Hi,

I haven't had too much luck at getting under the car except on my car lift any more.
The idea of ramps or stands are always possible but the ground hinders me.
First I wear bifocals and the ground really just doesn't let me back away enough!
I also have issues when lying under a vehicle with what the doctor calls, vertigo or inner ear fluid balance. It will make me nauseous, especially when holding my head up off a floor creeper.
Sometimes, I think it's lack of blood to the brain! I'm no doctor, so I stay upright.

Where I have an issue, is when or with getting the nut on the rear of the control arm loosen or tighten up.
There isn't much room to swing the wrench in the space opening of the frame support box.
Once you get the points or flat of the wrench to line up there is little room to move it, before hitting a side.

Not long ago, I replaced that rear bushing just by undoing the box's three bolts.
I let the control arm sag but I had it supported with a tall screw jack, for just the aspect of safety.
The strut assembly holds it all up there and is the best thing I can say.

This lets the complete box drop with the bushing.
It was not quite enough to get a straight access so I pulled the bolt out of the front bushing.
This allows the whole control arm to drop about an inch more at that angle.
It Barely mocpves a half inch down on the front bushing that stays in the frame.

This allowed me to get a 19 or 18 mm socket directly onto the nut. With an extension and my air impact it was off and back on in a jiffy, of course, after pressing the old bushing out. (:-). There's nothing Jif, except peanut butter, at my age anymore! (:-)

I tried this approach after reading a statement from Art Benstein!
It's about cocking the whole box clockwise before running the nut home to the torque specifications.
A guesstimation of twist, is the cocking part.
The idea I gathered was to do that and then when bolting up the whole affair to the frame, this will twist the bushing back left when bolting it to the frame.
This puts the bushing under a twist very similar to that of which happens to it when the wheels are off the ground and the strut puts it under Tension.
When the wheels are on the ground, then the bushing is twisted less and more into an neutral area of having no or very little twist too much either way? Guesstimation is like a wet thumb in a wind!

The whole idea for me was being able to get access to that darn nut and get it TIGHT!
If it works loose, you will hear a CLUNK or THUMP while going into a slightest dip or a rumble of a road. This is while you are going straight and quietly down the road. It drives me buggy!

The part about turning and a pop is unusual to me.
On my very oldest car, that still has its original suspension since day one, I get a pop or clunk if it's in a slow sharp turn.
The wheels in this scenario are in fully locked over in the turning mode.
It's More noticeable if backing up, as it seems it to pop more readily.
It is almost like I'm trying to run over or drag my own front wheels. The body may even wiggle?
Sometimes it's like it wants to push itself over its own tire sidewalls!
Maybe I have worn out some "lock" stops someplace in the steering rack?

I expect this, because I know I need to replace something if not everything under there.
I have the parts, including a new rack but since I do not drive the car, even 500 miles a year, it's not been a priority. BUT, It is getting closer, up to my front burners on my stove though.
I need to rework the whole car including the braking system.
A refurbishing or reckoning day is coming!
I keep promising myself, as It's all too old, to be on the road any much longer.
I drive very locally, just to keep things working, as not driving it, would really make it unsafe!
This way I stay aware and less chance of surprises!

I have learned to always listen to a cars language!
Phil