Note. All nuts disturbed during removal must be replaced without fail. This is due to the fact that the threads of these nuts are coated with a compound to lock the threaded connections (designed for one puff only). These nuts include the anti-roll bar strut mounting nuts and the steering column intermediate shaft pinch bolt nut (and the pinch bolt).
Removing
1. Fully apply the parking brake. Raise the front of the vehicle and securely jack stands under it (see «Lifting and placing the car on supports»). Bring the wheels into position «straight ahead» and remove both front wheels.
2. Loosen the nut (and remove the puck) attaching the left stabilizer link to the stabilizer and position the link away from the stabilizer (pic. 8.2). Repeat the procedure on the right side.
Pic. 8.2. Loosen the nut (marked with an arrow) and remove the washer securing the left stabilizer link to the stabilizer
3. Release the clutch cable from the brackets on the subframe.
4. If applicable, loosen the power steering line support clips on the engine and transmission.
5. From the side of the engine compartment, unscrew the nut securing the coupling bolt securing the intermediate shaft to the steering gear, and then knock out the coupling bolt from the cardan joint. Discard the pinch bolt and nut; when installing, use new ones. Remove the metal clip securing the intermediate shaft to the gear.
6. Mark the relative position of the universal joint and the steering gear, and then press the universal joint up to separate it from the gear. Lock the steering column to prevent the steering wheel from turning when the shaft is disconnected.
7. Turn away a nut and turn out a bolt of fastening of a coupler of a back support of the engine/transmission to a support on a back part of the block of cylinders.
8. Check one last time that all relevant lines, hoses and wiring harnesses are released and moved away from the subframe so that the rear of the subframe can be lowered.
9. Accurately measure and record the transverse and horizontal position of the subframe in relation to the chassis and underbody elements. In practice, there should be marks near the bolts on the subframe, and these can be used to set the installation position fairly accurately.
10. Turn out four back bolts of fastening of a stretcher. Loosen the two front subframe mounting bolts a few turns until the rear edge of the subframe can be lowered by approximately 65.0 mm. To hold the subframe in this position, hammer a block of wood between the rear of the subframe and the bottom of the car.
11. Release two bolts of fastening of clips of the stabilizer of cross-section stability and remove nuts from the top part of clips. Remove both clips from the subframe.
12. Remove the anti-roll bar from under the bottom of the car and remove the support bushings from the stabilizer.
13. Carefully inspect the anti-roll bars for signs of wear, damage, or deterioration, paying particular attention to the bushings. Replace worn elements if necessary.
Installation
14. Install the rubber bushings on the stabilizer, making sure that the tabs on the inside of each bushing fit into the corresponding cutouts in the stabilizer. The bushings are correctly positioned when the alignment marks on the ends of the bushings line up with the paint marks on the stabilizer.
15. Raise the stabilizer and bring it to its original position on the subframe. Install the support clips, making sure their ends are correctly positioned in the hooks on the subframe, and install the bolts and nuts. Make sure the marks on the bushings are still aligned with the paint marks on the stabilizer, and then tighten the support clamp mounting bolts to the specified torque.
16. The rest of the installation is carried out in the reverse order of removal, taking into account the following points:
- A) All nuts disturbed during removal must be replaced without fail. This is due to the fact that the threads of these nuts are coated with a compound to lock the threaded connections (designed for one puff only). These nuts include the anti-roll bar strut nuts and the steering column intermediate shaft pinch bolt nut (and the pinch bolt).
- b) Correctly position the subframe using the measurements taken at removal or by referring to the marks made near the bolts.
- V) Tighten all nuts and bolts to the specified torque (if specified).
- G) Correctly position the metal clip on the intermediate steering shaft universal joint and take care to align the marks made during removal.
- d) Install the new pinch bolt and countershaft nut, making sure the lugs on the bolt fit into the cutouts in the universal joint.
- e) Finally, check the front wheel alignment and adjust if necessary (see paragraph 24).