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Topic: A-Frame bushing question... (Read 3036 times) previous topic - next topic

A-Frame bushing question...

Aren't the a-frame bushings the same between the Stang and our cars?I just ordered the poly bushing for the rear,and picked up the sway bar bushings.I need to get the ball joints and bushings for the front,then it's install time.One more thing,how hard is it to swap the a-frame bushings?
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

A-Frame bushing question...

Reply #1 –
pretty sure they are the same....  and they are kind of a pain to change.  do you have a press?  also, did you get bushings that come with sleeves or the ones where you have to re-use yours?
1988 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
'89 5.0 w/ ported intakes, Mallory Adjustable FPR, BBK shorties and H with 2.5" Flows, 130 amp 3G, 89 Mustang comp/wiring, Aluminum radiator w/ elec fan, T5 trans, King Cobra clutch, 3.55 gears, 13" Cobra brakes (front), Wilwood prop valve, Mustang A-arms, Front Coil-overs, MM CC plates, Silver 17x9 R's, 03 Cobra IRS, Aluminum DS, 2002 Mustang dash/console etc..., custom leather seats

A-Frame bushing question...

Reply #2 –
front is but rear isnt,, could be bassakwards but thats pretty much what i found out.

cross napa pn's to see.

http://www.foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showthread.php?t=16294
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A-Frame bushing question...

Reply #3 –
Oh and btw,, if you read that thread and "picture yourself here", please just take tom's advice.  Otherwise the next quickest path to sucess is all the stuff chuck suggested.

If your springs are shorter, then do what CourgarSE said.

All in all, if your just after bushings, pay somebody else to do it.  Its a pita.

Pay attention to one mod I did where I cut off part of the pan head portion of the A-frame bolt.  If you get a side cutter up in there, they trim of nice and slip right out.  Even removing the rack / pinion bolts did not help so i resorted to this. 

this project was bout as fun as watching paint dry.

If i were to do it over again, a-frames off for some fancy shmancy tubular ones.

A-Frame bushing question...

Reply #4 –
You mean A-Arm bushings?

Only the 83-86 are the same as the Mustang (as they are the same arms).  The 87-88's use different bushings that are NOT the same as the Mustangs (Fox or SN-95).

You will need a press to install the bushings.  You can get them out in any number of destructive ways, but to install them you should use a press.

(It's the REAR control arm bushings that are the same as the Mustangs)
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo - '85 Marquis LTS - '86 LTD Wagon-  '81 Granada GL 2dr

A-Frame bushing question...

Reply #5 –
Yea,I meant the lower a-arms.I do NOT have a press.Can a vice work?I have a big vice on the work bench.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

A-Frame bushing question...

Reply #6 –
I wouldn't.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo - '85 Marquis LTS - '86 LTD Wagon-  '81 Granada GL 2dr

A-Frame bushing question...

Reply #7 –
10-4.I'll just get the bushings (I haven't got the front ones yet),and run them down to a machine shop.I would rather do it right the first time for a few bucks than to have to spend more money,and more time on it when i could be doing something else.I don't mind working hard on the Bird,but I don't like repeating work,or making at a lot harder than it has to be when there are better and easier ways to get the same results.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

A-Frame bushing question...

Reply #8 –
I didn't think taking out the old bushings was that bad. For the rears it was real easy. HEAT HEAT HEAT AND MORE HEAT "propane torch" Then the new ones pushed right in by hand with all the grease on them. Then the fronts were kinda a pain. For mine I did it like this. I used an air hammer to knock the rust around the Shell loose. Then I took a piece of exhaust tubing and cut it so it would fill the gap between the two sides that hold the bushing in. Then I got a rental Ball joint/U joint press "huge C-clamp TOOL" and used that tool with my impact and DA DA DA DA DA it came right out. Did the install the same way. I would have used a BIG OLE PRESS but I didn't have one. Either way I don't think would have worked with out the exhaust tubing gap filler piece I made.
84 Turbo coupe 2.3T Modded with 88 upper and lower intake, 88 injectors, E6 manifold, T3-4 AR.60 turbo, 31X12X3 FMIC, Homemade MBC , Greddy knock off BPV.
4 eyes see better than 2! 
Da Bird!

FreeBird

A-Frame bushing question...

Reply #9 –
Thanks for the info,but I'll let the machine shop do the front.While they're doing that,I'll be working on something else.
'88 Sport--T-5,MGW shifter,Trick Flow R intake,Ed Curtis cam,Trick Flow heads,Scorpion rockers,75mm Accufab t-body,3G,mini starter,Taurus fan,BBK long tube headers,O/R H-Pipe, Flowamaster Super 44's, deep and deeper Cobra R wheels, Mass Air and 24's,8.8 with 3.73's,140 mph speedo,Mach 1 chin spoiler,SN-95 springs,CHE control arms,aluminum drive shaft and a lot more..

A-Frame bushing question...

Reply #10 –
They just need to make sure they support the lower part of the arm as they press in the new bushings.  I just welded a brace on mine between the lower portion under each bushing.
Long live the 4-eyes!  - '83 Tbird Turbo - '85 Marquis LTS - '86 LTD Wagon-  '81 Granada GL 2dr

A-Frame bushing question...

Reply #11 –
Yeah, that's the key part.  I used various deepwell sockets wedged in to support the arms while I pressed them in with a ball joint press.  I was installing sleeved bushings (mapp gas plus sawzall from the inside to get old ones out) so it was a little tougher because it was metal sliding into metal.  But if you're reusing the original sleeves i would guess the bushings sould slide in much easier (rubber or poly sliding on metal).
1988 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe
'89 5.0 w/ ported intakes, Mallory Adjustable FPR, BBK shorties and H with 2.5" Flows, 130 amp 3G, 89 Mustang comp/wiring, Aluminum radiator w/ elec fan, T5 trans, King Cobra clutch, 3.55 gears, 13" Cobra brakes (front), Wilwood prop valve, Mustang A-arms, Front Coil-overs, MM CC plates, Silver 17x9 R's, 03 Cobra IRS, Aluminum DS, 2002 Mustang dash/console etc..., custom leather seats

A-Frame bushing question...

Reply #12 –
I installed the sleeves and all. The key for me was to use the air hammer to kinda bust the metal free from the shell and then use the press to push it all out metal shell and rubber bushing.
84 Turbo coupe 2.3T Modded with 88 upper and lower intake, 88 injectors, E6 manifold, T3-4 AR.60 turbo, 31X12X3 FMIC, Homemade MBC , Greddy knock off BPV.
4 eyes see better than 2! 
Da Bird!

FreeBird
 

A-Frame bushing question...

Reply #13 –
the flaired end of the new bushing is wider than the lower 90%.  You wont mind making sure the bushing is seated up to and past that point by checking them out before you leave.

It will be very obvious if they do not install a spacer in the "C" channel area as the lower part of the A frame will be cantered slightly.

I wont ever do this job again unless I buy a press from harbor freight.

A-Frame bushing question...

Reply #14 –
If you're going to replace the front control arm bushings and balljoints why not just get these: http://www.fordracingparts.com/parts/part_details.asp?PartKeyField=6313 They are the same thing and already have the bushings and ball joints installed. Plus they are inexpensive. I was going to replace the bushings and ball joints on my front arms this winter but I figured I'd just buy these arms (since they are the same thing on the car already) and save myself some frustration;)
88 Thunderbird LX: 306, Edelbrock Performer heads, Comp 266HR cam, Edelbrock Performer RPM intake, bunch of other stuff.