[stlwagon]

Next time I've got her up on ramps, I'm going to pull the LCAs and inspect them. Then I'll actually follow the directions to reinstall

[cekim]

Originally Posted by stlwagon

Next time I've got her up on ramps, I'm going to pull the LCAs and inspect them. Then I'll actually follow the directions to reinstall

always a good idea if you do you own wrenching (always a good idea period come to think of it) - found a lose bolt of my own doing this weekend while doing some other mods Not life threatening, but not good either...

[stlwagon]

Originally Posted by cekim

always a good idea if you do you own wrenching (always a good idea period come to think of it) - found a lose bolt of my own doing this weekend while doing some other mods Not life threatening, but not good either...

I wonder if I should just go to Ford and get some new bolts and be done with it?

[cekim]

Originally Posted by stlwagon

I wonder if I should just go to Ford and get some new bolts and be done with it?

I've only heard/read of a couple people having trouble with flabby used LCA bolts, but can't hurt... (other than your wallet)...

[stlwagon]

Originally Posted by cekim

I've only heard/read of a couple people having trouble with flabby used LCA bolts, but can't hurt... (other than your wallet)...

Well I need some new bolts for the front sway bar anyway so I may just bite the bullet and get new LCA bolts too.

[06hoss]

I'm going to have to keep on eye on my bolts since the shop I had used to install the LCAs reused my stock bolts. They didn't do that great a job on the install. I had started another thread about a clunk back there as soon as they were installed and when I looked at them, the jam nuts on the driver side were both loose (they are adjustable LCAs). Now this thing was popping right after I left the garage so they must have forgot to tighten them. They didn't loctite anything either.

The weather was finally nice enough today to get under there and loctite the things so I decided to measure them to make sure they were both the same length. Well, the driver's side LCA was longer than the other one. No wonder my steering wheel was slightly cocked to the left when going straight...my darn axle was trying to turn right!
I measured the stock LCA to get a baseline to make sure I didn't shorten the driver side up too much since I couldn't be sure which LCA was off on length. I had heard a pop on the passenger side on the way home from work (yep, one of the jam nuts on that side had worked loose). I then measured both CHE LCAs a zillion times as I adjusted just the driver's side and both LCAs are now at the length the stockers were. She looks to be straight and she's got red loctite drying on the adjustable bolts.
I'll find out tomorrow if everything is cool. If that red loctite doesn't do the job, then I'm pulling those suckers.

[kj_cinci]

Sorry about your troubles Dan! I guess those puppies work themself out... and I guess some mechs might be reluctant to loctite something that's 'adjustable'...??

I know we loctited mine that are not adjustable...

[kj_cinci]

Originally Posted by stlwagon

Next time I've got her up on ramps, I'm going to pull the LCAs and inspect them. Then I'll actually follow the directions to reinstall

Can you do it on a ramp or do you need the wheels free falling and jack up the rearend?

[06hoss]

I put it up on jack stands since the last time I used the ramps, I smoked the clutch a little getting it up there. I drove the car today and now the steering wheel is straight like it should be, no pops and wow, my fuel mileage jumped from 15.5 to 17 just driving about 15+ miles.
Guess dragging that crooked axle around was really killing the mileage.

[kj_cinci]

Originally Posted by 06hoss

I put it up on jack stands since the last time I used the ramps, I smoked the clutch a little getting it up there. I drove the car today and now the steering wheel is straight like it should be, no pops and wow, my fuel mileage jumped from 15.5 to 17 just driving about 15+ miles.
Guess dragging that crooked axle around was really killing the mileage.

Cool! Good job man!!

[cerino2000]

What do the aftermarket companies do that the factory doesn't that keeps the car from wheel hopping? Spun the tires today on a damp road and the car felt like it was going to fall apart. The pieces seem rather inexpensive so why doesn't the factory just use whatever it is that is different and save themselves from warranty claims on broken rear ends and components?

[cekim]

Originally Posted by cerino2000

What do the aftermarket companies do that the factory doesn't that keeps the car from wheel hopping? Spun the tires today on a damp road and the car felt like it was going to fall apart. The pieces seem rather inexpensive so why doesn't the factory just use whatever it is that is different and save themselves from warranty claims on broken rear ends and components?

Noise Vibration and Harshness.... Although as you have just discovered - they traded NVH on the highway for some brutual NVH when launching hard...

The stock bushings are very soft so they give (move) and isolate virbrations in the driveline form the body... End result is a Lincoln like ride your grandpa would appreciate...

Aftermarket replaces them with much harder polyurethane bushings (in most cases) which prevent the wheel hop at the expense of some additional noise and vibration coming into the cabin....

Ford evidently feels its easier to sell a "smooth" car to everyone and let the moders "fix it" than to sell a harsh car to everyone and get complaints from the whiners...

[cerino2000]

Ok, so does that mean that if I have the factory pieces in one hand and the aftermarket in another that I can feel the difference in the bushings like the factory would be squishy or something?

[sonny1213]

Originally Posted by cerino2000

What do the aftermarket companies do that the factory doesn't that keeps the car from wheel hopping? Spun the tires today on a damp road and the car felt like it was going to fall apart. The pieces seem rather inexpensive so why doesn't the factory just use whatever it is that is different and save themselves from warranty claims on broken rear ends and components?

LOL, Not like the Mustang add doing the burnout! No wheel hop in a nice smooth sneaker sqeaker parking garage I love doing that leaving the Bruins games in Boston

[cekim]

Originally Posted by cerino2000

Ok, so does that mean that if I have the factory pieces in one hand and the aftermarket in another that I can feel the difference in the bushings like the factory would be squishy or something?

Yes there is a noticeable difference... The stock bushings look and feel like black rubber. Poly bushings are much harder and look and feel like plastic (but in a good way). Think bike tire vs rollerblade wheel... that's the difference...