Subframe Lowering

OhioTec1 · Post by **OhioTec1** » 02 Jul 2011, 09:38

Greetings,

I am currently in the process of replacing the steering rack in a 94 850 wagon. Everything is disconnected and all thats left is to extract the old rack. I do not have a floor jack that is able to raise the car high enough to fit jack stands behind the rear subframe mountings (I have a 15" max jack and 13.5" max stands). Would it be safe to place the jack stands on the front crossmember of the subframe, while lowering the rear portion of the subframe with the floor jack? I don't want the crossmembers slipping out of the stand cradles and I don't want to bend the subframe either!

Any advice would be much appreciated

Post by **jimmy57** » 02 Jul 2011, 12:21

Pile heavy stuff in trunk and place jack stands aft of the rear subframe attaching bolts and plates. The items in trunk will help keep rear down so the car has far less, if any, tendency to teeter-totter on the stands. You will not be able to lower the subframe if the stands are holding car up by any portion of the subframe.
Loosen the front subframe bolts 5-6 turns so the forward attaching points have enough "give" to allow the rear to drop.

OhioTec1 · Post by **OhioTec1** » 03 Jul 2011, 19:27

Thank you, Jimmy57. I was able to get a hold of some shorter jack stands and set them behind the subframe. I was able to drop the subframe, no problem with a floor jack

gilhuly · Post by **gilhuly** » 04 Jul 2011, 10:44

Tip: The bolts that get in the way of sliding the rack out the side are pressed in and can be knocked out making that process a lot simpler and requiring less sub-frame drop.

brucek2080 · Post by **brucek2080** » 04 Jul 2011, 11:42

Thanks for the tip, it helped greatly. I've almost got the old rack out...now I'm having difficulty removing the power steering lines that go into the rack. they absolutely will not budge. Any tips?