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Words of Wisdom needed (front end parts goin in)

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Posted by: The Rev

Ok I got the majority of my parts in.

Uppers
Lowers
Inners
Outers

I also ordered swaybar end links and a strut rod bushing kit.

Should I;

Do what I have now and the others later? (doesn't matter to me if I have to do more work)

Now does anyone have any advice for me? I read mikes tech article about ball joint replacement and it mentioned a 23mm socket. The biggest I have is 19mm, but if needed I'll go buy/rent more. been soaking everything with pb blaster and I got my torch ready! I plan on starting around 8am tomorrow

Posted by: unity

The strut rod bushing kit will have to go in with the lower control arm out of the k-member. I have done them without doing so, but its really hard to get the arm far enough back to get the bushings on. Since you will have a new arm I would not risk damaging it. I think it would be best to have everything in hand before you start.

Posted by: The Rev

If you say so! I think I'll be needing to buy some tools as well based on the tech articles I've read I need extensions? I'm sure once I get it jacked up it'll be clear enough.

Posted by: Calabrio

I've done all those repairs without any special tools other than my socket set and breaker bar.

But do them all at once. It's not worth doing it any other way. Not to mention the numerous trips to the alignment shop it'll save you. I HAD to do it piece by piece because of ignorance, and I really regretted. Never again.

Also, remember that many of these parts are interchangeable with T-bird parts and can then be easier to find in stock and less expensive.

Posted by: JMiles_T

Use some whiteout to Mark where the strut rods are before you undo them so you can get the alignment back close to the way it was.

Removing those strut rod bushings requires a good bit of muscle. 'Hope you've got a breaker bar.

Posted by: MarkVIII93

I just did this the other night. I was wrenchin in my brothers shop till 2 am. Being a michigan car driven for winters upon winters many of the bolts and nuts werent too easy to get loose. BTW. You will need to take your master cylinder off to get to the drivers side rear uca nut. Not a big deal though. Id say do the lowers and the strut rods first as they will be the most time consuming.

Posted by: unity

There is an access hole if you remove the fender liner to get to that bolt with a u-joint and extensions. No need to take the brake cylinder off.

Posted by: warthog5

Quote:

Originally Posted by unity

There is an access hole if you remove the fender liner to get to that bolt with a u-joint and extensions. No need to take the brake cylinder off.

I read that and looked at it real close. Had the ratchet, ext, swivel & socket all set up.

I was doing the brakes anyway. I took the M/C off.

Posted by: unity

Well actually I must admit I cut my own "access" opening.

Posted by: warthog5

Yes I saw where someone [?] had done that.

Thought about it for a few seconds with taking a holesaw to it and then rejected that idea. To "getto" for my taste.

Now if I'd had the right tool to use a holesaw and then mushroom the opening to stiffen the panel up and also have the correct size rubber plug, then that is something else.

Posted by: The Rev

I might end up making my own too!

Posted by: MarkVIII93

I try to stay away from cutting into my car just to be lazy and not remove a few extra bolts and/or nuts.

Posted by: mespock

Quote:

Originally Posted by unity

There is an access hole if you remove the fender liner to get to that bolt with a u-joint and extensions. No need to take the brake cylinder off.

Rev you don't need to take off the master cylinder... once you move the air bag take off the lock on the bolt head which is the one that goes to the nut behind the master cylinder. It works best if you have a friend to hold the 18mm wrench on the nut but then you can use a socket on the bolt head and it comes off nice and easy.

I've done this a couple of times. I looked at that access hole and it still looks like a bugger.

Posted by: 02LSE96LSC91SE84TC

I didn't remove the master cylinder, strut, cut or use a access hole or break off the tabs. Just patience and wrench flipping got her out from what I remember...few years back.

Posted by: The Rev

Yeah I was reading a few things and it says to remove air strut, master cylinder, all this stuff. I'm just waiting for these parts now. Once I get the parts I'll assume I'll run into a few walls and figure it out

Posted by: unity

Doing a new front end was one of the best things my Mark ever had done. It does ride stiff for a little bit until things are broke into so don't worry about it riding rough after all this.

Posted by: The Rev

I cringe when I drive now, I'm actually pretty pissed off that the rest of these parts aren't here yet. I have to go pickup a breaker bar and some other tools. If I get through this project I'll tackle my check engine light, it has to be the 02s.

Which reminds me, I have a code scanner for sale for ford eec iv vehicles, it works for 94 and 95 marks but not my 93 wtf. any reasonable offer accepted

Posted by: The Rev

Ok I got pissed off that my swaybar end links aren't in so I'm doing it without em. That looks like a 2 second replacement anyway, and it should be here today while I'm doing everything else.

Just a recap as to what I'm putting in

Uppers/lowers
Inners/outers
strut rod bushings (to the control arm? this is the kit I bought as opposed to the one to the frame, I dont know where these are gonna go yet if someone could help great)

and the end links when EVER they get here.

I dont think I'll need to take off the master cylinder for the uppers yet, but how do I get the ball joint disconnected from the knuckle after I get the bolt out? Just pry it, because thats my plan for now.

Posted by: Duck

Go to Auto Zone and rent a ball joint seperator. I think it was 10 bucks and you can keep it, or return it and get your 10 bucks back. Great rental program.

Posted by: warthog5

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=38649

This set is for ball joints and tierod ends. [smaller ones] It will help with the sway bar links too.

Posted by: Roadboss

Advance Auto has a loaner program also.
On your control arm bushings I would replace both ends as they both need to flex and more than likely the other side needs replacing also. Now is the time to do them both, due to having take everything apart just to replace them.

Posted by: The Rev

the 2 rear bolts on the uppers are killing me.

how do i get the rubber dryer vent dust covers off the inner tierods? I dont want to rip it.

and what size bolts are the ones on the lower control arm, I have 20, 23, and 24 mm, i figure its a 21 or 22.

Nothing is off yet, and I have a sunburn this isnt gonna be fun

Posted by: unity

Driver's side rear upper bolt: pain in the butt. Do that first and the passenger side will seem like a walk in the park

The boots. First you use a pliers to squeeze the outer clip, although you probably figured it out. The inner I used a flat-head screwdriver to CAREFULLY push on the metal clip while prying underneath a little. Rotate, push some more until it slides off. To put on it just slid back on with a little work.

Not sure on the lower bolt size.

Posted by: The Rev

my sister is making her 3rd trip to the zone right now, they suck over there but its only 3/4 mile away and advance is 4 miles across the city.

Yeah the first clip was easy on the tierods, I'll take it easy on the inner.

This really isn't fun, but I did find out that my drivers side bag is an arnott....but the passengers not so much

Posted by: unity

It would be a good idea to clean the bags really well and spray with silicone.

At least when this is done, if you ever have to replace the bags you know how easy it is!

Posted by: The Rev

I just got caught in a hailstorm UGH! Golfball -> pool ball sized too. No damage to the mark though LUCKILY. I took the dremel to the back bolt on the drivers side UCA, cutting the hole in the fender liner bigger. I'll probably need to pick up a u-joint to finish the job. My swaybar end links looked to be the biggest problem though, when I took the drivers side out the lower ball joint on it was completely loose, almost falling apart. the upper was seized and wouldn't move at all. I didn't get to install anything yet, the only progress I've made is taking out the drivers side swaybar end link. Once I pickup a ujoint I'll be fine for the uppers I'm hoping. Can anyone confirm the size of the bolts on the lca?

I'm probably done for the day, unless the sun dries up the horrible hailstorm remnants.

Oh and the parts look to be trw, so someone must've taken care of it at one point

Posted by: unity

TRW was OEM for many front end parts. The lowers for sure.

Posted by: warthog5

The uppers also.

Buy a Moog UCA. Open the box and physically look at the part and it will have TRW embossed in it.

Posted by: unity

Ya, out of all the "MOOG" parts I bought, I think only the sway bar end links had the MOOG name.

Posted by: The Rev

Same here, just the rubber boots on the end links say moog, oh well I could care less. Its dry, I may take a crack at it again tonight. The new links are shaped differently too. Maybe a performance flaw in the old ones

Posted by: The Rev

Yeah I took the dremel to it. I ended up getting the broken studs out and replaced, and the bolts on the drivers side uca out, but I didn't break off the flags on the fender side bolts so I'll figure that out tomorrow, because now they're behind the air strut.

And the bolts on the lca aren't 23mm, oh well I've made too many trips to the stores today and I'm done for the day. She's outta commission until this is done!

Posted by: The Rev

I found out there was a harbor freight in RI, and man that place is awesome. I picked up a pretty nice longhandled set of wrenches for like 15 bucks. It turned out it was a 21 mm, and everything went painfree. I took off the airstrut, uca changed out in 2 minutes flat. Torched up the lca bolts, they popped right off, putting in the new lca, grabbed the wrong one, ok thats fine, go get the other, its the wrong side AGAIN!

They shipped me 2 of the passengers side, d'oh! It was my lower ball joint that was making all of the noise, completely ruined. Still out of commission until further notice, turns out that my mechanic actually did replace the strut rod bushings last year because they aren't in bad shape at all. They're still coming out though.