Yeah, after four days (well, a few hours each of four days, anyway) I finally got my front suspension finished. New Energy Suspension poly control arm, rack, stabilizer bar bushings & end links; Monroe struts (well, almost new thanks to Ether947); AC Delco strut mounts, ball joints & tie rod ends; TC stabilizer bar, springs, brakes and spindles... finally finished!
This is the biggest project I've ever done to one of my own cars. The pic below shows it all (except the TC brakes installed, I'm waiting on rotors). When I first started the project it was gonna be all pretty (hence the painted control arm) but by the end of it I was just anxious to get it all together (hence nothing else painted, hence the fact that the pic below doesn't really look like I did much). Of course the fact that I had to strip all the TC parts out of the TC in addition to installing them in this car didn't make the job any easier, but I can say this: I actually did it all without the use of heat. That is almost unheard of on a 19-year-old car in Nova Scotia!
The only bad thing: This is only the beginning. Still gotta do the TC rear/CHE arm/SFC install, then a whole bunch of other stuff (finish the interior, install TC hood, header, bumper & one fender, then prep body for paint, 5-speed install, 351 build up, and so on...). Still, I do love finally getting to do all this stuff after decades of wanting to!
Oh and the AAARRRRGGHH!!!!!!? While installing the rack bushings I noticed some JB weld on the rack body. Stupid me picked it off and found a spot where a rock must have hit the rack and put a small crack in it. When I started the car the thing started leaking fluid. I'll try JB-welding it again, but now I've gotta swap the TC rack in eventually...
The pic (doesn't look impressive but this represents a helluva lotta work!!!):
So you're using the TC springs?
I'm curious, did you measure the gap between tire, and fender before you took it all apart?
I'm thinkin' about using TC springs on mine, that's why I ask?
Lookin' good man...can't wait to see it with the Snowflakes all done up!
I did use the TC springs, and I didn't measure the gap. I was expecting a drop, but when I took the V8 springs out I discovered that both were broken exactly a full coil, so I imagine the TC springs should pretty much hold it at the same height
The car could use a drop anyway - if you look at the "hopping" 'Bird in my sig, the "high" position is actually my car's ride height...
looks to be coming along well...........bet you can't wait to get it together and see how it drives
How hard was it to do the ball joints?
That is one thing I've never done to my suspension, and the '86 may need new ball joints.
Lookin' good!
Ball joints are easy with the proper tools (either the ball-joint press (on the car), or a std hydraulic press (off the car)).
Almost time for the best part, road test :)
What he said. I had the arms off the car, so I brought 'em into work and used the press :D
Is that how you installed the new bushings into the control arms as well?
The Energy Suspension bushings didn't come with the metal shells, I had to reuse the old ones, so I didn't press them out at all. I burned the old rubber bushings out with a propane torch (didn't use acetylene as I didn't want them to get too hot), then cleaned up the shells with a wire brush on a drill, greased 'em up, and the new bushings went in easily. I had to tap them in with a block of wood, but only gently.
I dunno if any other brand of bushings come with the shells, but ES ones don't...
Nope no Poly replacements do..
The Sled has a bad ball joint. I've always had good luck with the on car ball joint press.
Now Carmen, what rack bushings did you order? For what car?
I ordered the ones for 85-88 Thunderbirds (actually, the listing said "10/84-88". ES part # E12-410103R. I imagine the "R" means red - I had ordered all the busings in red, but they were out of red and sent me black control arm bushings, stabilizer end links and spring isolators. In fact, the only thing that actually showed up red were the rack bushings and stabilizer bushings.
Did you order the bushings from a website or did you get them from a parts store?
Wanna do mine? ;)
ES sells them with shells, as does MM, PST and a few others.
I know the moog brand comes with shells. You should have been able to get a full car kit from energy suspesion. The front A arm bushing came in the shells also. That's what I got every thing excepts the Sway bar frame mounts. The rear ES bushing didn't have the shells.
Jim: I bought most of the front end, including the bushings, from CHE performance (ordered it all when I got the rear control arms). I bought the ball joints, tie rod ends, strut mounts, rotors & pads locally (from my work). The struts came from Ether947.
I only paid $418 for the complete order from CHE, which included the above mentioned stuff (the rear lowers are the adjustable type) plus f/r spring isolators and a tranny mount (will go good with my Chucky mounts). Not a bad price for so much stuff...
Not a bad price at all for a complete overhaul of the suspension. Definitely give us a report when you get it back on the road. I'd like to know just how much the ride and handling have improved from a seat of the pants perspective.
I will give a report if I ever get this Goded thig on the road - the cracked rack in my first post has created a whole new bunch of problems, most of which have been solved, but now I need a power steering line...