Dropped the rear subframe, help and advice needed!

[Bartly]

You are not the only one who went through this. At least the part of it coming off the rear jackstands so easily. Mine did too. I kept backing the jack under the cradle down to keep the car on the stands. I can't really help you out, as I was only doing the BMR support and kept two bolts in at all times. Even that was a bugger getting a 4th bolt in each time made it lift the car off the stands. Took a ratchet strap to get the 4th bolt in each time and it was almost iffy as it wanted to strip the bolts. All I can say is take a deep breath, and put some muscle or a ratchet strap, if you can start getting one side of bolts in. I worked on left/right, not front/back. Cross my fingers for you. It's like if I lifted by the pumpkin it wouldn't do it without lifting the vehicle, but when I put a bottle jack under the center of the right or left cross member it would let me get the bolts in better. Good luck.

I've only done this once, hopefully someone or one of the vendors can pop in and share any insight.

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[6g4me]

You are not the only one who went through this. At least the part of it coming off the rear jackstands so easily. Mine did too. I kept backing the jack under the cradle down to keep the car on the stands. I can't really help you out, as I was only doing the BMR support and kept two bolts in at all times. Even that was a bugger getting a 4th bolt in each time made it lift the car off the stands. Took a ratchet strap to get the 4th bolt in each time and it was almost iffy as it wanted to strip the bolts. All I can say is take a deep breath, and put some muscle or a ratchet strap, if you can start getting one side of bolts in. I worked on left/right, not front/back. Cross my fingers for you. It's like if I lifted by the pumpkin it wouldn't do it without lifting the vehicle, but when I put a bottle jack under the center of the right or left cross member it would let me get the bolts in better. Good luck.

I've only done this once, hopefully someone or one of the vendors can pop in and share any insight.

Getting a bottle jack was in mind! Basically because i thought id use more jacks to help lift this up, and bottle jacks are so much cheaper.. ah yeah man this ... i had to go on walks because of how frustrating this got..

worst part is, it still wont let me get the diff bushings in. im thinking of just dropping it like people do for the BMR bushings and getting them all in..

 

[cop on my back]

That was just a picture with springs in. I put it in without springs and put them in after.

 

[6g4me]

That was just a picture with springs in. I put it in without springs and put them in after.

The springs can go in after the bolts are in, but loose?


The wooden support stayed on the diff by itself or nah?

 

[BmacIL]

Actually I just watched the CJPP vid on installing springs (eibach pro kit) and theyre able to put the springs back on and then bolt up the subframe, so wouldnt that mean i should be able to bolt up my subframe without removing the springs?

Or is it because i dropped it so far.. so I would have to take out the spring, bolt everything back up, then probably follow the CJPP instructions to unbolt the front and rear of one side to put in the spring?

Pretty much this. You want to do one side at a time so that both springs aren't trying to raise the car up at the same time.

 

[6g4me]

That was just a picture with springs in. I put it in without springs and put them in after.

Also sorry, if I wanted to drop my entire diff, before unbolting it from the driveshaft, do i HAVE to drain the oil or did you just do that to replace it with higher performance oil?

Thanks!

 

[6g4me]

You are not the only one who went through this. At least the part of it coming off the rear jackstands so easily. Mine did too. I kept backing the jack under the cradle down to keep the car on the stands. I can't really help you out, as I was only doing the BMR support and kept two bolts in at all times. Even that was a bugger getting a 4th bolt in each time made it lift the car off the stands. Took a ratchet strap to get the 4th bolt in each time and it was almost iffy as it wanted to strip the bolts. All I can say is take a deep breath, and put some muscle or a ratchet strap, if you can start getting one side of bolts in. I worked on left/right, not front/back. Cross my fingers for you. It's like if I lifted by the pumpkin it wouldn't do it without lifting the vehicle, but when I put a bottle jack under the center of the right or left cross member it would let me get the bolts in better. Good luck.

I've only done this once, hopefully someone or one of the vendors can pop in and share any insight.

Thanks man, did you find out what was causing the car to get lifted?

 

[Bartly]

Thanks man, did you find out what was causing the car to get lifted?

No I didn't. There just seemed to be a fine line where if I lifted he cradle too much the car would raise, but then I really didn't want to be pushing on the cradle to line up the holes. Lowering it just a little allowed the car to rest back down on the jack stands. Then I was able to put a ratchet strap on the cradle on one side and forward of the gas tank to the chassis on the other side off the car. This was even with one side having the bolts in place. It was just kind of a pain in the arse, being that it was my first time looking at the suspension, wasn't wuite sure of all the relationships. The cradle was no where near seated on its mounting points when the car lifted. Course you already know this. I'd suggest fiddling with it some more and just take your time with safety being your first priority and not stripping out those bolts being your second. Good luck.

 

[6g4me]

Pretty much this. You want to do one side at a time so that both springs aren't trying to raise the car up at the same time.

Can I just take the springs off from one side, bolt up the subframe of the other side, and then put the spring on the first side and bolt that up? Isnt that doing essentially the same?

 

[BmacIL]

Can I just take the springs off from one side, bolt up the subframe of the other side, and then put the spring on the first side and bolt that up? Isnt that doing essentially the same?

Should be, just depends on if you've got enough thread engagement to do it and not crossthread.

 

[BC]

Hope you made out ok getting the subframe back in place!

BTW...in your case if the front bushings are almost impossible to get in you might want to think about doing the rears only and forget the fronts.

My opinion is the rear bolts and bushings do 90% of the work in tightening up the differential to frame.
The 2 shorter bolts for the front pretty much do the same thing as the longer bolts being replaced, except that they allow you to put the pain in the ass front bolt and bushing in.

But the small front bolt with bushing only gets torqued down to about 35 I think...if you can even get a torque wrench on it.

So I don't think the short front bolt and bushings do all that much.
Just my opinion.

 

[6g4me]

Update all!

After many many hours of trying different things and contemplating just calling a tow truck or calling an house visiting mechanic...

we did it! well.. 90% of the way.

We got the driver side rear and front bolts in without lifting the car off and its amazing how just moving the jack just half an inch of along the subframe made all the difference as to whether or not the car started lifting. The car is definetly not aligned as it came stock and at this point in the game, I wasnt too concerned with trying to match the holes with the subframe alignment bushings from steeda. I figured id do that after ive safely gotten my subframe back up in place.

Now why 90%? Well, at one point in the game i did try to put the slignment bushings in and i left one of the bushings in (passenger side rear corner). After bolting in the entire driver side, I went to the rear driver and...couldnt bolt it up because the bushing forced the bolt way out of alignment from the hole in the chassis.

Problem 2: the rear of the subframe is so close to the chassis that i cant pop the alignment bushing out from the top of the frame.
Problem 3: might be wondering, why cant I just slip the bushing out from the bottom of that corner? because there is something in the damn hole that keeps the bushing from going in flush so i had just left it and am now forced to take it from the top.

My plan is to file down the bushing enough to take it out at least. After bolting it all back up, ill follow proper instructions to try and align the subframe properly.

Hope you made out ok getting the subframe back in place!

BTW...in your case if the front bushings are almost impossible to get in you might want to think about doing the rears only and forget the fronts.

My opinion is the rear bolts and bushings do 90% of the work in tightening up the differential to frame.
The 2 shorter bolts for the front pretty much do the same thing as the longer bolts being replaced, except that they allow you to put the pain in the ass front bolt and bushing in.

But the small front bolt with bushing only gets torqued down to about 35 I think...if you can even get a torque wrench on it.

So I don't think the short front bolt and bushings do all that much.
Just my opinion.

Ha this opinion is basically everything i wanted to hear. I have two followup questions.

1. I currently have the rear done, and for the front I have the passenger side long bolt out, and the short bolt from the differential side put in. Can i just leave it like that? or should i take out the short bolt and replace it with the stock long bolt?

2. Im pretty sure I can put in the driver side front bushing in, clearance is alot greater there. In that case, would it be OK to have in the two rears and the one front?

 

[Commbubba19]

I dropped the whole sub frame (all bolts removed) and supported the assembly with a jack via the differential. I had no issues.

I was installing springs, shocks, sways, BMR cradle, and Steeda Diff bushings so I pretty much had to.

Be careful with the Steeda alignment bushings, 2 go in front and 2 go in the rear and they are different.

Start with the driver's front. Jack the cradle up and line up this one and start the cradle bolt. Do not tighten, just get it started.

Move to the passenger front and do the same.

Then the driver's rear, lastly passenger rear.

All should just be started which will allow you to pivot the cradle as necessary. I did this all by myself, just used some leverage on the hub assembly depending on which way i needed to move the cradle.

Also, make sure you have released the parking brake. That can cause some bind in the suspension if you have it locked. Also make sure the car is out of gear.

You do not need to remove the springs, but you could remove the shocks if you want. That will allow you to have an easier time pivoting the cradle.

Just remove the top bolts connecting the shocks to the frame.

Good luck.

 

[BC]

Ha this opinion is basically everything i wanted to hear. I have two followup questions.

1. I currently have the rear done, and for the front I have the passenger side long bolt out, and the short bolt from the differential side put in. Can i just leave it like that? or should i take out the short bolt and replace it with the stock long bolt?

2. Im pretty sure I can put in the driver side front bushing in, clearance is alot greater there. In that case, would it be OK to have in the two rears and the one front?

Well remember this is only my opinion and Steeda would probably prefer to see both the rear and front differential bushings installed.

My front diff bushings were going to be a bitch to install...no clearance on both sides. I saw a video where they used a crowbar to quickly shove the plastic tank while they pushed the bolt in and I tried that too...but from a position on my back I could not get enough pry on it.

I thought about loosening the rear subframe bolts to drop down then realized my alignment would then be screwed. So I said heck with and did the rears diff bushings only.

Having the rear diff bushings in definitely accomplished the task. Sure having the fronts in helps finish it off but I still think the rear ones do most of the work.

That being said I think it's alright to have one side of the front bushings installed (short Steeda bolt and small bolt with bushing) and the other side OEM (long bolt). But probably it makes more sense and looks better to have them the same so if it were me I'd have them both OEM in the front.

Good luck!

 

[6g4me]

Well remember this is only my opinion and Steeda would probably prefer to see both the rear and front differential bushings installed.

My front diff bushings were going to be a bitch to install...no clearance on both sides. I saw a video where they used a crowbar to quickly shove the plastic tank while they pushed the bolt in and I tried that too...but from a position on my back I could not get enough pry on it.

I thought about loosening the rear subframe bolts to drop down then realized my alignment would then be screwed. So I said heck with and did the rears diff bushings only.

Having the rear diff bushings in definitely accomplished the task. Sure having the fronts in helps finish it off but I still think the rear ones do most of the work.

That being said I think it's alright to have one side of the front bushings installed (short Steeda bolt and small bolt with bushing) and the other side OEM (long bolt). But probably it makes more sense and looks better to have them the same so if it were me I'd have them both OEM in the front.

Good luck!

I might have infact have to go this route. I had also seen the pry bar thing in the steeda video..its so easy to miss if youre not looking for it lol but yeah no cigar, couldnt get the clearance from lying under the car to pry it

also pretty sure i filled up to a full tank before starting the job so i have no budge really.

I had contacted Steeda about it earlier (prior to unbolting everything) and they had mentioned that to another way to get the front bolt in would be to unbolt the strap that holds the fuel tank to loosen it and move it out of the way a bit to give enough clearance.

ive never messed with that part of the car and dont know how its hooked up.. the last thing i want is to be under the car and doused in gasoline.

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