- Joined
- Jan 7, 2015
- Messages
- 8,032
- Reaction score
- 525
- Location
- Western North Carolina
- My Car
- Multiple Mustangs!
Today I go to the point on the detailing of my 73 vert that I had to put the torsion spring back on the trunk hinge. The po had taken it off so he could cram a boom box in to make room. I have just been going over this car, cleaning, detailing and fixing a few things, 48,000 mile California car. But he had obviously washed the car a lot and there was rust around the tail lights. I did not want to cut out the tail light panel so I fiberglass repaired the areas and cleaned the rust in the trunk floor and applied POR.
So to the trunk rod. I had read all the forum talk on them in the past and seemed like there was not a safe easy way to do the job. Even when members made special tools it sounded like a struggle and some had to go to hospital for repairs.
I was an automotive tooling, product and process engineer. So I took on the task like I would at work. I did read the Ford manual and they actually say to use a pipe wrench or appropriate tool to wind up the spring so you can insert the end. So I got the pipe wrench out and it just would not bite into the rod and just slipped. Now I had the left end of the rod in place in the middle notch and had wired it so it could not come out or move side to side.
I slid the pipe wrench to the end of the rod on the R.H. end where the 90 deg. bend is. I twisted the rod and put into the hole in the hinge which I had clamped in the up position. I could only get in maybe an inch and my wrench hit.
Now I steped back and look at it. I got the jack that came with the car. sat it in the trunk and cranked it up under the rod. Jack has a notch that fits around the pinch weld on the rocker and fit the rod perfect. I went and got my slide hammer and put the hook end on it. I jacked the rod up and hooked the slide hammer on the rod and bang one hit and the rod went all the way in.
If I had know I was going to do this I would have rounded the end of the rod so it would have slid in easier before starting. It is in and you can do in less than 2 min., no flying pieces and no strain on the body. I took a couple pics after it was in place. Ford manual says that Cougar used two rods due to weight of trunk and mustang only one.
All the surface rust in the trunk was caused by tail light gasket leaks. This car was in California and spent the last 24 years in a garage with stuff piled on it. California cars do have rust. Washing these cars with a hose is the worst thing you can ever do always just use a wet cloth to keep from feeding the rust.
So to the trunk rod. I had read all the forum talk on them in the past and seemed like there was not a safe easy way to do the job. Even when members made special tools it sounded like a struggle and some had to go to hospital for repairs.
I was an automotive tooling, product and process engineer. So I took on the task like I would at work. I did read the Ford manual and they actually say to use a pipe wrench or appropriate tool to wind up the spring so you can insert the end. So I got the pipe wrench out and it just would not bite into the rod and just slipped. Now I had the left end of the rod in place in the middle notch and had wired it so it could not come out or move side to side.
I slid the pipe wrench to the end of the rod on the R.H. end where the 90 deg. bend is. I twisted the rod and put into the hole in the hinge which I had clamped in the up position. I could only get in maybe an inch and my wrench hit.
Now I steped back and look at it. I got the jack that came with the car. sat it in the trunk and cranked it up under the rod. Jack has a notch that fits around the pinch weld on the rocker and fit the rod perfect. I went and got my slide hammer and put the hook end on it. I jacked the rod up and hooked the slide hammer on the rod and bang one hit and the rod went all the way in.
If I had know I was going to do this I would have rounded the end of the rod so it would have slid in easier before starting. It is in and you can do in less than 2 min., no flying pieces and no strain on the body. I took a couple pics after it was in place. Ford manual says that Cougar used two rods due to weight of trunk and mustang only one.
All the surface rust in the trunk was caused by tail light gasket leaks. This car was in California and spent the last 24 years in a garage with stuff piled on it. California cars do have rust. Washing these cars with a hose is the worst thing you can ever do always just use a wet cloth to keep from feeding the rust.
