Rear Supsension

[94GTLaserRC]

If you had a car with a lot of rear suspension upgrades, can you exchange the whole "assembly" out to a car with stock suspension, or does it have to be done part by part..??? I may be getting a "parts" car that has some suspension stuff in it...mine is all stock.

Thanks
RC

 

[94GTCoupe]

you mean removing the rear end with all the control arms,shocks,sway bar,and brakes still attached to it,right?

might be best to remove the rear suspension part by part.would be easier to clean the parts and inspect them.

plus it might be kind of hard to line everything up when you go to install it on your car without some help.

 

[Chythar]

Installing the rear axle once it's been fully disconnected is a pain. It's the last control arm that's a ******, you have to tug & twist the axle until everything lines up. But it can be done. I'd recommend removing the rear sway bar anyway, makes life easier when installing. I'd also drain the differential and inspect the gears, make sure it has the gears you think it does and it's not all messed up inside.

If you want to do the swap one control arm at a time, jack the car up and put it on jackstands. Then put the axle itself on a second set of jackstands. That way the axle won't shift when you remove the first bolt and everything will stay aligned.

 

[Black95GTS]

I wouldn't do it unless I had a full lift, not a scissor lift, and a wheeled jack stand to be able to swing the whole assembly out, get the new one on there, and wheel the new one back under.

Definitely possible. The fellows on Horsepower TV and Muscle Car do this all the time under the circumstances above. I'd want a buddy helping, or maybe two. Time to break out the Heineken.

Adam

 

[94GTLaserRC]

If I do this, it would be at a mechanics shop. He has only one lift available at any given time, so I dont know the best route to go right now.
Thanks
RC

 

[Chythar]

It's definitely doable with enough jackstands to lift both Stangs up and a single floor jack to support the axles. I've done this a couple of times, so I remember how it's done. Of course, the more tools and friends the better.

 

[Chythar]

If I do this, it would be at a mechanics shop. He has only one lift available at any given time, so I dont know the best route to go right now.
Thanks
RC

Put the donor Stang up on jackstands and drop the rear suspension & axle. Put yours on the lift and swap the rear suspension around. Then put your old axle & suspension on the donor stang. Could be done in a few hours if anyone at the shop has actually worked on a Mustang suspension before.

 

[94GTLaserRC]

Put the donor Stang up on jackstands and drop the rear suspension & axle. Put yours on the lift and swap the rear suspension around. Then put your old axle & suspension on the donor stang. Could be done in a few hours if anyone at the shop has actually worked on a Mustang suspension before.

So the implication/suggestion is to keep it all in tact and do it together? If that works, that would probably be the best all around thing... My mechanic would let me help him, and I would just pay him probably a mechanic's hourly rate which should be few hundred for the time.. If Im paying very little for the parts, that would be worth it IMO.

Thanks
RC

 

[Chythar]

Ultimately, it's your choice. But yeah, I'd do it all in one piece. Is the rear end something special, so you want to take it instead of keeping yours?

 

[94GTLaserRC]

Ultimately, it's your choice. But yeah, I'd do it all in one piece. Is the rear end something special, so you want to take it instead of keeping yours?

Rear end itself is no better or worse... about the same age and mileage...But I was just thinking....the gears are part of that, So I have to consider that also.

RC

 

[Chythar]

In that case, this gives you two options. One, you can rebuild this other rear end or build it up. But if you're not interested in that, I'd personally keep the one you know - your current one. Swap the suspension parts you want. On a lift with easy access to air tools, the part swap would still be easy.

 

[94GTLaserRC]

In that case, this gives you two options. One, you can rebuild this other rear end or build it up. But if you're not interested in that, I'd personally keep the one you know - your current one. Swap the suspension parts you want. On a lift with easy access to air tools, the part swap would still be easy.

That sounds like a plan...the other car has 3.27's in it. I know it has u/l arms struts and sway bar. It PROBABLY will be best to keep mine and add the parts since I have 3.73's

Thanks
RC