Bucket of Bolts

Street89GT · Jan 1, 2009

Hi Everyone,
My 89 GT which is basically, stock rattles like a bucket of bolts wheneverI hit any kind of bump. I use the car as a an occasional street driver and was wondering if anyone had any advice on what I shoudl do to tighten the car up. I am planning on installing the following:
-Maximum Motorsports Subframe Connectors
-Tokico Shocks/Struts
I saw on American Muscle they ahve a kit to replace all of the cars bushings with new Polyurethene bushings. Has anyone done this? Are there any other steps any of you can recommend to help tighten the car up? Thanks in advance!

stang&2Birds · Jan 1, 2009

Hmm, first post on a forum and you insult the car line. Not very bright, are you?

Basically, it's a Fox Mustang, it will ALWAYS rattle. If you don't like that, then get rid of the car. It's that simple.

As for the mods, IMHO, MM subframes and Toks are the best choice.

However, going with poly bushings will result in MORE rattle and NVH. Fact of life.

If you want a rattle free car that handles and has power, then I suggest getting a 2009 BMW 5-series.

capri debris · Jan 1, 2009

I don't get why so many people say Foxbody's rattle. I have three '86 Capris and none of them rattle... I'd even go far enough to say they are almost silent while driving. If you just keep all the interior screws tight and replace any broken tabs and clips, they are pretty solid/quiet cars.

skunk21 · Jan 1, 2009

New struts/shocks will def help, also you can't go wrong with sfc's. A very good bang for the buck mod is the ford racing front lower control arms, they come with upgraded lower ball joints and new bushings. poly stuff like the other stated are more harsh and increase vibration, try getting under the car and look things over and replace it..50resto and PPI are good sources for stuff. Take a look at your sway bar mounts and sway bar links, like I mentioned chances are your lower control arm bushings are worn and they sloppy(mine where cracked and worn) and I did the lower a arms with new struts made a huge difference. I would look at the diff bushings where the upper control arms mount and change them, also quality upper/lower control arms from maximum motor sports or ther sources is a nice upgrade and tightens things up.

some other things to do that will improve things are a strut tower brace and K brace. I have done all the above mentioned and it made a world of difference and the car feels much better, doesn't feel like a 17+ y/o car. It's not going to be a new car and to tell you the truth that is one of the things I love about a fox, it's a raw in your face machine. just take your time and work at it.

Street89GT · Jan 1, 2009

Sorry, didn't mean to insult the Fox line. If I didn't love the fox I would've gotten rid of it a long time ago. What I'm really trying to do is make it handle and ride like it did when I bought it 10 years ago. It was in storage for about 3 years and when I took it out there was a whole bunch of new sounds.

Anyway, the raw, in your face ride is exactly quoted in the post above is exactly why I love the car. Since the fox, I've owned an Infinity G35, and a BMW 328, both were nice daily drivers, but neither were anywhere near as fun as the fox!

Thanks for your help!

LiquidGT · Jan 1, 2009

Like mentioned before, a strut tower brace and 4pt K-member brace will make a difference; I have those two items installed. Now I can feel that the front of the chassis is solid and the rear is half is wimpy, the SFC's in my room should fix that. The SN95s came with a 2pt K-member brace factory, so the fox really needs one; add the MM SFC's and it should be a pretty solid car.

ID89GT · Jan 1, 2009

Just get a nice rumbling exhaust and you won't have to listen to rattle

Street89GT · Jan 2, 2009

Yeah, thats probably phase 2 since I have a pretty nasty exhaust leak coming from the passenger side header.

Has anyone tried the Bassani headers/catback on a fox?

NIKwoaC · Jan 2, 2009

Any 20 year old car is going to rattle, squeak, feel like ts going to fall apart, etc. Like said above, get busy on replacing shocks, struts, bushings, and isolators, and things will start to feel new again.

Something that sometimes gets overlooked is motor and transmission mounts. As these things slowly die over time, more and more vibration and noise is translated to the rest of the car.

Also be on the lookout for simple fixes. Often rattling sounds coming from the rear are simply something like loose exhaust hangers. Another thing to look for is keeping the hatch and hood tight on their rubber bumpers, which often deteriorate and deform over time. Keeping all the hinges (hatch, hood, doors, etc.) oiled with a silicone based lubricant keeps things quiet and smooth, without a greasy dripping aftermath that something like WD-40 or all-purpose oils would create.

Also, interior bushings, seals, and insulation often loosens or wears out, which can sometimes be the worst in terms of noise and ride quality.

1990Coupe · Jan 2, 2009

capri debris said:
I don't get why so many people say Foxbody's rattle. I have three '86 Capris and none of them rattle... I'd even go far enough to say they are almost silent while driving. If you just keep all the interior screws tight and replace any broken tabs and clips, they are pretty solid/quiet cars.

+1 Mine is extremely solid. No rattles

Street89GT · Jan 2, 2009

Thanks for the points above. It was mentioned above not to use Polyurethane bushings because they are noisier then stock. I was wondering if stock rubber are the only alternative and where is a good source to buy them?

rd · Jan 2, 2009

You should be able to tell what is rattling or banging. Just listen and then go looking.

Jack it up and shake stuff. Mufflers, exhaust, etc. Then fix it.

My 79 Capri does not really rattle much at 275 k miles. The only rattles in the 82 are the lose wingnuts from the bottle brackets when the bottle is out. The 89 is really pretty quiet, just a bit of rear axle bearing noise on turns. Will fix it one day, also.

Keep the bushings in the suspension, sway bars, in good shape, plastic parts tight, and it should not rattle.

Street89GT · Jan 2, 2009

What kind of bushings should I put in?

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