How to Replace Front Control Arm and Bushings 2005-10 Pontiac G6 Saturn Aura
Created on: 2013-07-25
Replace the front control arm with the help of this video, which explains how to remove the tire and what the torque specs are for the control arm and tire
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It is recommended to seek a professional alignment after completing this repair.
step 1 :Removing the Wheel
- Loosen the lug nut covers with a 19mm socket
- Pry off the center cap with a flat blade screwdriver
- Loosen the lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground
- Raise the vehicle with a floor jack
- Secure the vehicle on jack stands
- Remove the lug nuts
- Pull off the wheel
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step 2 :Removing the Front Control Arm
- Loosen the ball joint bolt with a 15mm wrench and a 16mm socket and ratchet
- Remove the 18mm bolt in the front of the control arm with a socket, ratchet, and pipe for leverage
- Remove the two 18mm bolts in the large control arm bushing
- Remove the bolt on the end of the bushing
- Pry the front of the control arm out with a pry bar
- Pry out the back bushing with a pry bar
- Pull the control arm down and out
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step 3 :Installing the Front Control Arm
- Insert the ball joint in place
- Tighten the 16mm bolt in the ball joint by hand
- Feed the rear part of the control arm and the front part into the frame
- Hammer the ball joint into place to line it up
- Tighten the 18mm bolts by hand
- Tighten the bolt on the end of the bushing by hand
- Tighten the 18mm bolts on the control arm bushing with a socket and wrench
- Torque the bolts between 75 and 85 foot-pounds
- Torque the ball joint bolt to 50 foot-pounds
- Place a jack underneath the lower ball joint to lift the suspension up until there's just weight off the jack stand
- Tighten the rear bushing bolt to 55 foot-pounds of torque and the front 18mm bolt to 75 foot-pounds
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step 4 :Reattaching the Wheel
- Slide the wheel into place
- Start the lug nuts by hand
- Tighten the lug nuts preliminarily
- Lower the vehicle to the ground
- Tighten the lug nuts to 100 foot-pounds in a crossing or star pattern
- Reattach the center cap
- Tighten the lug nut covers with a 19mm socket
Tools needed
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A Piece of Pipe (for leverage)
15mm Wrench
Torque Wrench
15mm Socket
Pry Bar
18mm Wrench
Jack Stands
18mm Socket
Ratchet
Floor Jack
Brought to you by 1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet.
Hi, I'm Don from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and the next time you need a part for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.
In this video, we're going to show you how to replace a front control arm on this 2007 Pontiac G6. It's pretty much the same for any G6 from 2005 to 2010, as well as the Saturn Aura. We show you the right hand or passenger's side, but the left hand or driver's side is the same procedure. You'll need a new control arm or control arms from 1AAuto.com. If one of your control arms bushings have gone bad, most likely the other one's not far behind. Replacing them in pairs is usually a good idea. You'll also need jack and jack stands, 15mm to 18mm wrenches and sockets, a ratchet and a breaker bar or a pipe for some leverage, a pry bar, and a torque wrench.
Start out by using just a socket to loosen the lug nut covers or the wheel cover as in this case. We're going to use an impact or air tools sometimes, if you don't have the benefit of air tools just start with the vehicle on the ground, loosen the lug nuts, then raise and secure the vehicle and remove the lug nuts, wheel and tire.
Okay, now from underneath looking out, use a 15mm wrench and a 16mm socket and ratchet, and loosen the ball joint, bolt, and nut. Use an 18mm socket and a ratchet and a pipe for extra leverage to remove the front bolt. This is looking towards the center of the car. There's a bolt in the front of the control arm and we remove that.
Towards where the back of the tire would be, you'll see a large bushing here. There are two 18mm bolts right on the bottom and they have nuts on top. We use an 18mm socket and a ratchet, and we're going to use a piece of pipe for extra leverage. You can also use a breaker bar and just break those bolts free a little bit. Now, I'm going to fast-forward as we take an 18mm wrench, feed it right under the stabilizer bar there, grab onto the nut that's on top, and then remove the bolts. We're just going to want to use a wrench and loosen up this bolt a little bit, it just makes things easier to come around. And, actually, you can take it right off because it comes off fairly easily.
Now, using a pry bar, we start by prying the front of the control arm out. Then go to the back bushing, put the pry bar behind, and pry out. Reinstall the control arm, and you can see our control arm we're re-installing the original. There's nothing wrong with it, so we're not going to put a new one on. Fairly new car, we're just showing you how to do it.
Put the control arm up in place. The ball joint in place next, and then put the bolt through, and put the nut on to hold it. Now you can take the rear part of the control arm and feed it up into the frame as well as the same time you're feeding the front part up into the frame. Then a little help from the pry bar, get everything lined up and in.
Turn your attention towards the front. Use of a little hammer, and just make sure you get the front lined up fairly well. Put that bolt in place, and you'll have to just grab onto the suspension and work it around. You can use a hammer to tap in once you get it started as well. Have your pry bar in hand, just to help you move around that bushing a little bit until you get the first bolt up through, and then you can put the second bolt up through, put the nuts on the back as well as start the bolt into the end of the bushing.
I'll keep the speed going here as I put a wrench behind and tighten up these two 18mm bolts. These bolts should be between 75 and 85 foot-pounds. Torque the nut for the tie rod to 50 foot-pounds. We apologize, we didn't film this very well. What you want to do is put a jack underneath the lower ball joint and lift your suspension up until there's just weight off the jack stand that gets your suspension into the right geometry, and then tighten that rear bushing bolt. You need to tighten that up to about 55 foot-pounds and then tighten this front bolt to 75 foot-pounds.
Reinstall the wheel. Put the lug nuts on by hand first just to make sure you don't cross thread them and then tighten them preliminarily. Put the vehicle on the ground, and torque the lug nuts to 100 foot-pounds using a star pattern. Now reinstall your hub cap, and we're going to do that with that 19mm socket. I'm just going to screw them in by hand. Also, you want to make sure that you line up the valve stem with the notch in the hub cab for the valve stem.
We hope this video helps you out. Brought to you by www.1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the Internet. Please feel free to call us toll-free, 888-844-3393. We're the company that's here for you on the Internet and in person.
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Chevrolet Pontiac Saturn Front Passenger Side Lower Control Arm with Ball Joint TRQ PSA83963
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