suspension change

7173Mustangs.com

Help Support 7173Mustangs.com:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Copestang

Well-known member
Joined
May 11, 2017
Messages
132
Reaction score
1
Location
Michigan
My Car
1973 Mach 1
i plan on replaced the whole front end suspension, wonder is there  a order I should remove the parts in, ( Shocks Spring, spring saddle  Rotor swat bar link upper arm lower arm strut rod sway bar)?

 
I just tore down a 72 vert for parts over the winter. When guy wanted the front spindles for the PDB this is how i took apart.

I removed the shocks. Used spring compressor to compress the front spring and remove. This can be dangerous you have to compress around 4" if I recall. Once you get them out I suggest that you lay spring on ground outside and put a piece of plywood on the spring to remove the compressor. Had a friend that was using a impact wrench and got the screw so hot is seized and rotated the fingers in the spring clamp. They came off and the spring shot to the pavement and somehow did not take his fingers off. Hit the pavement and went over the entire shop building and landed in a field.

So after you get the spring out I would say the radius rods, then sway bar, then separate the ball joints and tie rods and get the spindles off and then you can remove upper and lower control arms.

Lots of dirty, greasy parts in there and of course some rust.

If you put a block of wood under the upper control arm and the frame rail where the red square is shown in the picture before you jack the car up it will save you some compression on the spring and will also keep the spring from bottoming out the shock. That is what destroys the rubber on the upper shock.



 
on lower arms take notice of where the oblong washer like are clocked and put them back the same way. the uppers might have lube points on the sides. lube before installing. with springs, the upper shock tower has 3 nuts to remove and u can use an inside spring compressor and let them hang. get new lower spring purchs too since u have everything torn apart. u can rent the inside spring compressor at auto zone. if doing steering arms do the measure to make sure u put back the same. with new stuff u'll need a front alignment and find one close for u will scrub the tires while driving. when u reinstall the springs have a 3rd hand close for it's really helpful to locate the lower part of spring.

 
Back
Top