Couper

How hard to change shok towers?

jcoby

like to replace a cracked one? it's not awful, just a lot of checking and double checking. it helps to have a good export brace handy to double-verify the shock tower's top positioning.

i replaced my passenger side one in about 5 hours. i spent a good hour taking and verifying measurements and at least an hour just getting the new one to fit. one thing that helped a bit was to pull a string dead center down the engine bay from the cowl to the radiator support. that gave me a good reference for the upper portion. The lower basically just lines up with the existing holes.

2+2GT

Too easy. Just install a top-quality export brace during the job.

MonsterBilly

its funny that you say that. With my all original 66 it took me about 3 hours to get my export brace installed. It came nowhere close to lining up. the panels had a great fit too.

I have learned that I dont have the patients for aligning panels. It is pure torture!!!!!!!!!!!

Couper

how can they need all that checking and measuring,...don't the bolt holes line them up?

jcoby

yes, for the most part, that's why you need a good quality export brace. the double checking comes from having a huge problem on your hands if it isn't right. it's a lot easier and cheaper to spend a bit more time to make sure it's 100% right the first time.

many of these cars have been hit or are sagging from age plus the aftermarket parts don't fit exactly right out of the box. they require trimming and shaping.

that said, the tolerances are pretty big here. a 1/16" one way or another isn't going to mess you up too much, especially with the '67 and later.

Couper

So if the bolt holes line up but their not even I guess you then have to egg out the bolt holes to either move the tower up or down to level it with the opposite side?

Factory brace from the firewall to each tower doesn't tell you if the other side is level with the one you just replaced though, they're not connected to each other directly, only indirectly through the firewall, correct?

jcoby

here's how I did it:

(if you need to replace either apron, do it before you do the tower)

- jack the car up and put jack stands under the torque boxes. these cars have sagged, you want to get that sag out.
- fit the export brace. you shouldn't need to oval any holes.
- measure the subframe if wanted or needed. if the car has ever been hit, now is the time to get it fixed.
- measure the old tower. the important bits are: location of the UCA holes, location of the shock holes, distance between towers. i referenced everything from the subframe rail, from the radiator support, from a string drawn down the center of the engine bay, and from wherever else I could get a good reference.
- remove the old tower: drill out the apron spot welds. remove the engine mount and then drill out the welds in the tower.
- clean up where the tower mounts. get rid of every bit of rust and weld.
- repair the aprons wherever needed. you probably have a giant blister of rust at the top of the rear apron where it meets the flange in the tower. all mustangs have rust there.
- get the new tower to line up with the alignment holes in the frame. you'll need to cut, bend, grind and generally massage the piece until it fits.
- go ahead and drill for your rosette welds now. if you are doing the arning/shelby 1" drop, wait until you get the tower installed.
- clamp the tower in place, install the export brace, install shock covers and verify location using your measurements from before.
- fit the engine frame mount. more bending, cutting, grinding and measuring here. use the original UCA pivot (or the whole UCA) to keep it in place along with some clamps or sheet metal screws
- one more final check of location of everything.
- remove the engine frame mount, double check location.
- weld the tower to the subframe along the inner subframe. quick double check location (welding tends to pull it in towards the engine)
- weld the tower to the subframe in the upper subframe (the pocket where the UCA sits).
- weld in the aprons. i installed the shock cover and used a few clecos during this step to keep everything clamped in place. work your way from the subframe up here to avoid having the aprons oil can on you.
- bolt and clamp the engine frame mount, double check location, weld.

that's the major steps at least.

of course, since you've got it on jack stands and everything located nicely, mind as well install that passenger side torque box now too

Coupe

Take those off and use the QUALITY export brace, it is stiff enough to set the heights the same across both of them, more or less.

2+2GT

Did you use the cheap repro or the expensive one?