Ok...I'm changing the oil today in preparation for the SVTOA on track event "Fall Thunder in the SouthWest" next weekend. I figure I'll drive up on the 'ole ramps and check out her ass.
So, recently I purchase the shop manual for the '03 mustang and I also purchased the paper copy of the TSB on the rear end "pop". The TSB lists a bunch of nuts and bolts to check the torque on. Now a little history. I had the halfshafts and hubs replaced in February for the "pop/tink" (reverse/forward) and the problem was eliminated. However, I had been hearing a pop recently (7 months later).
So..I'm checking all the nuts and bolts when I come to the driver's side rear sway bar upper end link. The upper end link nut is not even tight! The nut is about 1/4" away from the stabilizer and there was a 1/4" gap between the stabilizer and the end link. There was approximately 1/2" of total play!
Because of all the slop between the sway bar and end link, the threads on the end link stud were worn away where the sway bar had been riding back and forth. As a result I couldn't tighten the nut to correct torque specifications. The end link is also interesting in that you have to use a socket on the end of the threaded stud (7mm) while holding the nut to tighten it. Otherwise the stud will just spin. I have a hunch this was loose from the factory. :cuss: The dealership didn't need to touch this to replace the halfshafts. Now I have to order a new end link because the end link threads are fubared. :fm:
But... as far as I could tell, the pop is gone. Because the threads were screwed up I could only get the sway bar semi tight against the end link with the nut.
If someone will host it, I have a pic of the end link before I tightened it up illustrating the problem...
So, recently I purchase the shop manual for the '03 mustang and I also purchased the paper copy of the TSB on the rear end "pop". The TSB lists a bunch of nuts and bolts to check the torque on. Now a little history. I had the halfshafts and hubs replaced in February for the "pop/tink" (reverse/forward) and the problem was eliminated. However, I had been hearing a pop recently (7 months later).
So..I'm checking all the nuts and bolts when I come to the driver's side rear sway bar upper end link. The upper end link nut is not even tight! The nut is about 1/4" away from the stabilizer and there was a 1/4" gap between the stabilizer and the end link. There was approximately 1/2" of total play!
Because of all the slop between the sway bar and end link, the threads on the end link stud were worn away where the sway bar had been riding back and forth. As a result I couldn't tighten the nut to correct torque specifications. The end link is also interesting in that you have to use a socket on the end of the threaded stud (7mm) while holding the nut to tighten it. Otherwise the stud will just spin. I have a hunch this was loose from the factory. :cuss: The dealership didn't need to touch this to replace the halfshafts. Now I have to order a new end link because the end link threads are fubared. :fm:
But... as far as I could tell, the pop is gone. Because the threads were screwed up I could only get the sway bar semi tight against the end link with the nut.
If someone will host it, I have a pic of the end link before I tightened it up illustrating the problem...
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