Going to replace the front struts with new Bilsteins next week. One problem I have had with other cars I have owned is removing the ball joints on the sway bar links from the front shock struts. The way I have used in the past is to hit each side of the ball joint with two hammers at the same time. For some mystical reason this helps pop the joint out. Has anyone found this to be successful on the Mustang sway bar link joints? If not, what method did you use?

 

18 mm and 8 mm sockets or ratchet wrenches. No hammer or banging required.

 

You mean that ball joint just pops right out after you remove the retaining nut? That'll be the first car I ever got that lucky with.

 

What year is your car?

On a 2011, you hold the upper ball joint stud with a 17mm OE wrench, you undo the nut with an 18mm deep socket, and it just comes apart when the nut is off.

Do the earlier cars have a weird arrangement for the links?

 

Correct. To completly remove the end link on the sway bar for 2005-2009, maybe 2010, the tools recommended above will do it.

When you put it back together, I would suggest putting some locktite on the threads.

It's really very easy.

 

Do the earlier cars have a weird arrangement for the links?

No, it is just my inexperience with the Mustang. Every car I have seen before uses a tie rod (or ball joint) that is a tapered fit into the hole. When you tighten the nut, the tapered shaft "locks" into the tapered hole. A well known secret to getting the tie rod out is to tap it on both sides with two hammers at the same time. This creates a vibration that releases the tapered shaft from the tapered hole. The problem with this technique is that it only works 90% of the time. The other times require a puller, or tapered fork to remove the tie rod, and this often ruins the tie rod's plastic cover. Having never been up close and personal with this part of the Mustang, I just assumed the links were attached using tapered fit tie rods. Apparently the sway bar link ends are something different. Great! Should make life easier because I don't have to find the correct puller from all my tools stashed in storage.

 

Really, it should take less than an hour of labor to remove and reinstall the front springs and struts. I had never done it before and figured it out on my own.