Help! I'm going around the world to the left!

Lol. If you had seen how much the breaker bar was flexing, you woulda stopped too!

I may be Euro size, but I is strong like Ox! :p
 
I bought a big long breaker bar with 1/2" drive from Advance for $17.00 to help bust the nuts loose.
 
a torch will help you out a great deal. I replaced the rear bushings with one, & a 1/2 drive ratchet & a deep well impact socket, & a 2" by 2' galvanized pipe. Twas a bioch.
 
Silly KK, Jamie has better things to do than mess around with something that can wait on my car. Besides, I did my suspension and brake work while I was still in NJ to pass inspection - didn't know Jamie then. Front bushes are still ok, for now.
 
Just don't be calling him in the middle of the night! Lol.
 
Do that more!!!!

I took advantage of him yesterday asking how to fix my car.... at least I have bought parts from him, once :D
 
I bought parts from him once..almost a year ago
I should call him and bother him riiiight now
(eyes my cell phone with mischevious intent)
 
silly brit what you need is FIRE!, and i aint talking propane! mine were tight as fukk, had to put it on a drive on rack in fear of the car shifting. after i freed it up i went back to my rack :))) and removed the LCA with the strut rod, then changed the bushings.
my advice is this, mark everything and after your done drive the car straight to a alignment shop, dont judge the car till after the alignment
 
I did this job a few months ago; this @#$%'n job. I took pics, but never got around to posting them till now. My frame-side bushings had worn out. I had already replaced the bushings on the LCA side a few years ago and they were still fine, so I left them alone.

boardandwrench.jpg

brakes.jpg

measure.jpg
measure2.jpg

twisting.jpg

Even with PB Blaster, and a BernzOmatic I had to practically bench press the breaker bar to get these things loose.

LCAremoved.jpg

I'm told you don't have to unbolt the LCA from the frame, but I couldn't figure out how to get the strut rod out of the frame without doing it.


freed.jpg

cutting.jpg

prying.jpg

oldSRB.jpg
newSRB.jpg

I found out 'after the fact,' that new Ford bushings are better; oh well.

installing.jpg
installed.jpg
goUMuthaF.jpg

I adjusted them back the best I could, then took the car to a shop for an alignment; driving really slow along the way.
 
MeThinks I am as ready as I am going to get to change these, although you guys got me a'fearin those mounts. Think I'll use the ramps, first, until I get everything broke loose - then put it on the jack-stands. I have my 1/2" breaker bar, and that ever-present back-up (a neighbor who is an expert welder with all of his equipment on hand) ready to go. Thanks for the pictures and advice - I'll let you guys know how many knuckles I crack. Any advice on lubing the steering gear while I'm under there? (see previous post on this thread). The steering is kind of creaky......

Pray for me. I'm a bit too old and decrepid to be doing this cr**, but I'll be darned if I am going to pay someone hundreds of dollars to install a $15 part....(I am going to regret that statement, I'm sure....)
 
Since it is on my list of things that must be done, keep us informed so I know if I am going to bug my friend to use his shop to do it?
 
You got it. I won't be trying to tackle this until this weekend, though - but I'll let you know on Monday how it comes out (or if I have given up all hope).
 
Done and done. Wasn't hard at all. I sprayed everything down for two days before I did the job with PC Blaster (some WD-40 like substance that the guys at the auto parts store recommended). Although I had to disconnect a few things to get the new ones on (didn't have to break loose the LCA ball joint, though), it didn't take me too long. First one took me about an hour and a half (most of the time figuring it out), but the other side only took me about 20 minutes. Made lots of ugly noise driving it to get it aligned (I only had to go a couple of miles), but it's all quiet now.
That's the good news. The bad news is, just like with the upper control arms and the tie rods, this wasn't the main problem. Although the car drives much better, it is still pulling to the left on braking. I am running out of front-end parts to replace, so I am inclined to believe that it must be a brake problem. I am going to take it to a brake shop and see if they can figure it out (unless someone knows an easy way for me to test the lines and the booster - keeping in mind, as far as I can tell when I bleed the brakes, there doesn't appear to be anything obstructing the fluid). Ahh, well, I guess I just soldier on.........
 
Which strut rod bushings did you replace? The ones on the K member, or the ones IN the control arm?

I've had to do a few now, and it's always the ones in the control arm that go bad on my 3 cars.

Well done though, I'd like to do the K member bushings on my Mark, but cannot manage to get the bolts loose :mad:. Gotta take it to a shop just to get them to loosen the nuts.
 
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