luck!

 

Btw, Any particular tool or method of prying that is better than another?

 

I think there may be some "sleeves" in the spindle/hub assembly where the bolt slides through that you need to spread/retract - just like the front lower shock mounting.

Check on past threads on the topic. I think there was one where Dale Clark posted but I could be wrong. My memory is slipping...

 

Just in case make sure that the rear upper control arms curve "upward" as well.

 

You're correct about the sleeve. You need to get something in there to push the sleeve out just a little bit to make room for the pillow ball. Stick a bolt in the hole and put a nut on it so the nut is where the pillow ball should be. Get a C clamp to press in the bolt and a socket on the other side of the clamp so the sleeve can slide freely into the socket. What you're doing is pushing the sleeve out with the nut thats on the bolt. Hopefully these directions are clear as I sometimes have a hard time explaning things to others

 

Just pick up an appropriately sized bolt and a couple nuts - use them to jam the sleeve back out of the hole a bit.

 

Well, when I tried this it was 230AM and I was tired! I just took another swing at it and worked to really line up the pillow ball perfectly and used a sledge hammer (sounds bad) and lightly tapped it to get started and it worked perfect. No prying needed!

Trev

 

That is why they make manuals that show this stuff.
http://foxed.ca/foxed/index.php?page=rx7manual