1985 Escaper full suspension and steering overhaul tips, tricks, and questions

[hamkid]

is the stabilizer bar also called the sway bar?

[Ctgriffi]

KYB Gasajust are great. Put them on mine, front and back, few years back and don’t regret it.

 

36 minutes ago, hamkid said:

is the stabilizer bar also called the sway bar?

It is indeed. IIRC, the sway bar has to come off to fully remove the torsion bars. In any case, you’ll want to replace the sway-bar-to-frame bushings, as well as the sway-bar-to-lower-arm links (towards the end of the project, usually, when everything else has been reassembled).
 

 

 

Edited December 6, 2020 by Ctgriffi

[hamkid]

Should I go with the performance set?

 

Edited December 6, 2020 by hamkid

[Ctgriffi]

20 hours ago, hamkid said:

Should I go with the performance set?

 

 

That's what I used. No problems; worked great and good quality. I would suggest using some heat on the original bracket-to-frame bolts before removing; mine snapped pretty easily when I first tried to wrench 'em, which is always a drag + time-waster.

[hamkid]

Cool, thanks. Any suggestions for removing the wheel seal? It’s in there good.

Edited December 7, 2020 by hamkid

[WME]

A BFH and a brass drift. Plan B put the nut on the spindle, no washer, slip the hub over it and give it a big tug. The inner race will push the seal out.

P.S even then you will need the BFH and drift to knock the outer race out. Keep the outer race and use it to help press the new race in. A block of wood is useful also.

[hamkid]

Ok.will do. In the mean time got the upper arm unbolted. Won’t come out because of the bar that bolts on back. Do I have to remove the bushings to get if off? Should I buy another tool to remove the bushings?

[Ctgriffi]

I don't remember that being a problem, once the 2 big bolts are out... you can't just lift the whole upper CA up/over that thing?

 

Also, did you keep track of the shims back there?

[ednelson100]

"Ok.will do. In the mean time got the upper arm unbolted. Won’t come out because of the bar that bolts on back. Do I have to remove the bushings to get if off? Should I buy another tool to remove the bushings?"

 

   Not sure if yours is like my 92 ITASCA but when I did mine I did have to cut a piece of the inner fender to get the control arm out and then after spending 3 hours trying to get the upper control arm bushings out (burning, sawing, several ways of pressing) I gave up and just ordered a whole assembly from ebay that was really cheap and has held up ok so far.

[htioki]

On 12/5/2020 at 8:05 PM, hamkid said:

gonna go with these shocks. Whadya think?

 

On my 92 Warrior, the bottom bolt mounts on the KYBs are too narrow and the bolts barely engage.  Hope you don't have this issue.  I had to get new longer bolts and washers to compensate for the shorter mounts. 

[hamkid]

Will this work for the control arm bushings? If I wanted to buy new control arms and the upper arms won’t come out without removing the bushings, how can I remove them without buying a tool?

[WME]

It looks like in the first photo the part with the E molded on it is plastic and held on by push rivets. Can you remove the rivets and the splash guard and gain enough room to lift the upper are out. If the steering shaft is in the way can you unbolt the rag joint ans twist the shaft out of the way?

 

On 12/7/2020 at 3:43 PM, hamkid said:

Ok.will do. In the mean time got the upper arm unbolted. Won’t come out because of the bar that bolts on back. Do I have to remove the bushings to get if off? Should I buy another tool to remove the bushings?

 

Edited December 9, 2020 by WME

[WME]

That looks like the wrong tool to push out the bushings with the  crossbar installed.

Edited December 8, 2020 by WME

[Ctgriffi]

I still don't think that you need to pull the bushings and remove that back bar in order to yank the control arm, unless your model chassis is way different than the next gen. The manual doesn't mention doing that, does it?

 

I would agree with others: yank the splash guard off, beat on some of that inner sheet metal with a hammer (or cut some away, as a last resort) to get more clearance and then pull the CA over/out.

[ednelson100]

16 hours ago, hamkid said:

Will this work for the control arm bushings? If I wanted to buy new control arms and the upper arms won’t come out without removing the bushings, how can I remove them without buying a tool?

This looks like the tool you can get for rental from AutoZone free that I tried and would not work. I believe you can search this forum for upper control arm and read about other people that have tried to get those bushings out and have failed. If you're planning to replace them anyway you can just use a sawzall or hacksaw and cut the old one out if you want to go that route.

Here's a picture of how I got mine out. Kind of ugly looking but it worked.

 

[hamkid]

The intermediate steering shaft is in the way. If I remove the steering box will that shaft move up? I’m rebuilding the steering box anyways and don’t feel like cutting and doing more labor than necessary.

[hamkid]

Yup it worked

[hamkid]

Now trying to take off the strut bar. It’s not connected to anything so it keeps spinning. I need to remember when I work on the other side to loosen it before I remove it from the lower arm.

[Ctgriffi]

31 minutes ago, hamkid said:

Now trying to take off the strut bar. It’s not connected to anything so it keeps spinning. I need to remember when I work on the other side to loosen it before I remove it from the lower arm.

 

 

Yeah, about that strut bar... I just left it attached at the front end and unbolted the surrounding bracket from the frame, to get it all out of the way and then clean it up in my garage. If you do remove the bar completely from that front bracket in order to replace the bushing or whatever (and it's not too late already!), I would take some measurements first—you want to be able to mount that thing back on as it was, since it helps the LCA to maintain the correct angle, related to chassis, etc (!).

[hamkid]

The only type of measurement I took was marking the rod and the inside bolt. Are there any other? 

[WME]

Your golden, the nut you left on the strut rod is the one that determines the actual adjustment. So just leave it alone.

[Maineah]

Brake reaction strut.

[hamkid]

Removing pitman arm from relay rod. Pitman arm puller keeps slipping off. The tool is too wide. Any suggestions? I’m beating it with a hammer in the mean time.

Edited December 9, 2020 by hamkid

[WME]

Two BFH, one on each side of the taper bolt, use one as an anvil and smack the arm with the other. Next try a ball joint pickle fork.

[Ctgriffi]

Have I posted this already? Was extremely useful for ball joints... and also that bolt you’re struggling with, IIRC 

 

Great tool for the money: https://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-quarter-inch-forged-ball-joint-separator-99849.html

[ednelson100]

11 hours ago, Ctgriffi said:

Have I posted this already? Was extremely useful for ball joints... and also that bolt you’re struggling with, IIRC 

 

Great tool for the money: https://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-quarter-inch-forged-ball-joint-separator-99849.html

On 12/8/2020 at 3:15 PM, hamkid said:

Will this work for the control arm bushings? If I wanted to buy new control arms and the upper arms won’t come out without removing the bushings, how can I remove them without buying a tool?

This looks like the tool you can get for rental from AutoZone free that I tried and would not work. I believe you can search this forum for upper control arm and read about other people that have tried to get those bushings out and have failed. If you're planning to replace them anyway you can just use a sawzall or hacksaw and cut the old one out if you want to go that route.

Here's a picture of how I got mine out. Kind of ugly looking but it worked.

 

[ednelson100]

11 hours ago, Ctgriffi said:

Have I posted this already? Was extremely useful for ball joints... and also that bolt you’re struggling with, IIRC 

 

Great tool for the money: https://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-quarter-inch-forged-ball-joint-separator-99849.html

This tool is also available as a free rental tool from AutoZone or O'Reilly's

[hamkid]

The tool worked great! Thanks.

[hamkid]

Steering box out

[hamkid]

Should I bother with the tie rods and relay rod? How can I test if any need replacing?

[hamkid]

The side that I circled keeps spinning. Replace?

[WME]

In for a penny, in for a pound. You talking $60-75 for all the parts.

 

 

[hamkid]

is the relay rod also called the center link?

[hamkid]

19 hours ago, WME said:

In for a penny, in for a pound. You talking $60-75 for all the parts.

 

 

I don’t know what that means, but it sure does sound good! Are you saying replace it? Because that’s what I’m hearing haha.

[WME]

In for a penny, in for a pound. 17th century "Olde English". Finish what you started, even if its going to be $$$.

Yes replace the center link and all the tie-rods ends. Don't forget the idler arm.

By the time your done you will have a 0 time front end and should be good for another 20 years of use.