I have seen front end rebuild kits from many sources, including ebay. There are different kits offering different parts. My question is what parts are the "must replace"? Any suggestion on source? I would rather not purchase the "Deluxe" kit and put the savings toward a new transmission with overdrive. My powerglide gulps the gas at 80 MPH.
www.espo.com will save you some money over PST and they sell the same thing. The reason I say don't skimp is because its alot of work to remove the springs and alot of time having bushings pressed in if you can't do it your self. I would also recomend changing the body bushings at the same time. Your only talking a few hundred for the delux kit and a few more hours of work to put in a delux kit but once you done you wont have to mess with it for another 30 years, but thats just me.
You want to replace every part that has a joint or pivot point in it because they wear out. This includes ball joints, control arm bushings, tie rod ends, idler arm, pitman arm (if it has a pivot) and sway bar bushings and end links.
On some cars the pitman arm and center link have no pivot points. On others, they do.
2012 Mustang Boss 302 #1918, Competition Orange. FGF replacement 2006 Mustang V6 Pony, Vista Blue. Factory ordered. 2019 BMW X3 (Titled to the wife, but I'm always driving it for her. So I'm claiming it) Old projects, gone but not forgotten: 1967 FB 400, original CA car. After 22 years of work, trashed by the guy who was supposed to paint it. I had to sell it. 1980 Turbo Trans Am 1970 Mustang fastback, 351C 4Bbl, auto 1988 Mustang GT, 5 speed 1983 F-150 4x4, built 302 1994 Chevy K2500 HD 4x4, 454 TBI
your best bet is to take it to a place that specializes in front end work and find out what is needed and go from there.it can get pricey to change everything
I'd go all of the way. The trouble with replacing the worst of your problems is that it usually speeds up the problem with your next weakest link. To me, it's kind of like only replacing the brake pads on one side of your front end.
Has anybody gone with those repro control arms on e-bay from Tamraz? They come with bushings and ball joints installed. Are they POS's? If they are decent quality, that is the way I might go.
I have used the control arms and have good success. Very easy to install and works good. The only problem I noticed were the bushings were not torqued to the right specs. So I had some squeeking. Once I found the problem I used the right torque. Go for it. I was glad I did.
if y'all were to get'm, the bushings should be loosened, and retightened after installed with the car sitting with its weight on the tires. there is no way they could know the exact position of your personal ride height when they tighten the upper bushings.
personally, i would save a few bucks and do it myself, but i have the tools. that way i could also be sure of brand and warranty.
Another option would be to get online at autozone or advance auto, etc. and check the cost of all components. I found that was cheaper than ordering a kit. Summit has the graphite urethane bushings cheaper than the "kit" places. My parts were all moog or TRW.
My control arms are rusty and nasty looking. I was thinking brand new shiney control arms with the bushing and ball joints installed would be a good alternative to trying to clean up the ones I got and paying somebody to press in the bushings and lower ball joints.
hard to give a good answer without writing a book.
the more you change at once, the better, as it often puts extra stress on the new components (and you) to take them apart again to change something else. also getting it aligned more than once can be a pain, but if you live around a bunch of potholes, that should be checked yearly anyway.
a good ft end shop could help you if you cant inpect the front end yourself.
upper and lower bushings, all 4 ball joints, and sway bar bushings and links are a start. if you plan on changing the springs or knuckles, they will be off. bumpstops will be easy to get to too. also if you plan on a bigger sway bar, now is the time.
steering linkage parts can be changed without taking anything else apart, but will require an alignment for any changed.
body/frame/core support bushings should be changed all at once if any are bad.
then you have rear leaf springs, pads, eye bushings, and shackles.
not much left as far as suspension and steering after that.
