Help! Getting bottom of shock to line up with bracket on lca

Okay so im in the middle of installing my Toytec Boss coilovers on my 03. I followed the instructions exactly and I cant get the bottom of the shock to line up with the bracket on the lca. On the instructions it says to pry down on the uca to line it up but not matter how much I push down im still 1/4" from getting the bolt through. I cant seem to budge the bolts on the sway bar to get it loose. It looks like I need to use an allen key and a wrench to get it loose but every size i stick in it doesnt quite fit and I dont want to risk stripping it out. Any ideas?

 

put a jack under the lca and jack it up...

 

To compress the shock?

 

Use a screw driver through the holes and pry the shock

 

We tried that and the screw driver was flexing quite a bit. We got the nut loose on the sway bar but it's so rusted we can't get it to turn any more

 

Do you have the tie rod and knuckle disconnected from the LCA? That helps, sometimes you can get a new coilover in there with them still connected but sometimes you can't

 

Is this the tie rod end and knuckle?

 

Mark, then loosen the lca cam adjuster bolts. That will let the lca swing down more.

 

Did you try just disconnecting just the lower bolt on the sway bar link? Thats what is stopping the LCA from going down far enough. I see it's pretty rusty, and it looks like you are using PB blaster or some similar penetrant, right? How long has that been soaking? Also, hit it a few times with a hammer to help crack the corrosion bond. Try an impact driver on that, too.

Are you using a large prybar to push down on the LCA (using leverage from the frame)? Helps if someone else does this while you align the shock bolt.

 

Okay. The pin is rusted and about broke. If the pin breaks will it be okay until I can drive it to the alignment shop?

 

By pin do you mean the sway bar bolt? If so, yes. In fact you really wont even need your swaybar after installing these COs.

 

If your cotter pin breaks just drive to an auto supply and buy new ones, you should replace those anyway after you take them out.

 

No the pin that runs through the bolt and nut on the lca.

 

no, buy some new pin

 

Okay. Just wanted to make sure I could get one.

 

Okay I loosened it here, do I need to do anything else before I try putting the coilover in?

 

Yeah, remove it. Lol

 

Do I need to? Will it disconnect? How do I go about putting it back in?

 

I'm not expert on first gens but that looks like the lower ball joint. Once you get the coilover in you can use a floor jack to compress the coil over and put the nut back on

 

It is indeed the lower ball joint.