my 89 GT "back in the day" street / track day project build
03-17-2012, 06:35 PM
#45
Well, a bit more progress this afternoon. I had been putting off tackling the front crossmember and suspension removal, but it had to get done. So this afternoon I felt motivated enough to give it a go. The plan was to undo the steering coupler, disconnect the brake lines, and then undo the eight mounting bolts for the crossmember and three bolts on each side for the strut mounts, and bring the whole unit down as one big chunk.
Here it is with a floor jack under the crossmember for support. I had already managed to zip out the four small rear bolts, and my recently purchased electric impact gun managed to break loose the four main bolts as well, after a bit of Motorcraft penetrating fluid got spray on them. The electric was nice, it allowed me to keep cranking on the stubborn bolts for more than a few seconds, which would have been an issue with the pneumatic gun and the small compressor in the shop here.
Everything undone, down on the floor ... victory is mine!
Dragged out from underneath as one big chunk ... I love it when a plan comes together! And I didn't even manage to injure myself, other than aggravate the sore lower back a bit.
Best part is, I have a buyer lined up for the whole thing who is coming by tomorrow to get it out of my way, and put a bit of cash in my pocket. Works out well since I am going with replacements for the crossmember, control arm, rack & pinion, spindles, and brakes.
Tomorrow I will likely just piddle around with getting the external bits bolted on the engine to get it ready, and starting to assemble the new front suspension.
cheers
Ed
Here it is with a floor jack under the crossmember for support. I had already managed to zip out the four small rear bolts, and my recently purchased electric impact gun managed to break loose the four main bolts as well, after a bit of Motorcraft penetrating fluid got spray on them. The electric was nice, it allowed me to keep cranking on the stubborn bolts for more than a few seconds, which would have been an issue with the pneumatic gun and the small compressor in the shop here.
Everything undone, down on the floor ... victory is mine!
Dragged out from underneath as one big chunk ... I love it when a plan comes together! And I didn't even manage to injure myself, other than aggravate the sore lower back a bit.
Best part is, I have a buyer lined up for the whole thing who is coming by tomorrow to get it out of my way, and put a bit of cash in my pocket. Works out well since I am going with replacements for the crossmember, control arm, rack & pinion, spindles, and brakes.
Tomorrow I will likely just piddle around with getting the external bits bolted on the engine to get it ready, and starting to assemble the new front suspension.
cheers
Ed
03-18-2012, 01:01 PM
#46
Owners of crusty Foxes, eat your hearts out ... here's what the inside of your strut towers should look like. This was after about 20 minutes on each side this morning with some Simple Green, a rag, and a small brush to get the small amount of accumulated road grime. Yes, I'm a gloating bastid!! LOL
cheers
Ed
cheers
Ed
03-18-2012, 09:22 PM
#50
Took a break for a bit this afternoon, then got back at it for a few hours tonight. Bolted in the new crossmember for a trial fit.
Started assembling the suspension on one side, I wanted to see how everything was going to go together. The Global West "McCaster" original style caster / camber plates on top:
Maximum Motorsports revalved Bilstein front struts:
Loosely bolted together with the SN95 spindle and control arm. To be more correct to the theme of the buildup I should be using a Fox spindle with a 5-log SVO rotor, but I wanted to keep my options open for brake upgrades at a later point. The SN95 arms are pretty close in dimensions to the 87-88 Thunderbird arms that would be more period correct. I'm using 03 Cobra arms with the upgraded bushings, and the discontinued Ford Motorsport extended height ball joints I got a good deal on, Steeda still sells the same ones.
Fitted up the SN95 rack & pinion (03 Cobra) using the nice Maximum Motorsport aluminium rack mount bushings made specifically for stock crossmembers.
Screwed the outer tie rod on, I'm trying 86-95 Taurus pieces. I've seen them mentioned as being a decent alternative to a bump steer kit on a Fox with SN95 spindles and rack. I've purposely left the coil spring out so that I could run the suspension through its travel. Looked pretty good as I moved it up and down, my untrained eye didn't see any bump steer movement in the spindle. The control arm and tie rod look to be fairly level with one another.
Stuck the hub & bearing and a rotor on the spindle so that I could try on one of the wheels for real this time, a little bit of inspiration again to keep moving forward.
The nice weather is supposed to continue this week here in southern Ontario, so hopefully I can get some more done, as long as I don't overdo it.
cheers
Ed
Started assembling the suspension on one side, I wanted to see how everything was going to go together. The Global West "McCaster" original style caster / camber plates on top:
Maximum Motorsports revalved Bilstein front struts:
Loosely bolted together with the SN95 spindle and control arm. To be more correct to the theme of the buildup I should be using a Fox spindle with a 5-log SVO rotor, but I wanted to keep my options open for brake upgrades at a later point. The SN95 arms are pretty close in dimensions to the 87-88 Thunderbird arms that would be more period correct. I'm using 03 Cobra arms with the upgraded bushings, and the discontinued Ford Motorsport extended height ball joints I got a good deal on, Steeda still sells the same ones.
Fitted up the SN95 rack & pinion (03 Cobra) using the nice Maximum Motorsport aluminium rack mount bushings made specifically for stock crossmembers.
Screwed the outer tie rod on, I'm trying 86-95 Taurus pieces. I've seen them mentioned as being a decent alternative to a bump steer kit on a Fox with SN95 spindles and rack. I've purposely left the coil spring out so that I could run the suspension through its travel. Looked pretty good as I moved it up and down, my untrained eye didn't see any bump steer movement in the spindle. The control arm and tie rod look to be fairly level with one another.
Stuck the hub & bearing and a rotor on the spindle so that I could try on one of the wheels for real this time, a little bit of inspiration again to keep moving forward.
The nice weather is supposed to continue this week here in southern Ontario, so hopefully I can get some more done, as long as I don't overdo it.
cheers
Ed
