Well, after a few days of working on the front end of the stang, I have a few tips...
1. Make sure you secure the springs to the car before removing them. More than likely, you will be ok, but just put a tie strap through the spring and around the a-arm. Lower the a-arm all the way and from the front of the car, pry the spring out.
2. When pulling the rack and pinion off, make sure you completely remove the clamp bolt that connects the steering rod to the rack and pinion. I just loosened it and could not figure out why the heck it wouldn't seperate. The rack and pinion shaft is notched around the bolt, so unless you completely remove that bolt, it isn't coming apart.
3. Don't even mess with the bushings. Take the a-arms in to a machine shop and let them do it. It will save you a ton of time and frustration.
4. This is important, and I did not know this, but leave your a-arm bolts loose. Don't tighten them until you can put a load on the front of the car, I lowered the car on ramps then tightened. If you don't do this, you will put the bushings in a bind and they will twist up and make noise.
5. Don't even attempt to put the stock springs back in, unless you have a spring compressor (at least on a '98 GT Conv.), there was no possible way to get them back in without this. I figured this would be after taking them out, they really popped out with a lot of force when I pryed the old one out! Thanks goodness I had them tie strapped to the car, or something would have been broke in the garage. Also, tie strap them in even with the compressor on. I put one hook on the spring, then ran the strap through the opening between the a-arm and k-member, then the other hook somewhere under the car. Then jacked up the a-arm. This worked like a charm and kept the spring from bowing out. It was still a bi*&^& to put them back in.
Hope this info helps, it took me searching the forums and talking to the guys and NAPA to figure all this out.
1. Make sure you secure the springs to the car before removing them. More than likely, you will be ok, but just put a tie strap through the spring and around the a-arm. Lower the a-arm all the way and from the front of the car, pry the spring out.
2. When pulling the rack and pinion off, make sure you completely remove the clamp bolt that connects the steering rod to the rack and pinion. I just loosened it and could not figure out why the heck it wouldn't seperate. The rack and pinion shaft is notched around the bolt, so unless you completely remove that bolt, it isn't coming apart.
3. Don't even mess with the bushings. Take the a-arms in to a machine shop and let them do it. It will save you a ton of time and frustration.
4. This is important, and I did not know this, but leave your a-arm bolts loose. Don't tighten them until you can put a load on the front of the car, I lowered the car on ramps then tightened. If you don't do this, you will put the bushings in a bind and they will twist up and make noise.
5. Don't even attempt to put the stock springs back in, unless you have a spring compressor (at least on a '98 GT Conv.), there was no possible way to get them back in without this. I figured this would be after taking them out, they really popped out with a lot of force when I pryed the old one out! Thanks goodness I had them tie strapped to the car, or something would have been broke in the garage. Also, tie strap them in even with the compressor on. I put one hook on the spring, then ran the strap through the opening between the a-arm and k-member, then the other hook somewhere under the car. Then jacked up the a-arm. This worked like a charm and kept the spring from bowing out. It was still a bi*&^& to put them back in.
Hope this info helps, it took me searching the forums and talking to the guys and NAPA to figure all this out.
