'93 Cougar or Tbird

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Paul of Dayton - 30 Aug 2004 02:53 GMT

Has anyone here replaced the bushings on the strut rods on the front ends of
these cars? I think Ford calls it the "torsion strut". The shop I went to
for oil change and tire rotation said one was shot and the other was going.
I haven't crawled under there yet, it's monsoon season in Ohio today. I'm
trying to get a feel for how complicated it is. By the way, I do most of my
own repair work, I did new shocks all around and brakes on this Cougar this
spring...

Thanks folks!

PoD

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Backyard Mechanic - 30 Aug 2004 03:57 GMT

> Has anyone here replaced the bushings on the strut rods on the front
> ends of these cars? I think Ford calls it the "torsion strut". The
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> is. By the way, I do most of my own repair work, I did new shocks all
> around and brakes on this Cougar this spring...

I did on my first Bird and i need to do it again on my second... it isnt fun,
either.

Drop ball joint and shock lower bolt.

Getting that nut off is a pain

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Paul of Dayton - 30 Aug 2004 12:04 GMT

Thanks Backyard. I was worried that it was a press-in thing. I'll crawl
under and examine it tonight, I hope.

PoD

>> Has anyone here replaced the bushings on the strut rods on the front
>> ends of these cars? I think Ford calls it the "torsion strut". The
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> Getting that nut off is a pain

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Backyard Mechanic - 30 Aug 2004 16:08 GMT

> Thanks Backyard. I was worried that it was a press-in thing. I'll crawl
> under and examine it tonight, I hope.

Listen.. if you can do without the car for a couple days, and your car has
more than 120kmiles on it (still young for an MN12), then while you're at it,
have new lower ball joints pressed in.

Line up a shop to do the press-out/in first.

Save you having to do it at a more inconvenient time... because once they
start creaking, you have less than 10k miles.. who knows how much less.

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Paul of Dayton - 31 Aug 2004 00:47 GMT

Thanks for the heads-up on the ball joints. I have a friend who had one
fail as he was turning a corner. Fortunately for him, he was at a parking
lot and rolled in without tearing up the fender. He said the wheel stuck
straight out...

PoD

>> Thanks Backyard. I was worried that it was a press-in thing. I'll crawl
>> under and examine it tonight, I hope.
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> Save you having to do it at a more inconvenient time... because once they
> start creaking, you have less than 10k miles.. who knows how much less.

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David Starr - 30 Aug 2004 22:54 GMT

>> Has anyone here replaced the bushings on the strut rods on the front
>> ends of these cars? I think Ford calls it the "torsion strut". The
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
>Getting that nut off is a pain

I did mine a couple of years ago. I carefully - don't cut into the
threads - cut the nuts off with a Dremel tool and about 10 of their
reinforced cut off wheels. It takes a while, but I couldn't budge the
nuts with a wrench.

Sadly, the Bird is no more; some nice person plowed into the frone end
while it was parked & totalled it.

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Professional Shop Rat: 14,420 days in a GM plant.
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