Gen 2 Suspension Overhaul

[vortex2450]

I have had it with the suspension on my gen 2. It's just on issue after another for a sub par ride.

So here's my best attempt at everything that's driving me nuts:
-Front end has a clunk in the right side that comes and goes.
-Steering rack has too much play
-Power steering pump whines and VAPS sucks
-Cars pulls to left some and to the right on certain roads ( alignment is perfect according to the printout)
-The rear sway bar bolt sheared off and the mount is currently held on with 3 big self tapping screws
- The rear end CLUNKS, oh god it clunks for everything. Even the smallest bump that feels just fine through the front turns into a solid, deep "dunk" when the rear end travels over it. This is the biggest issue, I live in the city with crap roads and this is driving me up the wall.
-Also, when driving at speeds above 65mph there is a very noticeable vibration pulsating from the ear of the car, switching tires to front didn't change effect.
- Parking brake doesn't work on either caliper


Needless to say, I am fed up with it to the point that I honestly want to drive it off of a cliff. I plan to completely overhaul everything that I think is currently a problem or could lead to an problem. So on with it; here is stuff I know that's been done or I have done. Everything that I don't mention is either stock or I don't have any idea if it's been replaced.

Firestone indy 500 tires (mounted and balanced right), 500 miles ago
4 wheel alignment to my specs, 500 miles ago
Eibach/Tokico combo w/ at least 80k miles
Reman steering rack w/ VAPs, 42k miles ago
Ingalls Adjustable strut mounts w/ new strut bearing bearings, 14k miles ago
ALSFB 15k miles ago
Moog LCA w/ ball joint (gen 2) 3k miles ago
Moog Greasable Endlinks, 3k miles ago
Ingalls Adjustable RCA, 4k miles ago
H-brace, 4k miles ago
moog rear endlinks, 26k miles ago
gen 3 brakes w/ new bearings, 16k miles ago
SS brake lines w/ bias valve, 4k miles ago

Beyond what was mentioned it's stock/craptastic.

Now, I want to have it where the car is totally reliable and clunk free. I need to soften the ride and have something that is daily derivable. The engine is smooth as butter and I want the feel of the car to be the same, so I'm coming here to get the best options for a daily driver.

So with that said, here's my initial game plan.
The only parts I will keep is the ingalls mounts and RCAs.

-Drill and tap into sheared sway bar mount bolt for a decent mounting option.
-gen 3 sf swap
-zf rack w/ new inner tie rods
-gen 3 moog outer tie rods ends
-timken wheel bearing for gen 3 knuckles
-Moog LCAs
-Moog ball joints
-gen 3 sf bushings
-sway bar bushings all around
-Moog endlinks all around
-sensa-trac/eibach combo w/ new spring seats all around
-Moog rear strut mounts
-Timken rear wheel bearings
-reman PS pump
-cobra front brake upgrade
-relocate 11.6" brakes to rear
-reman rear calipers

Now this is off the top of my head, please point out anything I might have missed.

I dont' mind the toughter ride of the Tokico/Eibach combo but I suspect that that either have already crapped out or will soon and just don't wanna deal with it.

Well that's some steam vented. Now I need to compile a list of parts and prices.


EDIT: Total parts price shipped ( not including gen 3 sf and zf rack and using eibach's again) : $1,151 shipped.

-josh

 

[Irish Pride]

Get rid of the Tokicos but keep the Eibachs. You will get a better ride with SensaTrac/Eibach than with Moogs. Take the car to an exhaust shop and have them weld a new stud on for the sway bar bracket. No need to drill and tap. Have you investigated as to why your parking brake does not work? Could very easily be the cable and not the calipers.

 

[vortex2450]

Get rid of the Tokicos but keep the Eibachs. You will get a better ride with SensaTrac/Eibach than with Moogs. Take the car to an exhaust shop and have them weld a new stud on for the sway bar bracket. No need to drill and tap. Have you investigated as to why your parking brake does not work? Could very easily be the cable and not the calipers.

It looks like I will have too, RA doesn't carry the front moogs. So I'll keep the Eibachs.

Now I can get my hands on a welder myself for the stud, didn't think of that because I still wanted a bolt versus a stud and nut combo but I don't see why that would not work. Good call.

And the parking brake doesn't work because on caliper's mechanism (original) is seized up. The other caliper is an autozone replacement and the mechanism is obviously on existent because it doesn't stop the wheel from spinning when in the air and engaged. I would return it but I am over the crap parts, going with an a1 cardone reman for both sides.

-Josh

 

[Irish Pride]

If you never use the parking brake thats why the Autozone one doesnt stop the wheel from spinning. The parking brake is self adjusting and it needs to be used in order to adjust itself. Everytime you use the parking brake it compensated for pad wear.

 

[vortex2450]

If you never use the parking brake thats why the Autozone one doesnt stop the wheel from spinning. The parking brake is self adjusting and it needs to be used in order to adjust itself. Everytime you use the parking brake it compensated for pad wear.

Your are correct, I used the parking brake(s) for 6 months thinking both worked but when I noticed the left side dragging I jacked the car up and when engaged the right rear wheel would spin freely but the left worked, when disengaged the left rear hardly spun. I suspect the lack of the right caliper working as a parking brake led to the decline of the left caliper.

Eitherway, one is autozone crap and the other is rustastic OEM, they are both going back as cores.


-Josh

 

[kevinspann]

You don't have VAPS in a 92.

 

[vortex2450]

You don't have VAPS in a 92.

Hmm, well then the rack just really sucks. There was a module that looked sort of like a VAPs sensor that had the appropriate connectors on the original rack, I just plugged it back into the reman rack. I guess that I did not want to leave it unplugged?


-Josh

 

[kevinspann]

Also, post up the alignment sheet if you can.

 

[vortex2450]

Also, post up the alignment sheet if you can.

The first sheet is what I handed the alignment tech and told him these specs were desirable for me.



And this is the closest he could get it, I was satisfied but maybe I'm missing something here. I know that is a lot of positive caster but since I have adjustable mounts I figured I should get as much as I could from them.




-josh

 

[SHOVNST]

You don't have VAPS in a 92.

I thought 92s had VAPS?

 

[kevinspann]

I thought 92s had VAPS?

They don't.

The alignment setting are even, which is good I suppose. I think cars are set up to have different caster on the left and right sides to compensate for the crown of the road...yours is equal, which is probably why it pulls some depending on the road.

 

[vortex2450]

They don't.

The alignment setting are even, which is good I suppose. I think cars are set up to have different caster on the left and right sides to compensate for the crown of the road...yours is equal, which is probably why it pulls some depending on the road.

That was the idea, I mean I was under the impression that you only needed .1 to .2 degrees difference right to left to compensate for road crown. That's why I was happy with -0.1 degrees cross caster.

 

[SHOVNST]

They don't.

Which years do? I thought for sure `92 did.

 

[kevinspann]

93-95 ATX did, I think the MTXs did as well.

 

[notbange]

I doubt you'd notice the difference with only a couple of tenths cross caster change, that is a perfectly fine alignment you have right there. I will say that having positive toe in the front changes the feel of the steering a lot, helps counteract the tire wear but it responds to turning a lot better with the toe more negative as per ford's spec.

 

[vortex2450]

I doubt you'd notice the difference with only a couple of tenths cross caster change, that is a perfectly fine alignment you have right there. I will say that having positive toe in the front changes the feel of the steering a lot, helps counteract the tire wear but it responds to turning a lot better with the toe more negative as per ford's spec.

I preferred positive toe for more straight line stability, the cost of turn in response is probably negligible considering my other issues and that fact that this is more than a 20 year old design.

-josh