Global West makes control arms for a variety of makes and models. They are far stronger and provide far better suspension performance than the stock stamped steel arms. The lower arms (shown) feature Delrin bushings and use bearings instead of polyurethane or rubber bushings to eliminate side-to-side deflection in the suspension.
The upper control arms are fitted to the chassis brackets, secured with the new hardware and are allowed to hang free.
The lower arms feature an adjustable strut rod, which puts preload on the chassis mounts. One side bolts to the frame in the factory strut location.
Each lower arm is installed to the factory mount in the frame. Note the position of the strut rod.
The kit comes with new hardware for all of the components. The lower arms and strut rod are bolted together, but not torqued until the weight of the car is on the suspension.
At this stage, you need to get a friend or helper to help move the axle assembly onto a floor jack. With the axle on a floor jack, you can move it into position, then raise or lower it. This allows you to attach the suspension links and ultimately complete the installation of the axle assembly. To facilitate the upper-mount installation, attach the upper suspension links to axle housing first. The upper mounts are tight, so this is the easiest way to get them on.
Next, raise the housing with a floor jack so the lower arm can be connected to the chassis mounts. Slip the bolts through the suspension arm ends and housing mounts.
The springs lock onto a stub on the housing and the frame. There is plenty of room for them. Simply position the springs onto the spring nipples on the upper and lower platforms, and raise the housing until the weight of the car is on the springs. Install the shocks onto the upper and lower studs and torque the nuts to the specs provided in the kit.
With the rear at ride height (the weight of the car should be on the suspension), torque all of the bolts to spec. Use a quality torque wrench. The factory torque specs are 80 ft-lbs for each control arm bolt, 12 ft-lbs for the upper shock bolt, and 65 ft-lbs for the lower shock mount. Keep in mind that aftermarket kits may have different torque specs and you need to follow the aftermarket manufacturer’s instructions.
Project: Updating Inside the Housing
There is more to an axle assembly than just the differential and gears. The housing needs to be inspected, evaluated, and replaced if necessary. Even if you are only changing gear ratios, now is a good time to update the consumables inside the housing. All GM 10- and 12-bolt housings have six sets of bearings and races: two wheel bearings, two for the carrier, and two for the pinion. Although I cover the pinion-and-carrier bearings in Chapter 5, this project starts with the wheel bearings and the races for the pinion bearings. These are installed into the housing itself.
You have two methods for removing the bearing races from the center section. You can use a race driver and a hammer to drive the race from the case, or you can use a large socket that matches the diameter of the race. When using the socket method, you also need to use an extension and a long bar to drive it from the case.
Professional Mechanic Tip
A bearing race puller has a driving end that fits securely in the race and an extension that threads onto the driving end. Using a bearing puller is the preferred and easier method. Put the socket and extension into the tube and properly align it with the bearing race. Make sure the socket is sitting square on the race.