ScottyDsntKno
New Member
Ok well we all know(or SHOULD know if you'd look at the sticky section) that our subframes leave alot to be desired in the section where the strut rods attach. There are bushing cups that rot/rust out and you wind up with the dreaded subframe "clunk" which often sounds and feels more like a big slam than a clunk... At any rate of all the info I saw there wasn't a good comprehensive guide to do an install. To this end I decided to make one. Heck, I might wind up with another SHO one day and want to reference this myself. I really wish I had this when I did mine yesterday.
Also, this guide is NOT an official Ford guide and I am in no way responsible for any damage to you, your vehicle, anyone else, personal property etc... This is just a guide of how I did it.
What you'll need:
-A set of metric 1/2" drive sockets deep and shallow
-A set of metric 3/8" drive sockets deep and shallow
-A 21mm box wrench
-1/2" drive torque wrench good for 110-120 ft lbs
-1/2" drive breaker bar 18" or longer works well
-3/8" drive and 1/2" drive ratchets
-Two Moog subframe repair kits part number K8737
-Moog bushing kit K8526
-2" spanner socket. I got one by AmPro at Advance Auto, part# T72048
-Wrench and theft prevention adapter for lugnuts
-Red threadlocker
-Tube of silicone, I used blue rtv
-Prybars, screwdrivers, hammer and whatever tools you deem necessary
-Jack, jackstands, chocks
-Safety goggles
-PB blaster
-Maybe a torch if you have a really stubborn nut that won't come off
And now for the process itself:
First, chock the back wheels, jack a side of the car up, install jackstands(ALWAYS USE JACKSTANDS!!!!) remove the front nut and bushing from the strut rod on that side and remove the wheel.
Then, to get the strut rod out you need to remove the suspension arm it attaches to from the body of the car and disconnect the whole thing from the hub assembly like so. This requires larger sockets and the 21mm box wrench here.
*Note you must get the rear subframe bushing off the strut rod to remove it from the subframe, I really don't have any advice for this except to just be persistant with a hammer, pry bar, screwdriver, chisel etc... Each one of these took me almost a half hour to get off and alot of swearing/bleeding etc... They suck, but they DO come off.
Now that you have this out you can chisel out your old subframe strut rod cups. The directions say to chisel them out but mine were so rusted they just fell right out when I pulled the strut rod. This is why we clunk.
Yeah... Now do you see why this NEEDs to be done. I can't imagine how anyone could fix that with a welder like some people claimed...
So you wind up with your subframe looking like this.
And in case anyone doesn't know, the subframe repair kit looks like this.
Now, put some threadlocker on the subframe repair kit and install it with the flat area on the rear piece facing down(you'll see what I'm talking about and its also noted in the directions that come with the repair kit) and torque to 110-120 ft lbs. It should look like this when done. Do NOT install it backwards although it looks like it should go in the other way.
Now, slide the strut rod back up to the subframe hole and install your new rear bushing on the rod BEFORE you slide it through the new bushing cup you just put in. Then push it all the way in and re-attach the suspension arm the strut rod is on to the body and the hub. I don't have a pic for this but if you took it out you can put it back in. Just realize that new bushings and the bigger bushing cups make things a little tighter so you'll have to pry a little. Use threadlocker on everything here.
Its time for the front bushing, make SURE you have the metal washer that came with the kit on the back of the busing, this protects the bushing from the spanner notches.
**** up the bushing on the inside and out with the silicone, this makes it easier to slide into the Moog cup and around the strut rod. Put a jack under the hub assembly and jack that side up until right before it would lift off the jackstand, this makes it possible to get the bushing in around the strut rod on the top side. Install the bushing with the washer and then re-install the stock washer and nut on the front side and tighten them down. I don't have torque values handy for anything but the fix kit itself, I just german torqued everything and used threadlocker.
No, that is NOT blood that is threadlocker although I did tear up one of my knuckles and almost broke my finger on the other side... Anyways that is what it looks like when done. Now just put your wheel back on and do the other side. You now have vehicle that no longer clunks like crazy.
I hope this helps people, I have included ALL the tools, part numbers and what I did to get this done. Now that I've done it I'm confident I could do this in under 2 hours, the only really hard part is that stupid rear bushing on the strut rod that is damn near impossible to get off. The rest of the job is cake.
Let me know what you all think!
-Scott
Also, this guide is NOT an official Ford guide and I am in no way responsible for any damage to you, your vehicle, anyone else, personal property etc... This is just a guide of how I did it.
What you'll need:
-A set of metric 1/2" drive sockets deep and shallow
-A set of metric 3/8" drive sockets deep and shallow
-A 21mm box wrench
-1/2" drive torque wrench good for 110-120 ft lbs
-1/2" drive breaker bar 18" or longer works well
-3/8" drive and 1/2" drive ratchets
-Two Moog subframe repair kits part number K8737
-Moog bushing kit K8526
-2" spanner socket. I got one by AmPro at Advance Auto, part# T72048
-Wrench and theft prevention adapter for lugnuts
-Red threadlocker
-Tube of silicone, I used blue rtv
-Prybars, screwdrivers, hammer and whatever tools you deem necessary
-Jack, jackstands, chocks
-Safety goggles
-PB blaster
-Maybe a torch if you have a really stubborn nut that won't come off
And now for the process itself:
First, chock the back wheels, jack a side of the car up, install jackstands(ALWAYS USE JACKSTANDS!!!!) remove the front nut and bushing from the strut rod on that side and remove the wheel.
Then, to get the strut rod out you need to remove the suspension arm it attaches to from the body of the car and disconnect the whole thing from the hub assembly like so. This requires larger sockets and the 21mm box wrench here.
*Note you must get the rear subframe bushing off the strut rod to remove it from the subframe, I really don't have any advice for this except to just be persistant with a hammer, pry bar, screwdriver, chisel etc... Each one of these took me almost a half hour to get off and alot of swearing/bleeding etc... They suck, but they DO come off.
Now that you have this out you can chisel out your old subframe strut rod cups. The directions say to chisel them out but mine were so rusted they just fell right out when I pulled the strut rod. This is why we clunk.
Yeah... Now do you see why this NEEDs to be done. I can't imagine how anyone could fix that with a welder like some people claimed...
So you wind up with your subframe looking like this.
And in case anyone doesn't know, the subframe repair kit looks like this.
Now, put some threadlocker on the subframe repair kit and install it with the flat area on the rear piece facing down(you'll see what I'm talking about and its also noted in the directions that come with the repair kit) and torque to 110-120 ft lbs. It should look like this when done. Do NOT install it backwards although it looks like it should go in the other way.
Now, slide the strut rod back up to the subframe hole and install your new rear bushing on the rod BEFORE you slide it through the new bushing cup you just put in. Then push it all the way in and re-attach the suspension arm the strut rod is on to the body and the hub. I don't have a pic for this but if you took it out you can put it back in. Just realize that new bushings and the bigger bushing cups make things a little tighter so you'll have to pry a little. Use threadlocker on everything here.
Its time for the front bushing, make SURE you have the metal washer that came with the kit on the back of the busing, this protects the bushing from the spanner notches.
**** up the bushing on the inside and out with the silicone, this makes it easier to slide into the Moog cup and around the strut rod. Put a jack under the hub assembly and jack that side up until right before it would lift off the jackstand, this makes it possible to get the bushing in around the strut rod on the top side. Install the bushing with the washer and then re-install the stock washer and nut on the front side and tighten them down. I don't have torque values handy for anything but the fix kit itself, I just german torqued everything and used threadlocker.
No, that is NOT blood that is threadlocker although I did tear up one of my knuckles and almost broke my finger on the other side... Anyways that is what it looks like when done. Now just put your wheel back on and do the other side. You now have vehicle that no longer clunks like crazy.
I hope this helps people, I have included ALL the tools, part numbers and what I did to get this done. Now that I've done it I'm confident I could do this in under 2 hours, the only really hard part is that stupid rear bushing on the strut rod that is damn near impossible to get off. The rest of the job is cake.
Let me know what you all think!
-Scott
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