How do I properly install a lower control arm?
 

Hey guys, I just installed some new B4 shocks on my 986, but as I was trying to get the rear left lower control arm back into place I ended up destroying it. I have a new part on its way from Pelican, but I'm worried about how the install process is going to go once it arrives.

The one on the right went in fine, but the left refuses to cooperate. Is there something secret tool or technique I should be using? I tried hammering but that's was ended up causing it to break. I ended up creating fractures around the ball joint.

New part arrives on Thursday. Hopefully I've got the solution by then, lol.

Why were you hammering on the install? The shaft (best word I can come up with) on the ball end should simply be inserted into the opening in the hub. I’d hold it in with just a little bit of jack pressure while tightening the nut.

It refused to slide into its housing. After I broke it I fully disassembled everything so when the replacement part comes in I can just get to the install process. Even with the knuckle removed and just the control arm to deal with the bushing just does not want to go into the place it came out of.

My confusion is mostly steming from the fact that every guide or instruction video seems to say, "Just put it in" but mine simply didn't fit.

I guess I'm just unlucky?

Maybe a defective part. The taper on the ball joint and the taper in the hub are identical (well, one is male and one is female).

But you dissambled the same parts that did not want to fit together later?! Mysterious.

Yep! This seems to just be my curse. I have had multiple projects on this car where the tutorials I find gloss over the issue I'm having as if I'm the only one having it.

I'm hoping that perhaps the old part is just swolen or something like that and the new part will slip in without issue. Fingers crossed.

It can be difficult to get the tapered shaft of the ball joint to line up the hole in the wheel carier. I usually wrap a ratchet strap around the strut assembly to pull into alignment while applying jack pressure under the control arm/ball joint.

Just did mine with similar issues. Try loosening the two 15mm nuts directly under the control arm socket that go through the big aluminum brace underneath the engine and trans axle.

Agreed, this lets it slide right in. Don't forget to tighten it back :)

Probably too late, but dont forget to mark the eccentric washer or bolt end before loosening it. There's an alignment factor to this and the rearmost control arm. Your problem was likely that the bushing is very tight in its frame part, and will only want to rotate e a very small amount while tightened, like others have pointed out. This bolt should get its final torque with the load of the car on it. Otherwise it will fight itself during suspension movements.