control arm bushings?

[1990LTD]

if you make sure the inside of the metal shell is clean of rubber and rust, and use the supplied installation grease, its not too bad. Most push in by hand, some you may have to tap in with a hammer and a block of wood or a rubber mallet. The inner sleeve you usually have to drive in with a hammer but it goes in pretty easy.

Cool. Never had to do just the bushings...only one I've done so far, you replace the whole control arm with the bushings in there already.

[gadget73]

thats for poly bushings. If you're doing rubber, you need to make some braces out of pipe or something to wedge in the open side of the control arm so it doesn't squash flat when you press the bushings in and out. Its a real SOB of a job. The uppers are a particular mofo to do because the shaft is in there. Theres a special tool for that job, but I've never done it.

[sly]

I have that bastard c-clamp for pulling the upper bushings out shell and all. works well on aeros. not so well on boxes.

[BerniniCaCO3]

I've been lazy about this (messing with tranny stuff!),
but I'm switching jobs and may no longer have access to a lift in 3 weeks :-( So time to do this now!

Some clarifications.
For a 1990 mercury colony park,
I DO want 4.3150 for the fronts? That's all 8 bushings?

There was something about 4.3153 for "late model" and tow package-- but not wagons I presume? Unless said wagon had a tow package (I've no reason to believe mine did)?
There was also something mentioned in the wtick about 4.3153 coming with new shells... but I think that was a misinterpretation.

Finally, what I really want to ask-- where do I get poly rear bushings?
There's no listing for the rear control arms!

thanks!
-Bernard

[86VickyLX]

I've been lazy about this (messing with tranny stuff!),
but I'm switching jobs and may no longer have access to a lift in 3 weeks :-( So time to do this now!

Some clarifications.
For a 1990 mercury colony park,
I DO want 4.3150 for the fronts? That's all 8 bushings?

There was something about 4.3153 for "late model" and tow package-- but not wagons I presume? Unless said wagon had a tow package (I've no reason to believe mine did)?
There was also something mentioned in the wtick about 4.3153 coming with new shells... but I think that was a misinterpretation.

Finally, what I really want to ask-- where do I get poly rear bushings?
There's no listing for the rear control arms!

thanks!
-Bernard

Look up a 1992 Crown vic. Use those bushings from energy suspension. One set is for fronts, the other is for rears.

[gadget73]

Now is the time to do big brakes if you have any intentions of doing it. I'd also be seriously considering motor mounts. They are much easier with the lower control arms out of the way.

[85crownHPP]

/\ wise words there /\

if you make sure the inside of the metal shell is clean of rubber and rust, and use the supplied installation grease, its not too bad.

I haven't done mine yet, but I found that one of my brass wire-wheel-drill-bit things I have (I got some cheap set of various sizes) was the perfect size to clean up the lower shells with. A little wd40 and a few passes in and out with that thing left it silky smooth

[BerniniCaCO3]

No kidding!
I did motor mounts a year ago when I did the motor: yeah, it would have been easier without the control arms.
As it was, I had to use a swivel socket to do them with the control arms in place.

Seeing as I tend to lock up the brakes already in those instances where I'm tempted to panic-stop (not too frequent, I'm glad to say), I'm not sure big brakes will be a helpful upgrade.

Just to be doubly sure, I want to look up a 1992 crown vic for the rear control arm bushings-- now for the fronts, someone on the sticky said that they had trouble doing that? That the 1986-91 era box has different control arm bushings in the front, from the 1992?
Or are they the same, and the 1992 kit is made from better stuff?

[sly]

they're the same. I put 92 bushings in the front of my 88.

[gadget73]

There is no kit listed for 80s models. 1992 uses the same stuf, but its not listed as fitting the 80s cars.

[86VickyLX]

1979-1997 use the same bushings front, 98-02 use different sized bushings, but the control arm will physically fit and work in a 97 down panther.

[Lincolnmania]

the brakes should not lock up, good way to lose control!..........stock box brakes sucked ass!
my dad was driving my towny once and my son was with him and a big truck pulled right in front of them on a blind turn, dad thought he was going to hit the truck, he said he laid on the brakes and the car just stopped..........saving lives is worth the money for the big brakes......thank God i had done the conversion..........dad will be 71 this yr and scott jr is turning 16 in about two weeks.

[BerniniCaCO3]

alright, thinking about doing the rear control arms tonight... maybe more! All the parts are in.
For the front, I want spring compressors and a ball joint tool?

And it is pretty straightforward, the rear control arms?

Pull 'em out, should be easy, burn out the bushings, pop in the new ones, plug and play?

I'm always worried in endeavors like this, because, I'm f*cked if I can't get something. I need to be in and out in one evening, to use the work at lift after hours-- can't be sitting here tomorrow morning.

Anyone want to email me their # so if I get stuck I have a lifeline to call at 10pm at night?

[sly]

the rear control arm... the bolt on the frame is usually a major PITA. it's also some huge ass star drive thing. the sucky part is that sometimes, even impact tools won't break those free.

[gadget73]

The rear arms can be bitchy with the bolts. I believe they are Torx heads as well, so you'd probably do yourself a favor if you start soaking them with oil a few days in advance. the upper ones have one bushing in the diff itself, so you usually have to use a hole saw or something to cut it out of there, then you can carefully burn out the remains. Can't stick a big torch under the car next to the fuel tank unless you're either way braver or way stupider than the average Joe.