Wondering if you could advise any tips or assistance in changing the pass side lower control arm on a 93. Its my sons college/pizza delivery unit and he failed to negotiate and blasted the pass side wheel, lower control arm, tie rods etc, and tripped the air bag. Me and the neighbor want to put it back together with junkyard parts. Whaddayathink, any tips ?
I've worked on front suspensions on a Golf, two Celicas and a Sentra (twice), and I can tell you it's pretty easy and straight forward. There isn't a whole lot to really say about it except when you're putting it back, make sure to put it back in the right order or you may find yourself back-tracking (for example, I once set the knuckle on the control arm before putting the axle joint into the knuckle--woops). That's all there really is to it. I used junk yard parts for one of my Celicas and had no problem with them. Taking them out in a cold wet junkyard was the only sucky part.
Also, one thing of note is that my Sentra never stopped making noises after I gave the control arm and axle a good bending, the part on the body where it bolts to the control arm was never straight again and always ran loose. Give this a good check, this is the reason why many cars with this type of mild accident are often considered totaled.
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94 Prizm LSi 1.8. Auto and still quick as hell.
Yeah, the towing co just wanted me to hand over the title to this car after my sons little meeting with the curb. "Heck no" I said, "It only has 150k on it, and I just put brand new tires on it". I rented a truck, a trailer, and loaded it up myself and hauled it home against their better judgement. I'm only marginal mechanically but my neighbor insists we can put this back together, airbag and all, with some junkyard parts. I did buy the inner and outer tie rod ends new, and we are going shopping in that paradise called the junkyard today!
So, in the search for parts, its true that regarding the 93 Corolla, the GEO Prism is the exact same car? That would open up more "shopping" opportunities!
Yeah this towing co in the big city (Pittsburgh) left our car completely buried in snow, you couldnt even see it.While I struggled to put it on a trailer the guy that owned the joint told my boy "I think your dads nuts, it aint worth it" I told him, give me a week or so and we'll see who's nuts. That car runs like a top and answers the bell every single day otherwise. I couldnt part with her.
The suspension and most of the other stuff is the same. Obviously there's a lot of different cosmetics, but for control arms and such, the Prizm will do. The guys at the junk yard SHOULD be able to provide you with every single matching vehicle for the part you want.
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94 Prizm LSi 1.8. Auto and still quick as hell.
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Funny, the lower arm I put on has the link on it but the car never had the swaybar. I spun the link around a few times and decided it wasnt hurtin anything just being there so its onboard now !
Finally hit the road today for a test drive. We must have eyed up its alignment pretty good as it went down the road straight as an arrow ! I'll still get an alignment but at 65 mph no shake or anything. Turned out great !! So glad we didnt scrap her..!
Finally hit the road today for a test drive. We must have eyed up its alignment pretty good as it went down the road straight as an arrow ! I'll still get an alignment but at 65 mph no shake or anything. Turned out great !! So glad we didnt scrap her..!
Hell yeah dude no point in scrapping a perfectly good car coz of a little busted suspension! Good to know it worked out for you.
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94 Prizm LSi 1.8. Auto and still quick as hell.
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