Front End Reconstruction Gen 1 115k

The Rev

The Rev

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Ok so I've read tons about the UCA/LCAs needing to be changed at about 100k, and I'm passed that. Right now I'm starting to get a noise that sounds like my UCA (passenger) having too much friction during turns, as it sounds like rubber on metal. This noise occurs occasionally during turns to the right, or from bringing the wheels back straight after turning either left or right. Its not persistent and first occurred after I got caught in a flood 2 weeks ago. Lately its starting to happen over bumps and its getting really annoying to the point that my exhaust can no longer cover it up and people turn heads in a bad way.
I want to replace pretty much everything thats involved in the front end that would need to be replaced. My sh!t mechanic "replaced" my sway bar end link bushings or some nonsense, I know he didn't and I didn't pay anyway, but thats besides the point.

Long story short what is there to replace? I've seen the crap kits on ebay but want to go with a reputable brand (I've heard moog and trg(?) are good) and what can I use from a thunderbird? I know the uppers dont have the stud for the ride height sensor so how would I counter act that? I plan on doing a 1.5 lowered coil conversion in the future as well, but because I'm sure this will be expensive, I'll hold off on it for now. Lastly, because I want to buy brand name parts I WONT let a mechanic get them for me because of mark up etc. How much would the labor be if I bought it myself and had a mechanic do the work? And I know I'll need an alignment afterward, considering it pulls a little now.
Oh and I've already replaced the power steering fluid 4-5 times in the last week with mercon V, now its pretty much perfectly clean. It never made the whining noise people complain about before the power steering pump fails either

I'm having the same problem Jamie is right now with his front tires being pushed back, Jamie if you read this what exactly was wrong with that? Would an alignment fix this?

Oh man this is long, thanks to the people that have read it all. And if theres anyone in the RI tristate area that wants to do this I'm willing to travel!
 
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I am doing the Same so why start another thread.........

And as for the front tires....well the Camber seems to be really negative..I had my car on my buddies rack & it lasers out dead on....but looking at it it looks negative or top of the tire pushing in to the engine bay...
I have the same problem but only on the drivers side....12,000Km and no uneven wear on my tire...I am really stumped on it
 
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i have already replaced a sway bar end link on my passengers side, it was pretty easy. just basic tools and patients you can probably do the whole front end in a day.

and i'm willing to bet that grinding noise is your uca. you should get it looked at quick because my t-bird made the same noise and i ignored it. about 3 months later my uca ball joint snaped and put my tire into my fender. that wasn't fun
 
You said.. "Caught in a flood" ... as in your car sit in water for a period of time.. or you drove through water? Because we just flooded and I drove through water 3 times. One time was up to the botton of the rim on the wheel... other time was about 1/4 up on the tire... third time was maybe.. 3 inches of water... do you go through more.. or less?
 
First item. All your parts for the front repair job should be TRW brand or Moog. They are one in the same on some items, as both have the same parent corporation. You should replace the following items. Upper control arms, Lower control arms, sway bar links, strut rod bushings front, strut rod bushings rear, and tie rod ends (if they are bad). The T'Bird upper control arms don't have the ball stud for you sensors to attach to so you have a decision to make, about saving a few dollars now on the UCA and buying the Springs now or, staying with the air ride and buying the Mark Vlll UCA, (or going to the trouble to mount a ball stud on the T'Bird UCA. Personally I would never go to springs.

Second, as far as cost goes, your mechanic is always going to be able to buy the parts cheaper than you, most cases it's not huge. If you have a shop that can order the parts for you and pass it on after taxes then you may save a few dollars. I would expect your parts cost to be about $300. Labor to install them should be aound $400 and don't forget to get a full front end alignment after completion. I buy the majority of my parts from Advance Auto as I used to work there and it is handy. Most shops around here that are decent charge about $50/hr.

The results of all this will put your ride into a new feeling that you wish you had of done sooner.
 
With a discount I get at Advance I got the T Bird Upper control arms for $54.39ea and Lower TRW Control arms for $53.45 ea and the sway bar endlinks for $42.06ea. I do not remember what the difference was without my discount, I think only $30 for the entire bill. So about $330 for T Bird parts. I know the Mark VIII upper conrol arms are about $75 ea. I hope to install these sometime next week and try to do my first alignment.
Lifetime warranty as well.
 
Dark_Majesty_06 said:
You said.. "Caught in a flood" ... as in your car sit in water for a period of time.. or you drove through water? Because we just flooded and I drove through water 3 times. One time was up to the botton of the rim on the wheel... other time was about 1/4 up on the tire... third time was maybe.. 3 inches of water... do you go through more.. or less?
Click to expand...

Enough to bring me from 30-0 pretty much, I'd guess 6 inches, it was at the bottom of a hill I drove by.

And most mechanics mark up the prices anyway to turn a profit on that as well right? I'd like to do the work myself. I just grabbed a nice jack and a good set of jackstands, assuming I'd have 16-24 hrs to get the job done over a course of 2-3 days, could I get this done? I'm not a mechanic but I was under there today and it looks pretty straight foward, unbolt, remove, add new part, rebolt.
 
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Oh and I greased up pretty much every moving component in the front end, no dice.
 
Don't forget the strut rod bushings. You can get them from Max on this site, go with OEM.
 
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