Can someone please help me - I'm going nuts. I have a '71 Maverick 2dr with a 4.1L 250 engine and A/C. I've been searching the threads and google like crazy and can't figure out how many of each type of moog bushings to order from rockauto without taking my suspension apart. I'm replacing bushings for the upper control arm, lower control arm, strut rod, sway bay, and sway bar end links. I can't figure out what quanity I have to order to have all of the parts. I look at the pictures and don't know if it is only for one side or both - or if I need to order multiples of them for a single side. The lower control arm has two different size bushings for my year and I don't know which one is correct (I have a call into Ford about it that I'm waiting to hear back on, but I don't know if they will know either). I'll upgrade to poly sway bar bushings later, but I'm just going to do moog on everything for now. The problems lies in that I'm in a rush (not a good way to do things - but I have no choice). I have to leave town for college in three weeks and want to take the car with me. If I take the suspension apart to count the bushings I can't move the car to get the other stuff done while I wait for the bushings to come in. I've put off getting the shop manuals too long and the chilton is way too unclear to bank on. This is my first time working on suspensions. Everything else is going well, I'm just at a wall on this. Any help you could give would save me a huge headache and alot of money on alcohol. thnx.
there are 2 swaybar links and 2 swaybar bushings per car, upper control arm, i believe there are 2 per side, lower control arm i think one per side
i'm still confused. by bushing do you mean the individual cylindrical pieces of rubber or that comes in a single moog bushing order? I just don't understand what constitutes as a single bushing and how many are needed. One order of upper control arm bushings from moog comes with 2 rubber pieces - do I need to order 2 of these so that I have 4 rubber things or do I have to order 4 of these so that I have 8 rubber things to complete having 2 bushings on each side? I'm having the same sort of dilemma with ordering all of these bushings...
Just buy new complete lower control arms, they have the lower ball joint already installed, and the bushing.
ok. I think i got it figured out and ordered. thanks for your help. still waiting on ordering the lower C-A bushings until I can figure out whether it's the 1-7/16" or 1-9/16" one that I need. no one seems to know. I might just have to get both. will I know if it is the wrong size when I go to put it on?
If I can get away with just replacing the bushing on it for now I'm going to try and do that. Leaving the balljoints for now too. That's like 5 times more expensive than just replacing the bushings and getting the thing on the road.
My National Parts Depot catalog list 1968-73 Mustang as 1 9/16" (which is the same as Maverick) If the bushing is gone, the ball joint won't be far behind. Do you have a press? I think you have to press those bushings in....
do you know how to dissasemble the frontend? this is something you don't hurry and do. it has a lot of things that if not done in a safe manner, you could be hurt or even killed. good jack stands and block for the wheels are a must... ...and buying the complete lower arm is the best way to go... ...get the correct spring compressor for your springs... ...when you are done it will need to be aligned... ...Be Safe... Frank
Thanks for all of the input guys. nope, gonna learn as I go as far as disassembling the front end - I'm planning to laugh, cry and curse a god or two before I'm done. sorry I was freaking out alittle earlier. yea, I'm gonna be safe about it. got jack stands and a spring compressor. I'm gonna go with the 1-9/16" bushing then and see how it goes. I don't have a press... is it a special type of press or can it be finagled? The bushings are in pretty crap shape, but not gone. If I were going to replace the ball joints too then I would just do the whole lower arm. I'm really hoping just the bushing will tide me over for now. If I get it off and the ball joint is crap I'll reassess it then. *crossing my fingers* Thanks again for the help. I don't want to have to bring my '91 olds with me when I go back to school. Anyone wanna buy a '91 oldsmobile? hahah
as Dave suggests, jack up the frontend and check the joints. chances are they will need replacing if the bushings are gone... ...even better, take it to a frontend shop and get them to check the frontend and give you a list of what needs to be replaced... Frank
Do your self a REAL BIG favor and get the Lower arms.If not...without a press you will curse many gods while you mangle the new bushing(and possibly the arm).The money spent is well worth the aggrivation you will suffer if you do the bushing...
ok. I think after all of the feedback I'm just going to get whole new lower control arms. Any recommendations on the cheapest place to get them from? Also, Is the upper control arm going to be the same hassle as the lower one to change the bushings?
