FRONT INSTALLATION:
1. Put vehicle in neutral. Place floor jack under the lower control arm’s front cross member and
raise vehicle. Place jack stands under frame rails, behind the front wheel wells, and lower the
frame onto the stands. Put the vehicle in gear, setting emergency brake, and block rear wheels,
in front and behind tires. Remove front tires, shocks and anti-sway bar connecting links.
(Diagram 1)
WARNING: Be extremely careful when loading or unloading the torsion bars; there is a tremendous
amount if stored energy (load pressure) in the bars. Keep your hands and body clear of the
adjuster arm assembly and puller tool in case anything slips or breaks.
NOTE: A special PULLER TOOL is required for SAFE REMOVAL/INSTALLATION of the adjuster
arms. This special puller can be purchased from a GM Dealer (Tool #J36202) or from Kent Moore
Tool Group, Roseville, MI (800) 345-2233 or (313) 774-9500 (Part #J-22517-C).
2. After studying
Diagram 2
, remove the torsion bar adjusting bolt. Apply a small amount of lubricat-
ing grease to the puller threads and the puller shaft-to-adjuster arm contact point. Position puller
and load adjuster arm until the adjuster block can be removed from the cross member.
3. Place a floor jack under the lower control arm on one side of the vehicle. Raise the arm about 1"
and leave the jack in place. Remove the cotter pin and loosen the nut on the upper ball joint
approximately 5 turns. Lower the floor jack until it is no longer supporting the lower arm. Use a
ball joint separator fork (pickle fork) to separate the ball joint from the spindle. Raise the lower
arm with the floor jack again, and remove the ball joint nut. Carefully lower the floor jack until the
arm is hanging freely. Repeat this procedure on the other side of the vehicle.
4. Remove the nuts and bolts that hold the upper control arms on the frame (they will be reused),
and remove the arms from the vehicle.
(Diagram 3)
5. Clamp the control arm tightly in a vise. Carefully center punch the rivet heads, and drill a ¼" deep
hole into the rivets using a 1/8" drill bit. Next use a 1/2" bit and very carefully drill through the rivet
head until the head comes free of the rivet. Be very careful not to drill into the ball joint housing.
Using a 5/16" drift punch and a hammer, drive the rivets out of the ball joint. (If ball joints show
wear, replace them at this time.)
6. Using the 5/16" bolts, washers and locknuts supplied, attach the ball joints to the new control
arms. Torque the bolts to 20 ft.lbs.
7. Lubricate the urethane bushings with a high quality waterproof grease. Install them in the control
arm tubes, and press the 1 7/8" long sleeves into the bushing holes.
8. Install the control arms on the truck, using one large flat washer (1 7/8", supplied in kit) on each
side of each control arm mount (4 washers per control arm).
NOTE: BE SURE TO INSTALL THE
CONTROL ARMS WITH THE GUSSETED TUBE (TUBE WITH A WELDED TAB) TOWARD THE
FRONT OF VEHICLE.
Torque the mounting bolts to 90 ft.lbs. (original bolts). Raise the lower
control arm enough to reinstall the ball joint. Tighten the ball joint nut to 95 ft.lbs. Advance the
nut to the next available slot for the cotter pin, and install the new cotter pin supplied in the kit.
9. Remove the skid plate from the differential carrier, if so equipped. Place a floor jack under the dif-
ferential to support it. Remove the bolts and nuts retaining the axle tube, then remove the bolts
2
#I-C256 (Rev. 4/04)
