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suspension rebuild

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Posted by: wellby

My 94 mark viii is in need of a suspension rebuild. Last year I install a American air suspension 1.5" lower coil spring conversion with new shocks and mounts in the rear. I plan on keeping the car for a couple more years, only 74,000 miles on the car and is in great condition all around My local shop quoted me over $2,000 to rebuild everything in the front and new swaybar links in the rear, $1200.00 in parts alone. I know the car needs work because the handling and tracking of the car has degraded over time, the car gets very twitchy at highway speeds. Does this seem like too much money for the work or just the going rate.

Posted by: GMAN

No way. Not that much. All the parts are about $400.00. It is not all that hard with the help of a buddy, it can be done in an afternoon.

Posted by: unity

I just priced a new front end rebuild:

Upper control arms, lower controls arms with ball joints, sway bar end links, outer tie rods, strut rod bushings

Total, $519 using all MOOG brand. Im not getting inner tie rods since I am getting a new rack that will have them. If you want to replace the sway bar bushings, $25 more.

Posted by: JC1994

Quote:

Originally Posted by unity

I just priced a new front end rebuild:

Upper control arms, lower controls arms with ball joints, sway bar end links, outer tie rods, strut rod bushings

Total, $519 using all MOOG brand. Im not getting inner tie rods since I am getting a new rack that will have them. If you want to replace the sway bar bushings, $25 more.

about 250.00 for all the parts on E-bay.....

Posted by: unity

Sure, go with the eBay crap, mostly OE brand, and end up with rusty parts - bent lower control arms and ball joints that last about 20k! There are more than a few members, including me, who have had NO luck with arnott OE Brand.

Then ONLY choice for the critical parts, like the lower control arms, upper control arms, etc. wil be TRW or Moog - TRW being cheaper and often you will open a Moog box and find a TRW stamped part!

Posted by: chickenviii

make the parts cheaper, all t-bird parts since you no longer have the air susp you can even use bird uppers without the ball stud for the air ride sensor

Posted by: mespock

I agree just did my uppers today on my 95 only took about an hour each side.

Lowers are easy also.... I haven't done any thing else but I'm guessing they wouldn't be anymore of a problem. All done in a day depending upon how many beers between parts. LOL...

Posted by: unity

Ya, T-Bird (LX) lowers and such are A LLOT cheaper and what I will be using myself.

Posted by: Moes8

Quote:

Originally Posted by wellby

My 94 mark viii is in need of a suspension rebuild. Last year I install a American air suspension 1.5" lower coil spring conversion with new shocks and mounts in the rear. I plan on keeping the car for a couple more years, only 74,000 miles on the car and is in great condition all around My local shop quoted me over $2,000 to rebuild everything in the front and new swaybar links in the rear, $1200.00 in parts alone. I know the car needs work because the handling and tracking of the car has degraded over time, the car gets very twitchy at highway speeds. Does this seem like too much money for the work or just the going rate.

does this maybe include all rubber bushings including subframe bushings?

many people dont realize the subframe bushings get hard and need replacing,

if your mark hits hard on highway expansion joints and everything else is good on the suspension,then it needs new rubber parts too.

Posted by: unity

Sub-frame bushings in the front?

Posted by: Moes8

Quote:

Originally Posted by unity

Sub-frame bushings in the front?

i dont think i said front,he was talking about a front end rebuild and i was trying to figure out his high quoted price,but i was mentioning that many people bypass the subframe bushings and wonder why they feel hard pounding after new shocks and other parts.i re did my whole mark and it felt harder on bumps than econo cars i have owned in the past,then i had the subframe rubber replaced and it felt like a new car again.

Posted by: unity

No you did not, but he was talking about the front and only the front - hence my confusion? So the rear sub-frame bushings then, right? Those big donut things?

Posted by: wellby

Yea it's going to be all new uppers and lower control arms that include bushings and ball joints, strut rod bushings, swaybar bushings and endlinks new outer tierod ends. Going to look into the subframe bushings.

Posted by: JC1994

Quote:

Originally Posted by unity

Sure, go with the eBay crap, mostly OE brand, and end up with rusty parts - bent lower control arms and ball joints that last about 20k! There are more than a few members, including me, who have had NO luck with arnott OE Brand.

Then ONLY choice for the critical parts, like the lower control arms, upper control arms, etc. wil be TRW or Moog - TRW being cheaper and often you will open a Moog box and find a TRW stamped part!

my "OE" parts lasted 145,000 miles, I think thats pretty damn good. but yeah Moog and TRW are at least greaseable.

Posted by: m_maker

O E != O E M

Posted by: unity

O E != O E M ?? I hope you not saying OE brand are OEM!

Some have said they got OE brand but they were stamped TRW, those are the lucky ones and its hit or miss. I don't want to take a "gamble".

So I just ordered all my stuff to from RockAuto.com $400 for all Moog with shipping. Also got a $21 discount using the discount code. I think I did well, the Rock just lowered prices, better than I originally calculated.

Maybe this will help you out with you order too!

Posted by: GMAN

When I did the front end on my 97 I got all Moog parts. I got all of mine from O'Reilly's. I referenced all parts from the 97 T-Bird since they are all the same. O'Reilly's actually knocked the price down better than Rock Auto. I need to get them again for GMANjr's Mark now.

Posted by: unity

Well my stuff came:

Everything I got from Moog was stamped TRW except the stabilizer bar links and tie rod ends. Everything came in Moog boxes:

This is what I spent without shipping and discounts: $423.08

Same parts, but ALL TRW from Advance Auto: $430.56

Factory in RockAuto shipping $12.26, then apply discount of $20 and I saved about $15 and have two parts, non-critical, that are indeed Moog.

I am happy, but if I did it again I would by local seeing as I will end up with TRW anyway.

Posted by: unity

Oh, and I just want to add that the only think I can think different may be the bushings and inserts. In other words, Moog buys the core parts and uses their own bushings, etc. But I would have to see a TRW arm un-instaled to check this theory.

Posted by: mespock

Has anyone check what Maxx's price would be? When I purchased my plug wires he was cheaper than Summit for Ford Racing by about $10.

I never thought about asking him on control arms. I hate asking him for prices and then not buying from him if I can get it cheaper elsewhere.

Posted by: unity

I know what you mean. Price fishing sucks. I try to buy from one source unless its a big order.

But Max is at a Ford dealer, right? So those will be OEM upper and about $113 each last I checked. $76 for T-Bird uppers if ya converted.

Posted by: mespock

Quote:

Originally Posted by unity

I know what you mean. Price fishing sucks. I try to buy from one source unless its a big order.

But Max is at a Ford dealer, right? So those will be OEM upper and about $113 each last I checked. $76 for T-Bird uppers if ya converted.

Is that Maxx's quote or just standard Ford dealer price. If that is standard then Maxx will be competitive with Rock Auto for us.

Posted by: GMAN

Just got back from O'reillys, and they hooked me up big time on all my suspension parts. I paid $337.34 for Moog upper control arms, Moog Lower control arms, and Sway bar end link kits. This really helped out the budget.

Posted by: mespock

I got mine for under $300 from Rock Auto...

Posted by: rmac694203

I've got a driver's side UCA if anyone is interested. Brand new.

Posted by: Frogman

Maxx may at times be a little more expensive than aftermarket. Note, I said AT TIMES. But you know what? You will never be able to find someone at say, Rock Auto who knows as much as Maxx does about FORD parts. The man is a forking walking encyclopaedia when it comes to Ford parts.

He's spent many a hours (at least so he claims

) researching substitute parts for my 98. He's spent lots of time tracking down new parts that my local dealer said there were none left. Parts such as a 98 inner door panel, R&P bushings, since the ones from Rock auto didn't work, an 8 bolt flexplate that would work with my 8 bolt crank, etc. etc. You know what? If it costs me a few dollars more than at an aftermarket house, I'm buying it from Maxx still.

Hell, right now I buy fuel filters for my diesel from him. His price is about 15 dollars more (still a hell of a lot cheaper than FORD retail) than the same Filters International sells, but I'm buying them from him. Why? Because he takes the time to talk to you when you call him with part questions, and more importantly, he'll tell you if you're about to screw up and buy the wrong part, even though you think it's the right part. I can call him up, leave him a voice mail, tell him the parts I'm after, and several ddays later, the CORRECT parts arrive via UPS. None of this "Well sir, my computer shows spark plug wires for a 1998 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC" crap you get at some parts houses.

Customer service speaks tons in my book.

Posted by: unity

me-spock your-kirk: That price I posted was discounted from one of the many OEM reseller sites.

g-string-man: Where those TRW parts? TRW parts in Moog boxes? If so... we really need an O'Reilly's round here.

Froger: I totally agree that when you need help Max is great, I have dealt with him before when I did my 1-2 upgrades. He does know his stuff. I also work with Torrie at FastpartsNetwork.com (Formerly Ford Parts..) He also knows his stuff and I have a chip tune coming from him on Tuesday. There are few people out there that have these cars, much less people who know them as well as they do in a position they are in! But when it comes to certain parts and I know what I need, I do my own shopping. If I need something OEM, I call Max or Torrie. Im and OEM freak and hate getting parts from "the other guys" since I have had rather bad luck with non-oem.

Posted by: GMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by unity

g-string-man: Where those TRW parts? TRW parts in Moog boxes? If so... we really need an O'Reilly's round here.

Yep, they are in fact Moog parts. This one guy I deal with a O'Reilly's is great. He really did me a solid.

Posted by: unity

Grrrrrr..... I hate you. LOL... Well you done good!

Posted by: mespock

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frogman

Maxx may at times be a little more expensive than aftermarket. Note, I said AT TIMES. But you know what? You will never be able to find someone at say, Rock Auto who knows as much as Maxx does about FORD parts. The man is a forking walking encyclopaedia when it comes to Ford parts.

Can't agree with you more... and also with customer service. One reason I buy from Eddie instead of Strutmasters, and Arnott.

I buy from Maxx often I guess I just never thought about the control arms from him. I guess you get into some bad habits and then... You get in the habit that OEM are always too high of price. When on a tighter budget sometimes you just can't go OEM... Yes I know it may cost more as you have to replace after market parts more often.

I can't complain about Moog parts yet as they haven't failed me and I've heard a lot of good from other respectable members.... I've heard a bunch of bad on Arnott control arms. No experience with them.

Sorry Unity... Missed the OEM... my bad...I hope this doesn't mean you are boycotting the Beach Party..

Posted by: GMAN

What I really like about Moog is the ability to grease the parts.

Posted by: unity

From what I have read and been told technology has progressed so far that the non-greasables are superior to greasable.

Not sure if it was this thread, or on another forum. But a couple people pointed out that the parts that came with fitting were often cheaper than non.

But, like you, I still prefer the ability to grease them. Then again maybe its true and non-greaseable are better, after all we used to have to check our oil level at every gas fill. Who know.

Posted by: mespock

None of my Moog have grease fittings?

Posted by: GMAN

Sure they do. They did when I got the parts for my 97, and they do when I bought the parts for my son's 93. Here's a pic of one of the upper control arms.

Posted by: unity

Just the TRUE Moog have grease fittings.

Posted by: GMAN

Just finished my second front end job. The first was on my 97, this one was on my son's 93. As always it was most definately needing to be replaced. As always the biggest pain in the ass is the inside upper control arm nut, on both sides.

I have the job now down to about six hours by myself.

Here are some pics of the worn out pieces and the newly installed pieces.

Posted by: unity

WOW, those old parts were WAY past their prime.

Posted by: turn_on68

Quote:

Originally Posted by GMAN

Yep, they are in fact Moog parts. This one guy I deal with a O'Reilly's is great. He really did me a solid.

G-Man did you factor in sales tax on $300 VS shipping charge?
Please send me the lower control arm part number from O'Reilleys as I have to replace mine soon.
Thanks Lee
PS. Have you installed the Sub yet?

Posted by: GMAN

Quote:

Originally Posted by turn_on68

Lee, My total price was $337 with tax. Not bad at all. The part numbers are on the first page of this thread.

BTW I will be making trips soon to your neck of the woods. My daughter will be attending Texas State in the fall.

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