1997 F150 4WD Lower Control Arm Replacement

Asked by Wrenching_Woman Nov 13, 2015 at 10:59 PM about the 1997 Ford F-150 XL LB

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I'm replacing the lower control arm
on my brothers 1997 F150 4x4.  I
didn't mark the location of the
torsion bar before I removed the
control arm.  Now, I am not sure
which way the torsion bar should fit
into the control arm.  

If I install it the way I think I removed
it, I have to jack the control arm way
up, causing the truck to lean.  This
didn't look right so before trying to
install it this way and finding out I
had installed it incorrectly, I decided
to try to rotate the control arm "up" a
notch.  This causes the ball joint to
sit higher than the bottom of the
knuckle.  This will pull the hub up
and cause the shock to be in
maximum compression.  

Neither way seems correct.  I haven't
touched the other end of the torsion
bar (under the chassis where the box
meets the cab.). Is there any way the
the bar could have rotated without
me knowing it?

Is it normal to have to jack the
control arm way up in order to get
the ball joint to if into the hub?  

If anyone has any suggestions/
experience if would appreciate your
input!  Thank you in advance!

2 Answers

That is a tough one. Without marking the torsion bar I think you are stuck trying it one tooth at a time until you get the ride height correct. Clearly the shock cannot be under compression so your alternative is to go the other way.

435

If there is any way possible use the "Add Photo" on the bottom of the Your Answer/comment box? There are video uploads on YouTube that might also help You. This might be stupid question, but could you have put the lower control arm on upside down?

Your Answer:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    OJ
    Reputation
    42,530
  • #2
    Gene Arnett
    Reputation
    16,040
  • #3
    Rowefast
    Reputation
    15,860
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used GMC Sierra 1500
147 Great Deals out of 7,209 listings starting at $3,950
Used Toyota Tacoma
56 Great Deals out of 1,060 listings starting at $8,708
Used Dodge RAM 1500
4 Great Deals out of 73 listings starting at $500
Used Ford F-250
7 listings
Used Ford Ranger
24 Great Deals out of 1,577 listings starting at $2,888
Used Ford Mustang
62 Great Deals out of 1,288 listings starting at $4,995
Used Ford Explorer
73 Great Deals out of 2,156 listings starting at $2,999

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.