PhillyDog88

Took a good look at my strut rod bushings, and they are totally shot. Not just worn but the rubber is degrading and they are squished a bit even.

So, for under $50 I can get the bushings, but how easy is this to repair. Keep in mind, I only have a carport to work under and no lift. So the conditions aren't good for under body work.

Does the car have to be jacked up to change the bushings or can I just unbolt the strut and change bushing no problem with the car on the ground or just jacked up a bit to get the wheels off the ground?

67t5ponycoupe

You can jack it up a bit to get under it but you don't want the wheels to hang. It will change the angle of the strut rod and make the nut hard to get to. The biggest factor on whether you can do it yourself is if you have the right size socket to go an the big ol' nut. They are usually pretty tight.

67t5ponycoupe

I'm thinking they are 1 1/8 but I'm not positive.

dawtips

Be careful, the bolts on my strut rods were serrated and pressed in to the lower control arm. I nearly threw my back out trying to get those bolts out when all I had to do was get them pressed out.

ebluekeys

While you're at it, you might consider just getting an aftermarket "adjustable" strut rod. Prices run from 250 to 395. Sounds expensive, but they give you a HARD MOUNT with a ball joint, and allow EXTRA adjustment range. This allows you to dial in 3 to 4 degrees of CASTER, which helps the car "groove" better, makes the steering (especially power) come back to center better, and holds the adjustment better through the range of suspension travel.

Since you're under there, and might have the wheels off, take a look at your UPPER CONTROL ARM BUSHINGS. If they don't have grease fittings, now might be a good time to add some and GREASE THEM!! This is very frequently overlooked.

2bav8

I couldn't agree more! Adjustable strut rods make a very large improvement in overall handling.
Plus the ability to adjust caster settings without shims (on 65-66) is a large advantage as well.