[macafee2]

Originally Posted by Comfortably Numb

I did it that way as, when I changed the clutch, then reassembled the suspension, I found it very difficult to get the lower ball joint stub correctly aligned to fit into its hole in the bottom of the swivel hub, several times it got stuck at the necked part of the ball joint stub that takes the clamp bolt. Easier with subframe dropped to relax spring pressure, but that requires more disassembly. And I remember that getting the ball joint stub out of the swivel hub needed 1 person levering while the other pushed the top of the hub inwards so that ball joint stub and hole were on the same axis. I also think that when undoing the 2nd (front) bush bracket bolt, the final thread in the subframe may have been damaged by the twisting effect of spring pressure, so making it easier to cross-thread the bolt when replacing. You live and learn, and if I can remember all the knacks and tricks I learned doing this one, it will be a lot easier next time. I'm also struggling with a painful and weak shoulder, caused by a trapped nerve in my neck. But all help and suggestions from more experienced hands is gratefully received. And I would also have probably just given up, and handed it all to the garage, without the kind help of Mike Beveridge (Mbev) on here, whose knowledge, physical assistance and spanner, helped me get the whole thing apart!

A little shaking of the strut/hub and I have found for both assembly an disassembly the ball joint suddenly either went together or came apart. I had struggled for ages previously to the shake.

macafee2