right now after going and getting suspension checked saturday I am going to get struts and shocks and stabilizer links and bushings, also sway bar bushings. If a few yrs down the road I need front lower control arms, will that require an alignment?
Need And Alignment With Putting On Front Lca's?
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I'm trying to decide if I should change out my front control arms or just go on the advice of the tech at precision tune. Let me start by saying after checking them, he said they looked ok to him and said they had a few bruises but that people think that just cause they do they need changing and that was incorrect. He seemed to be a straightup guy and even told me as far as recommendations on my alignment, he said don't go to any regular shops. He referred me to a place he used to work and that they work on and align performance cars and that the owner has one. He said they know what they are doing there.
The car had 125k on it when I took the v6 out and has about 96k on the car since putting v8 in back in 02. This car is a non track , non race car. I mean sometimes when I'm out driving I get the fever and need to wana shut some lil punk up lol I might play around briefly with it, but I aint tryna go to jail or donate money to the state so I really don't mess with it. I know that I will need another alignment if I were to put on front control arms maybe yrs later if I check them and need them at that time. I know I will need one after putting on new struts and shocks coming up here in next few wks. If I can wait I will probably just wait till I definitely need control arms and save that money and put towards some other stuff I wana do with car. I sure don't wana pay for an alignment twice but I can live with paying for one if I might can go another say 3 yrs before possibly needing arms. So I'm just pondering what to do and wondering what you think about putting them on later vs possibly not really needing them now?
I will get one more opinion just to see what someone else who knows what they are talking about also thinks. I'm going to get struts, shocks, and sway bar end links and bushings as recommended by him after checking my car out.
Without seeing your control arms, it's really impossible for me to make a recommendation. Those control arms are really strong though, and requiring a change is atypical. The bushings do wear out eventually, but even that isn't very normal. The ball joints will definately go bad over time, but that doesn't require pulling the control arms.
Kurt
Kurt
Here are the ball joints. The bushings actually don't look bad
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g96v6-250k
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- Aug 15, 2012
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the arms last forever if you didnt wreck it, its the balljoints and bushing that go bad. get some energy bushes and a set of moog bjs and install them when you do the struts/springs. alignment is not impossible to do yourself, i have done it on my 96 v6 on the 3rd try. got steering wheel and caster dead on center. just look down the front tire and align with the back tire and adjust as necessary. wont work with different tires from front to rear tho, back cant be wider then front.. cant spaced out from shaft. just make sure in the end you arent eating up tires.
g96v6-250k
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oh i didnt see those pics before i posted but something doesnt look right about them. they look like they are falling apart lol. pic one looks like the ball joint and it has no dust cover. also looks like rubbed metal there. can you get better pics?
The rubber has gone bad for sure on the ball joints. Can't really tell too much with that picture of the bushings. I've tried to align my Mustang myself before, and not done well. With a Caster/Camber gauge it's not to bad setting the caster and camber, but it's hard to set the toe. The track on the front is wider than the track on the back with a Mustang. So you can't string it to get the toe set.
Kurt
Kurt
the ball joints are the ones that go vertical right? Those are the images I took. I will try and get better pics but hard with the lighting and such and car was in garage.
this guy i know might be able to put my new bushings and joints in as he seems to have alot of equipment at his house. Just reconnected with him after yrs when i used to go to this shop and he worked there. Is it best to go with poly bushings and ball joints or the stockers will be ok?
That's a matter of what you want. Poly bushings will make it handle better, but give it a firmer ride.
Kurt
Kurt
basically it will depend on the price difference between the regular ones and others then. Is a firmer ride less comfortable do you think?
just went to rock auto and saw they do sell the bushings and ball joints as well as the whole stock arm for $120. I just called this guy and waiting on him to let me know how much his labor charge will be and if it's reasonable I will just get the parts and let him put in my arms. If just as much as getting the new arms, I might just get the new arms. What do you think about the stockers for what I'm gona be doing with car which is mainly a wknd driver and non race/track car
Yes, the poly bushings will give you a less comfortable ride. I would pass on the Rock Auto control arms for $120. For that price they will be made in China out of god knows what. Could be made out of a dog they melted down for all you know. Not worth the risk, because a broken control arm can lead to a nasty crash. If the Arms need replacing, you are much better off getting a set of original ones.
Kurt
Kurt
What do you guys think about these labor prices:
Talked to a guy who will put in the new bushings and ball joint, new end links, and struts and shocks all for $280. I have to double check and see if I have new sway bar bushings on the list to get too cause if I do then add that to the list of what he will do for 280.
how's that price sound?
also gotta wait till struts and shocks go back on sale at american muscle (tokicos). For month of Sep they were 89 bucks and now are 114; darn lol. When i called the other day the guy said they go on sale frequently so i will wait. Shocks were either 69 or 79 as they are now ;
I assume that's just the labor price. That's honestly not bad at all. Pressing bushings can be really crap work.
Kurt
Kurt
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