I ended assembling each individual piece on to the car one at a time. This allowed me to properly torque the control arms and other bits under load/ride height.
Some challenges to name a couple, cmp bushing raises the subframe, therefore making the rear diff bolts more difficult to get to. I highlighted solving this in this thread. I found getting the diff in and getting the bolt started a huge pain. It's very heavy and awkward maneuvering it into the subframe while trying to thread the front bolt.
I regretfully changed the diff fluid to castrol, yes it groans now.
With the diff in place I could install the driveshaft. I used the OE butyl tape + mineral oil on the CSB per TIS guidance.
Here are a couple shots before mounting the swaybar links.
Torquing the swaybar links at ride height was a challenge. Perhaps there's a better way to do it, but this involved using a stubby wrench in a very tight space. Don't want to have to do that again.
With all the major bits torqued in I was able to get the heatshield in along with the freshly restored exhaust and plastic beauty covers.
Wow what a huge project. I never intended to go that far with it but i'm glad it's finally done. I won't get an alignment till I complete the front suspension & rod bearing overhaul, but initial driving impressions are pretty amazing. It feels like a completely different car.
Next up, I tackle the interior. I'll give a sneak peek as there was a change in plans along the way =)
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