Need help with spring install ASAP

[ChrisWorrell]

Okay ive got a question, i have gotten to the point in the how to article i printed off of mustangworld.com where i have already preloaded the suspension and am supposed to take off the two nuts and 1 bolt off the strut. As you can see from the picture I have done that, but am I supposed to take off the huge bolt in the center and the two small allen screws on the back side? If i take off the big bolt and two smaller screws is that all i need to do to lower the strut out of the wheel well?

Thank you if that doesnt work go to my car domain site it should work there

Thank you

 

[ChrisWorrell]

anyone ?? please

 

[theinjectedzone]

its easier to remove the 2 bolts that hold the strut to the spindle, then lower it.

 

[ChrisWorrell]

i found out that is not my problem, it will lower fine but it gets caught by this

View attachment 524114 the thing with the bushings on it. Now i have tried to find a socket that will remove it but none fit. the 5/8 is almost the right size but its slips the next size up is too big and the next size down is too small. What do I do?

 

[Ryan02Stang]

You do not need to drop the strut. Just undo the 2 huge nuts at the bottom of the strut. Undo the things with the blue bushings on it. And take the brake line away from the strut. When you so this the control arm should drop down and this is when you put the spring in. And you need a metric and standard socket set...also deep and shallow sockets.

 

[inferno9898]

metric?

 

[trents99]

It's alot easier to unbolt the sway bar (thing with bushings) from the bottom of the control arm. That way when you let the jack down the force of the spring pulls the a arm down off the sway bar stud. Also don't forget to unbolt and remove your ABS sensor from the back of the backing plates. This will give you more room to push down on the a arm to get the spring out.

And yes a 21mm will work on the strut nuts if you don't have a 15/16 (I think it was a 15/16)

 

[ChrisWorrell]

Hmmm I think ive run into a problem.

Okay so I got the spring in and put everything back together tightened everything down and lowered her to the ground. The tire is at too much of a slant for my liking. I know im going to have bad tire wear and I know its becuase I dropped the strut to get the spring in (sorry i had taken it out before I saw your warning well i unscrewed the nuts and bolt holding the strut on). So what can I do to fix this. The tire is slanted so that the bottom is farther out and the top is in so its like \ if your looking at it from the front (drivers side tire). What is something I can do to straighten this out?

 

[Ryan02Stang]

Hmmm I think ive run into a problem.

Okay so I got the spring in and put everything back together tightened everything down and lowered her to the ground. The tire is at too much of a slant for my liking. I know im going to have bad tire wear and I know its becuase I dropped the strut to get the spring in (sorry i had taken it out before I saw your warning well i unscrewed the nuts and bolt holding the strut on). So what can I do to fix this. The tire is slanted so that the bottom is farther out and the top is in so its like \ if your looking at it from the front (drivers side tire). What is something I can do to straighten this out?

C/C plates

 

[ChrisWorrell]

Okay I finished the front two wheels. On the passenger side wheel I took yalls advice and did NOT remove the strut. It turned out perfect. Now my question is, I know the current plates will work. Im thinking when i screwed the 2 nuts and 1 bolt on the driver side to hold the strut in I may have had the strut to far into the engine compartment. Is this possible? Why would it be that one tire turned out perfect while the other has the \ look?

 

[1low03gt]

Yap,you didn't line it back properly.You should have scribed 2 lines accross the factory plates with the strut tower,one on the front of the plate (closest to the rad craddle),and one line the back of the plate(closest to the firewall).
Just eyeball it straight,by loosening the strut.You will need to go for a alignment anyways after a week or so once the springs settle!!

 

[ChrisWorrell]

here are the pics tell me what you think

drivers side

passenger side

 

[ChrisWorrell]

here if you could please explain of course using the colors i supplied on how i need to adjust it to help the wheel some

 

[ChrisWorrell]

up anyone that can help?

 

[Black_Cobra]

up anyone that can help?

I'll try. First I'd get out your Hanes manual and turn to the front end alignment section. It sounds like you need to make caster/camber adjustments. I suspect you'll need to raise the front of the car, loosen the nuts on the CC plates and then make your adjustment by manipulating the the wheel. Eyeball it as best as you can and then tighten the nuts on the CC plate. You may need an assistant to hold things in place while you tighten the nuts.

HTH

 

[Black_Cobra]

Of course once you have it close enough to be drivable and everything is settled in you should take it to a shop for a more precise alignment.

Good luck!

 

[ChrisWorrell]

yes I was going to go in a couple of weeks once the springs "settle" thats what I was told by someone and I want to be able to drive it until then and save some of my tires.

 

[mattch2]

You do not need to drop the strut. Just undo the 2 huge nuts at the bottom of the strut. Undo the things with the blue bushings on it. And take the brake line away from the strut. When you so this the control arm should drop down and this is when you put the spring in. And you need a metric and standard socket set...also deep and shallow sockets.

do you still have to worry about the spring flying oout with this method?