Calling all Vitara front suspension gurus!

[vitz]

Got a question...

I have had a bit of trouble changing the front springs on my Vit.
I tried unbolting ball joint and lowering arm, but the ball joint was under the arm and wouldn't allow it to drop.
I tried unbolting hub from strut, couldn't drop arm enough because of driveshaft.

Would I be able to unbolt ball joint, and the strut, jack up arm till it was about level, then move the hub forward or backwards to get the ball joint from under the arm, then lower the arm, change the springs and do the whole thing in reverse.

Obviously the sway bar is disconnected the whole time.

Am I missing anything?

Cheers in advance

[churchill]

Try undoing the arm to chassis bolts and dropping the arm down with a jack.

[vitz]

Thanks churchill, that's what Clayton said but I thought for putting it back together it mite be easyer to do it the way above. Would I get the movement from the hub once the ball joint is off to move it above the arm?

[churchill]

Well its worth a shot, you might need to disconnect the steering arms as well to get more movement.

[crzyfl]

After you undid the ball joint, did you try jacking up the control arm and leaving the ball joint behind? That way you can move it out of the way, then lower the control arm.

I unbolt the steering arms and sway bar when I do it.

You can put a piece of steel bar under the two control arm to chassis ends, unbolt, and let the jack down, but I had a difficult time getting it back together when I did this.

[Chairmen]

I done it exactly how churchill described, then reverse the process once new spring is in, by pumping jack up too compress spring in place an line up the two a arm bolt hole thingys to chassis..

You can borrow my big jack if need man ?

[vitz]

Yo man Iv got a good jack for the weekend so should be sweet on that front cheers!

Crzyfl. I have tried jacking the arm off the ball joint but it stuck like shit to a blanket. Couldn't have slid an envelope between them even after whacking it with a mallet. I will have another go tho and see where I can get

[vitz]

Well it worked!
3 bolts from ball joint to lower arm, sway bar, 2 bolts from strut to hub, then jack the arm up and down till there is no weight on the ball joints and side the bolts out and manipulate it out from under the arm, lift the hub up and slide a bolt back through holding it to strut to hold it in place, then lower jack releasing lower arm and spring.

[crzyfl]

Glad to hear it. Well done.