2003 Protege5 front lca problem

AudiDre4

Member
:
2003 Protege5
Hey guys, this is my first post and ive been having a struggle the last couple days with my rusty P5. The ball joint boot was ripped to shreds causing me to fail MASS safety inspection. I successfully removed the old arm and joint. As I attempted to install the new arm I noticed that the bolt holding the far left side of the arm to the frame(center bracket bolt) slides in by hand slightly sideways, and won't thread in. Any ideas/suggestions?
 
Maybe your car isn't perfectly level and the treads don't quite match.

Honestly that's all I can come up with
 
Hopefully its as simple as that, I don't have any cutting tools to go through the wheel well, nor can I afford them right now because of the amount of parts I've had to replace in the last month
 
If anyone else has any suggestions im in desperate need.. I work full time an hour away from work and ive been riding a moped there 😂

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
 
Take some pics so I better understand cause we have got to get you off that scoot-poot!
 
Take some pics so I better understand cause we have got to get you off that scoot-poot!
I'm at work atm. I will send pictures later. The best way I can explain it. Is that there is a bracket holding the underside of the ps front lca on the left side of the arm. Held in by 3 bolts. The center of the bracket bolt is what goes through the bushing and I can feed it in by hand through it. Just can't seem to find the thread on the opposite side I guess. The attached pic isn't of my car. I hope you can understand what im referring to
513af568b41a3e8d2d93dd8b9ab30f64.jpg


Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
 
I ran into the exact same thing... But I can't remember exactly what I did ???
If I'm recalling correctly,.. I backed off the bolts holding the bracket a bit to allow for some wobble room.
Then I put a jack on the other end of the control arm and lifted. (I may have had the ball joint disconnected from the knuckle??)
You want to have the LCA as level as possible,... That's when the bolt lines up straight.

Be careful,... I'm pretty sure I almost lifted the car off the T-stand when I lifted (I used the cars jack).
Make sure it falls on to a stand and or block and not your head if it slips.. I still had to reef pretty hard to get the bolt in... Things were pretty wobbly.
 
I ran into the exact same thing... But I can't remember exactly what I did ???
If I'm recalling correctly,.. I backed off the bolts holding the bracket a bit to allow for some wobble room.
Then I put a jack on the other end of the control arm and lifted. (I may have had the ball joint disconnected from the knuckle??)
You want to have the LCA as level as possible,... That's when the bolt lines up straight.

Be careful,... I'm pretty sure I almost lifted the car off the T-stand when I lifted (I used the cars jack).
Make sure it falls on to a stand and or block and not your head if it slips.. I still had to reef pretty hard to get the bolt in... Things were pretty wobbly.
Yeah its weird, yesterday I tried to get it level by jacking the arm up completely horizontally and after that the bolt was being pinched too hard to turn at all. Ill give it one more shot later on and update

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
 
.... I work full time an hour away from work and ive been riding a moped there 😂

I hear ya dude... I'm pushin with a full 1/4 HP at a mind warping 20 MPH !!! (fricken governor).

On the plus side, it's technically a bicycle so I can be pretty damn juiced up and no hands...
Lots of fun !!!

It's not about the destination,... It's all about the crashes on the way there.

 
I hear ya dude... I'm pushin with a full 1/4 HP at a mind warping 20 MPH !!! (fricken governor).

On the plus side, it's technically a bicycle so I can be pretty damn juiced up and no hands...
Lots of fun !!!

It's not about the destination,... It's all about the crashes on the way there.

Oh yah dude that's niceeee, ive got a sym fiddle 2. Things got a 150 in it, she rips lol

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
 
I would say either something is bent and won't align correctly or the car/part is at a weird angle. Maybe do some measuring on both sides and see if they match 100%
 
I would say either something is bent and won't align correctly or the car/part is at a weird angle. Maybe do some measuring on both sides and see if they match 100%
The bolt feels like it grabs thread for about 2 and a half turns, then gets loose again

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk
 
The bolt feels like it grabs thread for about 2 and a half turns, then gets loose again

Sent from my VS987 using Tapatalk

Honestly if I rotated 2 turns it shouldn't get loose. I'd love to come help but I doubt you live near me. Now I highly don't recommend it but:

d9059a6c419796e893aa2477fb825dbf.jpg


Don't cross thread it but maybe tweak the whole car to see if you can align the body to the arm.
 
Two of the bolts are broken inside the frame from the previous owner so that isn't an option [emoji51] ...

That's really not good... Those bolts are really important...
I don't know if your bolts are still there and holding anything or missing ???

HOWEVER... It can help to get a snug fitting six point socket with an extension and push/pull/reef on the extension to help line up the bolt...
Maybe even JB weld the socket to the bolt so you can push/pull/reef...
 
Back