pretty sure I used your standard deep well socket. Which all sockets are hex, soooo? I have no idea what a gear wrench is either.
HOW TO: IRS Subframe bushings at home
- Thread starter NJredfire03
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pretty sure I used your standard deep well socket. Which all sockets are hex, soooo? I have no idea what a gear wrench is either.
To clarify, the correct tool name is external torx. (sorry, don't remember which size is needed)
And a Ratcheting Wrench will help speed the endlink removal. Gear Wrench is the generic brand name sold at Lowes or everyday Auto Parts Stores.
Hope that helps. I'm thankful my bushing project is finished. It was a chore, but well worth it.
And a Ratcheting Wrench will help speed the endlink removal. Gear Wrench is the generic brand name sold at Lowes or everyday Auto Parts Stores.
Hope that helps. I'm thankful my bushing project is finished. It was a chore, but well worth it.
To clarify, the correct tool name is external torx. (sorry, don't remember which size is needed)
And a Ratcheting Wrench will help speed the endlink removal. Gear Wrench is the generic brand name sold at Lowes or everyday Auto Parts Stores.
Hope that helps. I'm thankful my bushing project is finished. It was a chore, but well worth it.
Thanks. I have those available to me. So I'll give that a shot. but Honestly, if all else fails, I got a sawsall that will get the oem end links off and Ill get the adjustable ones and research what to do with those.
This job is just getting more and more expensive, but will be worth it in the end. Went out and got MM adjustable rear sway bar end links, Lubelocker rear diff seal, Billetflow IRS brace. Hope to work on the rest of the bushings and the wheel studs while these other parts are in transit to my house. I really can't wait to feel the difference once this is all done.
I am beginning the IRS bushing kit today. I will also be doing, an eibach pro kit, tokico shocks and struts, mm caster camber plates, ftbr bumpsteer kit, ford reinforced cover, and the mm steering rack bushings. Im going to shoot for a 1 day install! I will try to take pictures of everything as I go. good luck to me
Good luck man, I have been doing like an hour here and there. I also have been doing like nonchalant work. I'm not busting out these jobs as quick as I can. I got the two rear subframe bushings in and I removed the sway bar. Those oem endlinks gave me one hell of a time. Even using a vice grip to stop the bolt from spinning it still spun. I literally had to cut the end link in half with a sawsall. Then use a hammer to break the rod off of the ball joint inside. Then i was able to get a vice grip on the ball of the joint and remove the nut. Crazy. This job has become an almost overhaul of the rear of the car. I still have to do the front bushings( which these bushings are not easily coming out at all, even after drilling them and using a removal tool from MM), install the sway bar with the new MM adjustable links, The diff gasket(got the LL one), billetflow IRS brace, I also got FTBR's front and rear diff mount bushings, HR race springs, install the new Moroso wheel studs, and then the new brakes and new exhaust. Once I get that done the front should be easy. Just have the brakes and springs to do, Also putting on heavy duty front end links that came from eibach. I would go get a two inch wire wheel to put on a strong drill so you can clean out those bushing shells. So far thats been the easiest and pain free thing to do. takes not even a min to clean out the shells that way. Good luck on your build. I wish I had the car at my place so I can work on it whenever i want. It would have been done by now for sure. Show us pictures and any insight when you get it all done.
Put a good hit on it today, dropped the irs, changed all the bushing (the tools were nearly useless for us), installed the differential cover and bracket. I also changed the rear shocks. We worked all day, but still kinda took it easy. Tomorrow the irs goes back in and the remainder will be done.
What tool was nearly useless to you? the removal tool? You did a lot of work yesterday. I wish i could spend an entire day working on the car. What bushing kit did you get btw?
The bushing tool for the lower control arms was basically useless, as were the ones for the subframe bushings. I found it much easier to heat the subframe with a torch and hammer them out. The two I did the with the removal tool took about a half hour each and needed alot of cleanup, while the ones I did with the torch came out clean and were done in a matter of minutes.
Today we installed the grease fittings on the lower control arms, torqued up all the nuts and installed the bumpsteer kit. Got everything back together and installed the lowering springs, IRS, driveshaft and the exhaust. Got the brakes back together and actually got to take it for a ride...needless to say my alignment was f*cked up bad. After the 2 minutes of driving we pulled the car back in and actually began to disassemble the front end for the steering rack bushings, springs and shocks. We only got the passenger side apart, and started getting ready for the caster/camber plates. We realized part way into that we needed a few other tools, so we wrapped up and will continue our work next saturday. All in all this is a job I never want to do again..but I have definitely learned alot.
Damn, you guys are knocking that out big time. Yeah I don't think i will be doing this again myself. Once i decide to, or have to, upgrade to a full FTBR bushing kit, I might just pay for someone to do it. Unless I have my own garage with tools and someone willing to work hard with me(winter project). What tools do you need for the front that you dont have?
A spring compressor...for some reason the stock springs were tough to pull, we got out the passenger side, but could not get enough compression on the tokico to get it in. The drivers side is still untouched. We also will be using a special grinder (cant remember the name) to cut the holes for the caster/camber plates being that they have to be oval. Where in jersey are you?
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01cobravortech
Banned
Definitely put up a review of the FTBR kit once you get everything buttoned down. I'd like to hear your opinion as it compares to the stock suspension.
I definitely will, I plan on getting my new tires and alignment done as soon as I finish off the install...then the review will follow
01cobravortech
Banned
:beer:
Union county, directly west of NYC about 20 miles. Is Hopewell by the Bear Mt. Bridge? I used to do some Army training up by there and would see a bunch of SWEET cobras at an Exxon station near the bridge.
I unfortunately will have to wait on CC plates and alignment. I'm hoping I'll get to do the front sway bar and CC plates at the same time. Then align it. I really don't mind the front tires wearing uneven, they're old and I'll just replace em when it's time.
Slowly but surely I will get the car the way I want it. I'm also hoping to finish up the bushings, springs, and sway bar this week to get the subframe bolted back up. Then I'll concentrate on the diff.
I am about a half hour north of the bear mountain bridge. I would also recommend doing the differential cover while everything is down. It took some real effort to be able to get the cover off even when we had the whole irs down. at one point or another the entire irs was taken apart to do everything. we also waited to put in the gear oil until the rear was bolted back in... which was a big mistake. I had to fashion together several small hoses, and syphon the gear oil into the differential. Needless to say, it worked but could have been much easier if the rear was still out.
Not doing the diff cover, doing the brace from Billetflow. I guess I'll figure out how I'm going to get the fluid in cause I am not dropping the whole IRS or dropping the diff out. When I was at that Exxon the Cobra that I saw was a SB with checker paint by the hood vents. It had a big ass KB on it pushing over 700 and had a SRA. Dunno if you know that Cobra or not.
Thats right I forgot, in that case I dont believe you have to worry about fluids then because you wont actually be opening up the diff. (if anyone else knows better please chime in!)
That car sounds familiar, but its been about 2 years since Ive actually made it out to a meet at bear mtn.
you are right about not refilling with just the brace, but I am doing the gasket too. It's leaking. and it was about 2 years ago when I saw that cobra. I'll figure it out, Even if I have to use a super soaker 10 to fill it, it'll get filled.
oh yea, you mentioned the lube locker as well earlier in the thread. haha, ive read so many irs threads I dont remember them all. I used the lube locker also which seems to be working great. After seeing what I went through with my diff cover, im not entirely sure how you would do it with it still in the car. Im sure its possible but I have no idea how.
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