Will Mustang strut bushings work on our cars?
No.
At least not w/o modifying the car.
You can buy aftermarket strut mounts that are just like the Mustang ones for TBirds.
I need new strut bushings.I'll call Autozone and see what they have.I had a really nice set of Mustang struts ('03) in the garage and if they would swap,I was gonna do it.Now,I suppose I'm not.LOL.
The strut bushings are separate from the struts. Get the TBird strut mounts and use your Mustang struts. Simple enough.
Yeah, I had to use mustang bushings and struts due to the fact I wanted to run strange 10 way's. I went to the junk yard to get some off a mustang I think I paid $10 bucks for them, they were easy to install just had to drill a new whole because the one stud was closer to the strut. I thought it was easier to just buy the energy suspension bushings because of availability and price.
Will those Mustang struts bolt up to the Sport's spindles?Or would I need the Turbo Coupe/Mustang spindles?I'd like to swap to bigger brakes,but that's a project for another time.I have plenty on my plate right now.
Chuck,do you mean "Thunderbird strut mounts" or bushings to use with the Stang struts?The struts I got from the '03 Stang are from a V-6 car.They were free,so,I accepted them.
If you go to advance auto or your parts house of choice, you buy the Thunderbird strut mounts, which are made for our cars, but use mustang style bushings. Then you can put in Mustang poly bushings.
Then can't I just re-use my current mounts and add the Stang struts and bushings in the garage?Or,is there something I'm missing.The strut mounts is one of those areas (like the lower A-arm bushings) that I've never had to deal with before.I'm only giving off the "appearance" of an idiot.I'm really not one,though.LOL.
Keep asking questions - mine are shot and I need to learn what the best option is too. The picture above doesn't seem to show much adjustment - is there any using that mount?
The aftermarket strut mounts for the TBirds look JUST LIKE the Mustang ones pictured above, and you don't need to mod anything to bolt them in the car.
The Mustang struts will bolt up to them w/o issue.
Vinnie, you will at least need the 11" brake upgrade (TC or 87+ 5.0 Mustang) to use your '03 struts as your Sport had the small 10" front disks.
So,I just buy the strut bushings from Autozone (I believe they said they come with the mounts),and install them on my present struts,right?Man,I feel like I'm making this harder than it has to be,but I hate to start a project not completely understanding and then getting stuck.
P.S.,can I install the Mustang stuff if I use the spindle spacers for the lower strut mounting bolts?
the struts WONT fit around the spindle. 11" brake spindles have a "thinner" spindle. you're thinking of the opposite.
My mistake on the spindles.I suppose I just need to buy the Thunderbird bushings and install them on my Thunderbird struts.The guy at Autozone (for what it's worth) said that according to the pics,the bushings for the Stang and Bird looked the same.
Who are you going to believe? They are not the same.
Proof I have no idea what I'm doing on this subject.Bottom line,what do I use to fix my bad bushings and keep my T-Bird struts??
Buy the TBird strut mounts.... Moog or TRW make them.
OK :hick:
Good Lord.I drug that all over the place.LOL.Thanks Chuck.
That's OK - I leached onto this - 2 birds, 1 stone :D
(actually 1 bird, 1 cat with 1 stone :hick: )
So,we're good?Right?
psst Vinnie,
CC plates would solve your problem too.
I'd love to,but with the new rear bushings from Energy,the whole T-5 swap,the strut tower brace,new B&M shifter and other parts,they'll have to wait.I'll probably end up with a set eventually.Right now,I'm waiting for more funds.I still need the front a-arm and strut bushings,ball jints,and I also have to pick up my fenders and other parts this week.Man,there's a lot going on right now.
I had decided after this post that just getting CC plates was best. I had a nice set of MM chrome CC plates for our cars in the cart at JD'S Performance ($236 including shipping), but then I did more research & several people with MM plates were complaining that certain struts had a "thinner" shaft and made horrific noise. If the tolerance of the strut shaft is going to be an issue - especially the struts I was most interested in (Strange adjustable), then I think I will stick with the stock mount and deal with the lack of caster for now.
so who sells the aftermarket tbird strut mount that look like the mustang ones?
Moog, TRW.... Most parts houses will be able to get them.
I went to Autozone a couple of months ago and bought new strut mounts.I have yet to install them.I'm waiting to replace the strut mounts,springs,lower a frames (Thanks chuck),and ball joints all at once.I don't want to tear into this twice.
Cougar5.0,
I didn't see your last post until now.
Do you remember which struts were experiencing/causing problems? I've had cc plates on two different Konis and didn't have a problem.
The strut I mentioned (Strange) was the one most likely to read complaints about the play between the strut shaft and CC plate. I ended up with aftermarket replacement mount with the Strange struts as I needed the flexibility they offer for street/strip. So far, so good as my 60' was not affected by the stiffer Mach1 springs using the adj. strut to compensate.
ok , im putting the 11" inch turbo coupe barkes on my 88 tbird v6, what struts do i use because the factory ones wont work
The factory struts are fine,just uses spacers between the strut and spindle.Also,you'll probably need a new master cylinder for the bigger brakes.I'm not sure about the proportioning valve..
what is the websites for the aftermarket tbird strut mounts?
I got the MM c/c tbird cougar plates with the strange adjustable struts, I just installed them last week but didn't drive yet what did you need to know?
Several people complained that the struts click in the mounts because they said the strut shaft didn't fit snugly in the CC plate bearing. I didn't want to chance it.
oh really... well I hope they don't LOL It would just drive me nuts. I'll let you know.
so is this the aftermarket strut mounts that will work to be able to use mustang strut bushings on our cougars or thunderbirds? here is a link to them http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Parts-Accessories_Car-Truck-Parts-Accessories__2-STRUT-MOUNT-MOOG-THUNDERBIRD-CONTINENTAL-80-92-FRONT_W0QQitemZ130275881270QQddnZPartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQadiZ2865QQddiZ2811QQadnZCarQ20Q26Q20TruckQ20PartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item130275881270&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72%3A543|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318 (http://"http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Parts-Accessories_Car-Truck-Parts-Accessories__2-STRUT-MOUNT-MOOG-THUNDERBIRD-CONTINENTAL-80-92-FRONT_W0QQitemZ130275881270QQddnZPartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQadiZ2865QQddiZ2811QQadnZCarQ20Q26Q20TruckQ20PartsQ20Q26Q20AccessoriesQQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item130275881270&_trksid=p4506.c0.m245&_trkparms=72%3A543%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318")
Cougar5.0,
Why did you want to go with Strange? Something wrong with Koni, Tokico, or even (heaven forbid) Bilstein?
IF there isn't a solid fit, you'll get horrible sounds from the front end. And then something will probably break, and then the horrible sounds will be even worse.
I put together a comparision chart of all the popular struts available with the intent of finding the best street/strip strut available. In the plot below, you can see that the Strange has the widest available adjustment range (excepting perhaps the Tokico D-Spec) which was key as I needed a strut that could be adjusted soft enough to allow me to launch with the stiff Mach1 (600#/in) springs in the front. Since the D-Specs were not only a lot more money, but had some complaints of the adjustment screw turning on it's own, I decided to go with the Strange 10-ways. I'm very happy with the result. They ride nice on the street & can handle the stiff springs, yet they go soft enough to allow weight transfer which can be difficult with a short, stiff spring in the front. They may not have the finesse of a Bilstein or the autocross handling of a Koni Yellow, but they are an excellent all-around street/strip performer with a seemingly good reliability record.
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e360/Domeskull/struts.png)
That sucks they didn't fit properly. I've had a few Konis, never had an issue with installation.
I had no issues with installation because I used the same mounts as in the Ebay ad below:
So the answer is - yes, those are the right mounts.
88 Cougar XR-7. If I remember correctly, the strut mounts they sell at pep boys don't look like the OEM mounts which had the bushings molded in as one piece I think. I've been having a problem with noise when turning. I replaced my struts and mounts with just direct replacement parts from pep boys. Gabriel Struts. I tried lubricating and reinstalling the mounts, but no luck. Can I buy the OEM type mount somewhere or am I just imagining that they are different. Does anyone have a picture of the original equipment mount? Its been awhile and I threw mine away.
Man, that is a great chart, but what the hell is it showing me? LOL
Tell me how to read which shock is best for me.