rear shock mounts and other suspension parts

Ryaske

Registered
Looking to replace my cracked rear shock mounts and shocks. Rockauto does not have available either! They had a tech call fomoco and they do not have them either!(?)

I found 4 auctions on ebay for SOLID mounts- without the rubber bushing. I want to keep intact my smooth lincoln ride ... what am I to do?

While I'm makign this post.. Let me also ask...
I will likely be getting upper control arms frmo rockauto. Does anyone know a good place for the rest of the stuff (sway end links F&R and bushings F&R?) I have some clunking over bumps I very much want to get rid of... can't seem to find the parts I need in any one place :(
 
get the solid mounts, then go buy a pair of monroe sensatracs for a 96 t-bird. the new shocks will come with new rubber bushings you sandwich around the solid mounts. i just did this for my buddies 93 and my 93. feels like stock still, wayyyyyyyyyy better then it did with the worn out shocks and bushings.
 
As driller mentioned above, you can purchase the polyurethane rear shock mounts from SuperCoupePerformance.com for $33.00 and follow the procedure I wrote here to replace your broken stock mounts. This is an excellent way to spend a minimum amount of money for a significant improvement in performance. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have about the procedure in this thread or the procedure thread.

As for your front suspension parts, I would go with the Moog sway bar endlinks available on RockAuto.com (Moog #K8635). Assuming you're referring to the strut rod bushings when you mention "bushings F&R" I recommend you acquire the Ford bushings from your local dealer's parts department; the Moog bushings available on RockAuto are poorly designed and will likely cause more noises and front end problems rather than solve them (ironic because they're called "Problem Solver"). If that's not what you're talking about you'll need to be more specific because there are several dozen bushings throughout your car's suspension. For rear sway bar endlinks, you'll have to look at your local parts store for a universal replacement kit, which generally comes with new bushings and/or link shafts as well. The Ford dealership parts counter may have just the bushings if you want to go that route.

-Domenic
 
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wow thanks for the replies guys!

When i said front bushings i was meaning ALL bushings in the front suspension. Or, at least the ones that would be due for replacement at 128k and harshing up my ride.

i read reviews and "first owner accounts" of the mark viii and they said one of hte best parts of the car were the air suspension, soaking up every bump and pothole like they werent there.

My car ... not so much :( Clunking on big bumps, and just general "bump noise" when crusing over imperfections. On the highway, its a floating dream, save some rotor warpage and an alignment requirement.


anyway... The only concern i have with going the supercoupeperformance route for the shock mounts ... how do I know which shock will fit the mount? The more cost effective to get the job done, the better

It so confusing to 1) know what I need to get 2) get the right parts from all the different places and 3) get OK prices

This is what I got so far (rough list).

ROCK AUTO:
K8781 (front control arm w/ ball joing LH upper)
K8782 (front control arm w/ ball joing RH upper)
K8635 (front sway end links)

EBAY:
SOLID strut mounts for rear

LOCAL STORES (napa, pepboys, aidauto, autozone):
rear monroe sensatracs for 96 tbird
universal rear sway bar endlinks

STEALERSHIP
ford front strut rod bushings

Question ; what is MOTORCRAFT Part # AD254 "Shock Mount Insulator?" at rockauto? I called them and they said it was not the strut mounts for the rear. do i need this?

I still have to do a quick test on the steering to see if i need any tierod parts, but the boots look A-OK. the upper arm balljoints are SHOT (most clunking coming from here). front air bags are suncore remans .. so the shocks are likely worn but they hold air fine, so can't replace them yet. anything else you think I may want for a smooooth ride? Also please let me know if any of these will require the bushings be pressed .. I need to plan a ride to the place.

Also .. If a single person wants to undertake the creation of a part# list for me .. I will pay that person $10 via paypal for the help, if you're interested.

In any case- thanks for the help gentlemen. i was unsure if i should post here or one of the other 3 markviii forums I frequent. I wish there was ONE forum for markviii's where EVERYONE goes :)
 
... I was unsure if I should post here or one of the other 3 markviii forums I frequent. I wish there was ONE forum for markviii's where EVERYONE goes :)

You've found the right forum. ;)

One reason it's so confusing is because you have choices, and that's a good thing. The other reason is because you are trying to address multiple issues at one setting.

Take it step by step. Identify and correct one issue at a time and it will be a lot simpler.
 
Hey driller,

I frequently do advanced "in the title only" searches for issues I'm having on all the Mk8 forums... and have read a TON. And now that I see your name here.. I realize I have seen your replies come up many many many times on these forums.

I would address these issues separately, but I'm trying to save money wherever I can. My original plan was to take a weekend (or take some vacation time during the week) to wrench in all of these miscellaneous suspension parts and take the car for ONE 4 wheel alignment before returning to work (This is my only car and I work a good distance away). All of the places near where I live charge about 180-250$ for one stinkin alignment so doing this twice would really suck.

Besides the alignment $, i'm trying to save on gasoline when picking up parts, or shipping charges when ordering online. And.. trying to avoid the "incorrect part" headaches when my car has no wheels on it.

Since I caught the balljoints early ... I know I have a few weeks to make the decisions and order the parts before it gets bad enough to become a safety issue or it affects my transport to work.

I have a service manual ... but unfortunately its not as detailed as I would expect. I will continue to do searches to determine what parts I need to replace and I thank you all for the help youve provided thus far!
 
I would agree that rebuilding the entire front end all at once is the way to go. Manipulating all that stuff is difficult and tiresome and time-consuming.

Your parts list looks good, however I would also purchase lower control arms from supercoupe along with inner and outer tie rods from rockauto (MOOG). It'll cost you an extra $230, but it's well worth it.
 
This is what I got so far (rough list).

ROCK AUTO:
K8781 (front control arm w/ ball joing LH upper)
K8782 (front control arm w/ ball joing RH upper)
K8635 (front sway end links)

EBAY:
SOLID strut mounts for rear

LOCAL STORES (napa, pepboys, aidauto, autozone):
rear monroe sensatracs for 96 tbird
universal rear sway bar endlinks

STEALERSHIP
ford front strut rod bushings

Not all the listed parts are affiliated. The rear shocks/mounts and sway bar end links have nothing to do with alignment or any front end work.

I don't have an issue with doing the entire front end at once. With the exception of the strut rod bushings, that's how I did mine.
 
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