front end help
12-09-2006, 02:38 AM
#1
5th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: So. California
Posts: 2,258
front end help
i know none of you know my ability as a mechanic but how hard is it to rebuild the entire front end? i bought the whole kit from laurel mountain and was wanting to try the install myself. have never done anything like it. i did rebuild the rear end myself but i know that is much easier. its for a 64.5 this is what the kit includes...
2 Complete Upper Control Arms, with Ball Joints & Shafts installed, 2 Lower Control Arms, w/ Bushings & Ball Joint, 1 Set Strut Rod Bushings with washers & hardware, 1 Pair End Links, 1 Pair Sway Bar Bushings w/Brackets, 2 Coil Spring Insulators and 2 Coil Spring Saddles. Coil Springs, KYB Shocks, 1" Front Sway Bar, Tie Rods - (4 piece), Adjusting Sleeves - Tie Rods (1 pair) , Idler Arm, monte carlo bar and export brace. oh and my ssb disc brake kit.
2 Complete Upper Control Arms, with Ball Joints & Shafts installed, 2 Lower Control Arms, w/ Bushings & Ball Joint, 1 Set Strut Rod Bushings with washers & hardware, 1 Pair End Links, 1 Pair Sway Bar Bushings w/Brackets, 2 Coil Spring Insulators and 2 Coil Spring Saddles. Coil Springs, KYB Shocks, 1" Front Sway Bar, Tie Rods - (4 piece), Adjusting Sleeves - Tie Rods (1 pair) , Idler Arm, monte carlo bar and export brace. oh and my ssb disc brake kit.
12-09-2006, 02:43 AM
#2
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 11
RE: front end help
With that kit it will be relatively easy. I did mine in a weekend by myself. Most of the time was spent cleaning and painting old parts and sheet metal. Just try to set the front end up as close as it was so when you take it to the alignment shop it is not a fight to drive.
12-09-2006, 11:16 AM
#4
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,001
RE: front end help
Get yourself a shop manual - canget on ebay for around $50 dollars. Also I bought "Mustang Restoration Handbook" by Don Taylor and Tom Wilson. Have a chapter on front end rebuild - pretty good. Not a difficult job plus if you do it yourself you can paint parts.
12-09-2006, 12:34 PM
#5
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Insanity
Posts: 2,176
RE: front end help
It easy to do, you just have to remember to get it aligned when you are all done.
Should only take you a weekend even though you have never done it before. Just make sure you have a pitman arm puller and an air hammer with pickle ford (or a manual pickle fork and a really big hammer) otherwise you will spin your wheels alot trying to get some stuff apart.
Should only take you a weekend even though you have never done it before. Just make sure you have a pitman arm puller and an air hammer with pickle ford (or a manual pickle fork and a really big hammer) otherwise you will spin your wheels alot trying to get some stuff apart.
12-09-2006, 02:30 PM
#7
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: So. California
Posts: 2,258
RE: front end help
ORIGINAL: dodgestang
It easy to do, you just have to remember to get it aligned when you are all done.
Should only take you a weekend even though you have never done it before. Just make sure you have a pitman arm puller and an air hammer with pickle ford (or a manual pickle fork and a really big hammer) otherwise you will spin your wheels alot trying to get some stuff apart.
It easy to do, you just have to remember to get it aligned when you are all done.
Should only take you a weekend even though you have never done it before. Just make sure you have a pitman arm puller and an air hammer with pickle ford (or a manual pickle fork and a really big hammer) otherwise you will spin your wheels alot trying to get some stuff apart.
12-09-2006, 02:31 PM
#8
5th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: So. California
Posts: 2,258
RE: front end help
ORIGINAL: Halz5
just remember to compress the springs. The control arm will come down some but their is still a good amount of pressure on that springs.
just remember to compress the springs. The control arm will come down some but their is still a good amount of pressure on that springs.
12-09-2006, 03:06 PM
#9
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Concord, NC
Posts: 1,261
RE: front end help
ORIGINAL: eZ
dont know what those are or what they are for, but i can go buy them...
ORIGINAL: dodgestang
It easy to do, you just have to remember to get it aligned when you are all done.
Should only take you a weekend even though you have never done it before. Just make sure you have a pitman arm puller and an air hammer with pickle ford (or a manual pickle fork and a really big hammer) otherwise you will spin your wheels alot trying to get some stuff apart.
It easy to do, you just have to remember to get it aligned when you are all done.
Should only take you a weekend even though you have never done it before. Just make sure you have a pitman arm puller and an air hammer with pickle ford (or a manual pickle fork and a really big hammer) otherwise you will spin your wheels alot trying to get some stuff apart.
12-09-2006, 03:22 PM
#10
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 91
RE: front end help
I got a spring compressor from autozone and the threads stripped out on it while I was using it. That was dangerous. I ended up buying a the two peice setup from sears after i got rid of that auto zone compressor. Another tip is that if you want to use any part over again, dont use a pickle fork. It will ruin your joints and the dust boots everytime. My favorite was to just use a brass hammer and hit the joints until they came apart. It didnt hurt any joints or mess with any of the threads. There is a mustangs plus article that says the same thing.