rebuilding front suspension

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Joined
Aug 30, 2010
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324
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Location
Miami, FL
My Car
1972 Mustang Convertible
I think its time to rebuild my front suspension, since everything looks to be almost 40 years old. Should I try to rebuild the factory A arms or buy some of those $49 dollar ones that are all over the internets.

I need to keep this on a low budget, but I dont have a press, so pressing bushings may may be a deciding factor for the lowers. If so are the Available arms as good as original or made in china cheap stuff.

Any one that has done this recently please help, I have not done this imany years.

 
i believe www.laurelmountainmustang.com sells an entire rebuild kit for 300ish.

 
I am doing the same thing right now. But 90% the stuff under mine was already new except for a few items so I just bought what I needed.

From Ohio Mustang :

http://www.ohiomustang.com/store/order_page.asp?itemid=2358
i just purchased all my last replacement external parts from don at ohio mustang and i keep on forgetting that we buy from our forum sponsors. i'm going to make sure i stay on the ohio mustang train for now on.

:D:idea:

 
I am doing the same thing right now. But 90% the stuff under mine was already new except for a few items so I just bought what I needed.

From Ohio Mustang :

http://www.ohiomustang.com/store/order_page.asp?itemid=2358
i just purchased all my last replacement external parts from don at ohio mustang and i keep on forgetting that we buy from our forum sponsors. i'm going to make sure i stay on the ohio mustang train for now on.

:D:idea:
I started this project, buying from whoever whenever. Sometimes I got my parts in a decent time and other times I would wait weeks then call, to be told oh thats back ordered. Thats the one main thing I like about OMS if its not available you cant order it. Also Don has always done me right. If I call he takes the time to answer my question and just shoot the bull in general. You dont find that to often anymore and his prices are fair also. Not a add for OMS but just sharing my experience with them so far

 
It all started when all I wanted to do is have a nice set of wheels and tires on the ol girl. Well, then I decided to take the fender off and OMG the work started from there.

DSC04389.JPG

Ended up tearing everything out, sanding, rattle can paint it, and buy all the parts from NPD. Didn't know this site existed back then in '04. The parts all worked great. The hardest part was that darn spring compressor.

DSC04497.JPG

 
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I rebuilt my uppers and replaced the lowers (they came with the car). Rebuilding the uppers was a challenge, the shafts have a coarse thread like pattern and a matching pattern inside the bushing "nut". The outside of the nut has a fine thread that goes into the arm. the different pitches make installation a pain. It is a good "character builder". LOL :D

 
I used eastwood chassie black then went over it with 3m body schutz(I think thats how it's spelled). On my control arms I just used rustolium gloss black. I have never used gloss on chassie or frame parts before but I saw some pictures and just tried it to see what it looked like and it grew on me.

 
HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING YOUR SAME PROBLEM. GOING TO ADD A SITE HERE, IF I CAN. I READ ITS INFO FOR URATHANE BUSHINGS AND IT SAID YOU SHOULD BURN THEM OUT AS PRESSING EXPANDS THE BUSHING TO MUCH AND DISTORTS THE HOUSING. THEY MAY BE FULL OF IT, BUT IT MADE ME READ ON.

http://www.suspension.com/Energy%20Suspension.htm

DON WOULD KNOW I BET.

 
HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING YOUR SAME PROBLEM. GOING TO ADD A SITE HERE, IF I CAN. I READ ITS INFO FOR URATHANE BUSHINGS AND IT SAID YOU SHOULD BURN THEM OUT AS PRESSING EXPANDS THE BUSHING TO MUCH AND DISTORTS THE HOUSING. THEY MAY BE FULL OF IT, BUT IT MADE ME READ ON.

http://www.suspension.com/Energy%20Suspension.htm

DON WOULD KNOW I BET.
I just drilled out the old rubber bushing and the urathane just slips right in.

 
According to "Chassis Engineering" by Herb Adams polyurethane bushings are less desirable than rubber. He claims they are less forgiving and binds the suspension.

That book is a very interesting read.

 
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