Swaping 4cyl Front Suspension For 5.0 Problems

[rustyruststang5]

I’m putting the hubs, brakes, and shocks from a 90s 5.0 on my 1986 lx four cyl. I’m having trouble with the shock lining up right in the shock tower is this normal? I took off the bracket that is riveted in to the top of the shock tower and I can get the new shock to go thru but can’t get the bracket back to where it needs to be.
Any help would be nice.

 

[91TwighlightGT]

Just to be clear, you need to swap the entire spindle from the 5.0 car on to the 2.3L car as they are different. I have heard that some people modified their spindles to work, but I do not recall the procedure for that.

Pictures would help, I am not clear if this is your issue or not.

 

[rustyruststang5]

its not all post up some pics here then

 

[rustyruststang5]

ok you can see here in the 1st pic, where i have my chisel point at that is the hole that was riveted before i took off that bracket. now i would think i would have to get it to aline with that hole.

 

[rustyruststang5]

the pic in the middle is the other side i have not messed with yet, it has the rivet in the middle hole

 

[91TwighlightGT]

I wonder if the issue is the result of the K-member differences between the 5.0L and 2.3L cars. The 2.3L cars use the 79-86 K-member which is shorter on each side by .5 inches. I am not sure if what you are doing would change that geometry, but it may. Perhaps a set of caster/camber plates would fix it? Are there any clearance issues between the strut body and the shock tower?

 

[rustyruststang5]

no there does not seem to be.