aftermarket belly bar & Monte Carlo bar & strut bar bushings

Just asking for my self why is it a bad idea to run air shocks ??

 

Because the mount on the floor pan is not strong enough to support the cars weight...Air shocks stress this area to the point of breakage,and they do... Shocks are meant to dampen suspension ocillations, not support weight/jack up back ends to compensate for worn out leaf springs.

 

So are traction bars bad too for mav's just wondering

 

traction bars are just fine on mavericks.

 

Simple traction bars work well on light weight cars with descent HP/Torque...they do however eventually kill leaf springs. It takes a long time but, they will weaken the springs over time...I have gone through 2 sets of leafs in 28 yrs and bent several sets of lakewood slapper bars (Traction bars) You may want to consider caltracs if your not dead set on old school stuff.

 

Not to hijack this thread but for those who have used the pst polygraphite bushings on the front, did normal street driving cause them to break? I hadn't realized this and have just finished rebuilding my front end...I would loathe to have to take it back apart.

 

From all the info I have heard/read the only real concern is the strut rod bushing; the other poly parts should not cause concern.

 

Yes normal use will do it...I imagine drivin it through the corners hard on a regular basis will help them break faster.

 

Well that sucks, looks like I'll have to replace the strut bushings then because those are poly. That's good that everything else is good though.

 

Would the regular moog bushings work fine?
https://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=203272&cc=1132186&jnid=507&jpid=5

 

Yes...They will be just fine.

 

When I had the polys on my Comet the front end was so rigid it had almost no compliance, with std bushings it's nowhere nearly as stiff... Yeah I'd just finished a total rebuild, popping the strut rods out isn't a big deal...

 

the lower control arm bushing is better to be left rubber also. the arm moves in an arch around the strut rod. that means it goes forward and back as it goes up and down. the resistance of the bushing creates a mild bind in the suspension. now its not a big deal having that bushing being polyurethane but its a trade off for less deflection for some bind in the suspension travel. ideally a spherical bearing is best in this location. at this point all that is left for the poly bushings is the sway bar. sorry to tell you that most of that kit is a waste. ive been there and done that. its hard to resist those adds in the magazines but they are not the best option for fords front suspension design. they work great in double a arm suspension systems where the arms pivot on the bushings but thats about it. if our upper control arms had rubber bushings instead of the steel bushings they would be a good candidate for polyurethane.

 

Well you learn as you go, I didn't get it for a bad price so that helps a bit. But I have been pretty disappointed with the kit and definitely would have gone another route if I did it over again. I'll have the new bushings Tuesday and can go from there! Thanks for the input guys!! Really glad I didn't break a strut rod and have to deal with it then...