All my bushings, outer tie rods, inner tie rods, wheel bearings are shot to he!!. Im replacing everything today and have already installed the passenger side outer tie rod and inner tie rod with a new adjustable sleeve. My question is for those who have already done this, how tight does the nuts have to be? I tightened it just enough where the hole shows for the cotter pin to go through. Also how tight does the wheel bearing nut have to be? Please let me know I have to finish this today so I can take it to an alignment shop after work.
Here's some help on the wheel bearings: http://www.mustangsplus.com/tech/bearings/index.html But as with anything, someone will have a different opinion. If I remember correctly, for the tie rods, you need to torque them to the spec, then you can back them off just enough to line the nut up to get a cotter pin in.
I read the article about adjusting wheel bearings and I would not do it the way described,(tighten till it drags and go another 1/4 turn). I think that is too tight. My method is to rotate wheel while tightening until it starts to drag. Stop rotating the wheel, Back off the nut and tighten by hand. This is the method recomended by the engineers at the Timken Co. I worked there for 38 years.
Tie rod nuts ? I use an impact wrench and go til it stops turning, then align the cotter pin hole. Ain't had one fail yet in thirty years. Wheel bearing nuts, tighten til it drags, then back off just enough to insert the cotter pin in the lock. Again, never had one fail using this technique.
Well got everything installed and made it to the alignment shop. Steering isnt loose anymore, but still scary as hell driving. It's very sensitive now and hard to get use to until I replace some more suspension parts. They said my control arm is bent a little and the lower and upper control arm bushings are shot and need to be replaced. Thanks for everyones help!:Handshake Here is a detailed report of before and after. BEFORE: Camber: Left front -1.8 Right front -2.4 Caster: Left front 0.9 Right front -0.1 Toe: Left front -2.53 Right front 2.58 AFTER: Camber: Left front -0.2 Right front -2.2 Caster: Left front -0.6 Right front -0.1 Toe: Left front 0.19 Right front 0.20
Do yourself a favor and buy new control arms. They only cost a few dollars more than just the bushings alone and are far easier to install. The old arms get weaker with age.
Ur probably right but, I am hearing a lot of things abt aftermarket parts w/ a lot of negative tone. A lot of the conversation is coming frm the guys in the trades. Since Im not in the trades I do pay a lot of attention to what they are saying along w/ some of the things I've had in the past. If I cud find some by Moog I wud be more inclined to replace mine, as of now I hve UC arm elim. kit and new Moog LCA. I just have more confidence in the Moog stuff, althou I can't say for sure it's QC has not declined over the years.
With these cars, you may be extremely limited as to brand selection pf parts. As for quality, now at this point in time, even the name brand stuff could be made in China and may or may not be up to snuff. It's a crap shoot, but I'd still buy new parts over reusing old control arms.
