suspension take off order of operations

[stott]

hello SVOCOP,

I have a question regarding how I should approach installing my new front suspension.

Following items are new:

C/C plates
Lower Control Arms
Coilover/strut
13" PBR brakes
94-95 spindles

To be honest, suspension work scares me a little bit (giant compressed springs will do that), so I don't want to make stupid mistakes.

Does anyone have advice on the order in which I should remove the stock front suspension components, and possibly what order I should install the new bits?

Any help is appreciated, thank you :)

[Patrick]

Disassembly is the part that needs the greatest attention. You need a spring compressor to contain the energy when you remove the stock springs. Wear safety glasses and work gloves. If you're paranoid, wear a full face helmet. Keep children and small animals away from the work area.

1. Put front end on jackstands and chock the rear wheels.
2. Disconnect sway bar end links.
3. Remove Calipers and support them with a bungy cord or wire hanger.
4. Place floor jack under control arm and jack up until there is a load just short of lifting the car off the jackstands.
5. Install spring compressor and place a load on it.
6. Remove strut (at lower ball joint and at onion head) and spindle assembly either separately or as a unit.
7. Remove load from floor jack and spring.
8. Remove spring and lower control arm.

Reverse order to install new parts, but you will not need a spring compressor if installing coil-overs. Line up in advance which brake hoses you may need for the PBR's.

[MikeFleming]

Installing coil-overs (off the top of my head):

- Assemble adjustable spring perch, adjuster(s), spring and top bearing assy onto each strut on bench. Be sure to install appropriate bump stop on strut before top bearing assembly.
- Install metal CC plates into shock tower. Follow mfgrs instructions.
- Install assembled strut/CO assy into the CC plate from the wheel area. Affix strut retaining nut to top of strut, hand-tight.
- Install lower a-arm to k-frame. DO NOT tighten bushing pivot bolts yet.
- Install spindle/knuckle onto a-arm ball joint and strut. The two strut bolts & nuts go to 150 Ft-Lbs.
- Tighten a-arm ball joint to spindle nut (add new cotter pin if required).
- Do a basic ride height adjustment on the spring adjuster. Be sure to lock the adjuster setting (either a grub screw or double jamb nuts).
- Raise the bottom of the ball joint with a floor jack until the car just about lifts off the jack stand (but not off). Now tighten the lower a-arm pivot bolts/nuts. 150 Ft-Lbs.
- Do other side.

If you have a caster/camber gauge, you can now to a basic alignment setting to get it close enough to drop to the floor and drive to an alignment shop.

After the alignment is done a few miles are on the car, say 5-10, re-righten ALL fasteners you touched previously.

[stott]

i couldn't have asked for better answers - 1 great answer each for order to disassemble and order to assemble.

thank you so much!

[stott]

if i have an angle grinder can i just cut the coil spring since i will no longer need it?

[Patrick]

if i have an angle grinder can i just cut the coil spring since i will no longer need it?

NO!!!

There will still be load on the spring, and you can not predict where the spring's contained energy will decide to escape.

Better off to use a torch in several locations to sag the sacraficial spring.

[stott]

just to provide an update for any interested parties-

it took quite a bit of effort to get all the control arms, springs, and struts off the car.

on the driver side, i damaged the strut mounting ears getting the two bolts off. the spring was difficult to remove, especially considering the tool i bought bottoms out on the upper spring perch.

i was unable to remove the struts from the stock strut mounts. i do not have an impact wrench, and any attempt to loosen the strut bolt resulted in the strut shaft simply spinning. i had to simply remove the entire strut mounts.

all 4 ball joints (tie rod end and control arm ball joints) were welded to spindles. i still haven't gotten any of them apart.

the control arm bolts were a real b*tch to remove. i had to use a cut off wheel on the inner tie rod ends to separate the spindle from the steering rack.

alas, everything is now off and now the install process begins!

[MikeFleming]

You need to learn how to remove tapered joints like ball joint shafts. We should take Patricks car apart at Knotts (tech session) to show how to do this. Then post on youtube.

The concept is to mechanically deform the outer tapered part by smacking it with a barge hammer. Then they just pop out (good idea to leave a nut on a few thread to keep the parts from flying around). There is always a flat portion on the tapered body whee you can easily hammer away. use a LARGE hammer, 2-3 Lbs and use both hands so you hit the target. it gets really difficult to remove them once the parts are laying on the shop floor and there is no 3000 Lb car to hold them for you while you swing at them.

Yes, you will probably need an impact gun to remove the top strut nut (and a deep impact socket). Same for the rear shock top mounts.

So you're almost half way done?

[stott]

So you're almost half way done?

half way done the front! i also intend to do the steering rack and steering shaft, forgot to mention that before.

after i'm finished with the front suspension and steering i plan to take it to my fav. mechanic and let him do the torque arm, panhard bar, rear springs, and finally align the car.

one question, that might be pretty stupid: i read that after a torque arm install, you should remove the quad shocks. are these quad shocks independent of the regular rear axle shocks? in other words, should i still purchase these - http://www.maximummotorsports.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=514_23_374_384&products_id=1333

i thought that of course you need rear struts, but it seems insane to remove the quad shocks (4 shocks) and still have 2 other shocks, that would mean the stock rear axle has 6 shocks.

[MikeFleming]

Steering rack is maybe 30 minutes to R&R since you already have the tie rod thingies off (add an hour to clean up the k-frame!). And once the lower steering joint is removed from the rck input shaft, the upper only takes maybe another 20 minutes (by hand) or 45 secohnds (impact) to remove the bolt/locknut holding the lower to the upper shaft (which is adjustable in length, btw).

The Mujstag rear is a 4-link system - no strut. the shock is there merely to dampen the vertical movements and keep it from falling our when on a lift or stands. The "Quad" shock is mounted mostly horizontally, rather than vertical, and and a wee bit more damping to the vertical movement of the rear axle housing.

Again no Mc Struts in the rear - the movement of the axle is entirely dictated by the 4-links.

KONI SA yellows shocks are the standard replacement for the original KONI reds on the SVO from KONI on warranty. I don't know why that listing shows 87-93 - aren't all FOX rears the same?? Jack will know.

[Patrick]

All fox rears are not the same. Some Konis have a wider eyelet and bushing at the bottom of the rear shock than the ones on our SVO's.

[stott]

i think mm separates the 87-93 because those are assumed to have the 8.8" rear. i have the 8.8" rear that's why i chose those.

just to clarify - I do or do not need rear shocks with a torque arm setup?

in terms of cleaning my k-member, i think an hour is very conservative. that thing is filthy as all hell, and the rack was leaking too.

[MikeFleming]

just to clarify - I do or do not need rear shocks with a torque arm setup? You will need rear shocks to control / dampen the vertical movement of the axle. The stock shocks do not play any part as far as locating the axle.


in terms of cleaning my k-member, i think an hour is very conservative. that thing is filthy as all hell, and the rack was leaking too. You just need to update your cleaning technologies. Get a stream cleaner (or medium pressure water sprayer) that you can add some cleaner/degreaser to. You should be able to clean the underside of the whole car in 30 minutes.

[stott]

for cleaning tech, what would you recommend for a very small garage without any sort of hose fitting? i could pick up a steam cleaner for cheap enough i would think.

i had planned to just attack it with brake or carb cleaner spray and some rags.

[MikeFleming]

I had planned to just attack it with brake or carb cleaner spray and some rags. Yep, that would take days for sure.

Look at those pressurized water/steam cleaners. But first, have a plan for the water drainage out of the garage.

[Meotchh]

If you do not have the steam cleaner Mike mentioned & you don't have the means to do it at your local car wash, then check into renting one. You should be able to complete the job in an hour.

[MikeFleming]

Since the front suspension is off the car, it's probably a bit more difficult to get the [dirty] car to the local car wash. And back.

[stott]

i wonder how something like this would work

http://www.amazon.com/McCulloch-MC-1275-Heavy-Duty-Steam-Cleaner/dp/B0000DF0RB

[Meotchh]

Since the front suspension is off the car, it's probably a bit more difficult to get the [dirty] car to the local car wash. And back.

If he has the means then it can be done. Just takes a little work with a trailer or flat bed tow truck & some dollies.

[vrinner]

i wonder how something like this would work

http://www.amazon.com/McCulloch-MC-1275-Heavy-Duty-Steam-Cleaner/dp/B0000DF0RB

I tried a slightly smaller version of this thing and it only works if you are doing small parts. This one looks a bit bigger and may work. You can probably rent a big steam cleaner from Home Depot for that cost.

[Jack Hidley]

The shock eyelet differences between 1979-86 and 1987-93 are due to the 7.5" differentials not using lower shock mounts. The 8.8" differentials use a shock mount, so the eyelet and bushing size are different.

There is absolutely no need for quad shocks on a Mustang that has a TA installed. The quad shocks are oriented so that they move the most when the axle housing is rotating (during wheel hop). With the TA, there is very little axle housing rotation, because all of the rotational compliance in this direction has been removed.

You still need the vertical shocks in the rear suspension with the TA.

The difference between a strut and a shock is that the strut is also a suspension pickup point. It defines the motion of the wheel during suspension and steering motions. Remove the strut from the car, what happens? Suddenly the car has 45 degrees of camber. Remove a shock from the car, what happens? Nothing.