OK - going to do the a/c repair, serpentine while I'm there

[Liquid_force]

I've done about 95% of my vehicle maintenance/repairs for the last 10 yrs now, but on no car have I ever lowered a sub frame.

I'm assuming there are 4 attachment points (driver's front/rear, passenger's front/rear) and i can just loosen the passenger's side.

It looks like the a/c needs to drop 3" or so to gain the req'd access. Will that much "tilt" place a lot of torque on the driver's side sub frame connections? Could that cause any problems?

What am I not thinking of?

I plan to place jack stands on the frame rails keeping the front tires off the ground then place the floor jack (somewhere) under the ps side of the sub-frame and loosen (remove?) the PS bolts, slowly lowering the jack until the a/c center bolt is exposed.

On the serp belt - I would expect I'll have the best access while the sub frame is lower -- maybe it wouldn't make much difference?
Is it as simple as the other fords I've worked on where you put a socket on the tensioner pulley's bolt, release tension and slide the belt off? Apparently there's a lock of some sort to maintain the unloaded condition??

 

[dlanes]

You dont have to lower subframe IIRC I just dropped the compressor down and removed shim (very small, like a small washer).

 

[Liquid_force]

Really?
You mean just unbolt it? That will allow enough play to get to the center bolt?

I've read through post after post on this and nobody has mentioned an easier way to lower the compressor than lowering the sub frame.

 

[dlanes]

Yeah I can't remember exactly all I did, but I remember taking the radiator fan out to get access to the bolts and dropped it down and used a 3/8" impact and poped it off removed shim and back together a/c worked ever since.