Too darned old, it wore me out, but did it!

R

Ron Ketcham

Active member
Yesterday, jacked up the Bird, set the jack stands, pulled the front wheels off and away I went!

Pulled the shocks, disconnected all the right parts, put in the spring compressor, pulled the front coil springs and cut 1/2 a coil off of each, put it all back together, installing the new gas shocks.

Got to love that big air compressor and a box full of air tools.



Now, at 68 and a half, crawling around, etc, that is a pretty full 3 hours, but wanted the front of the Bird down 2 inches and a fellow here in town, who does these things for a living said that 1/2 a coil would do the drop without any problems.



Put it back together, and got only a 1/2 an inch drop!



Well, only one thing to do, once I my old body recovers, take it apart again and cut a full coil off.



I called my buddy Gerry at Ford Body/Paint Tech Center for Ford and he said I must have only heard only the 1/2 inch part, because it takes removal of 1 and 1/2 of a coil on that year of Bird to get the "drop".



He suggested I drive it for a month or so, then remove a complete coil. That will let everything to this point settle in.



Ain't life grand????



Grumpy
 
Jon, sure didn't feel like there was much life left in the old dog last night!

I was feeling sore in muscles I forgot I had.

Oh well, wait for a cool day or this fall and take it apart again.

Grumpy
 
When I crawl back under that thing and get the right drop, then new pictures will go into my Gallery.

No hurry at this point, the old body needs to have it's muscles rest a bit, darn my shoulders and upper back are tight today.

Think that once I have another go at it, will find some good nylon or brass bushings for the sway bar, etc and install them as well to get rid of the old sloppy rubber ones. They are still in good shape, after all the Bird turned a whole 13,500 miles last night.

Those gas shocks made a nice change, now need to put a set on the back.

Same with the Beast (Ranchero), put the gas on the front last fall, never changed out the back shocks, now need to do both.

Grumpy
 
Hurry up and get those jobs done Ron and then you can come and help me put lower ball joints on the old lady's Mountaineer AWD.
 
hotrod66paul said:
Hurry up and get those jobs done Ron and then you can come and help me put lower ball joints on the old lady's Mountaineer AWD.
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Yeah, right, will get right on it, writting on my "to do list" right at this moment, will be sure and do that.

LOL!

Grumpy
 
Darn, I wish you lived around my way because I'd just have you over and you could've used my lift. The job would've gone by so much easier.
 
Ron Ketcham- Hey, props to you for crawling under there and doing it :bow



You gonna drive it or just let it sit while you wait for it to settle (thinking "alignment")?



Brass bushing on the anti-sway? Yikes, I sometimes think twice about poly! Guess I'd just get some "universal" graphite-impregnated ones in the right size from Engergy Suspension, but even then you'd better set up the bushing and their mounts with Zerk fittings to keep things civilized (hey, that 'Bird is supposed to be "personal luxury", yah know).



I'd think that car *really* needs a bigger rear bar more than anything :think:
 
Found the rear bar set up, about $220 with all the hardware.

That is a fall project.

I used brass, with zerks on the Mustang, may go poly on the Bird. The brass is really overkill, but got acess to a lathe, so could make them.

Had it out for a cruise last night, that's the only way to find out how many nuts and bolts I left off.

Not looking for a horse power car, but a "handling" car.

I "stringed" it once before I started, and again this morning-all is good on alignment, tracks straight and true, even "chalked" the inner and outer threads, and no uneven wear showing after a 50 mile run.

Took heat measurements on the inner and outter treads with the digital thermometer, all even temps after the run.

If I were really serious, would reposistion the a-frames down 2 inch and cut two coils off, now that makes it a roller skate when the rear bar and double shocks are on the back.

Grumpy
 
Ron Ketcham- Roger that on making it handle, and I just *knew* that memories of your Mustang were gonna factor in somewhere!



So cutting the coils didn't mess up the alignment?!?



Eh, I went the other way on the older/civilian Crown Vic- put cop springs on it, which raised it up. Ruined the looks, but I have too many parking lots I can't get into/out of with the S8 (or even the other Audis!) and the Fords have to go anywhere without issues (and at speed too ;) ).



Oh, and how are the 'bird's control arm bushings? Wouldn't surprise me if they could use replacing.
 
The car only has 13,500 miles on it at the present.

They look fine, couldn't see any indication that they are loose, sloppy or failing.

Depending on what I end up doing on some of the other bushings, who knows, if they are in a kit, might as well upgrade them as well.

My last company car, the Gran Marquis, the one that I sat down with the guys at Vehicle Oerations in Allen Park, and ordered out special, had the police interceptor suspension, but it didn't set up higher than a standard CV or GM.



Grumpy
 
Ron Ketcham said:
The car only has 13,500 miles on it at the present.

They look fine, couldn't see any indication that they are loose, sloppy or failing.

Depending on what I end up doing on some of the other bushings, who knows, if they are in a kit, might as well upgrade them as well.

My last company car, the Gran Marquis, the one that I sat down with the guys at Vehicle Oerations in Allen Park, and ordered out special, had the police interceptor suspension, but it didn't set up higher than a standard CV or GM.



Grumpy
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We swapped P71 springs into my buddy's GM as well, no change in ride height. The only difference is in the spring rates and load capacity.
 
Ron Ketcham said:
The car only has 13,500 miles on it at the present...
Click to expand...



Well, I was thinking "age"/etc. too.



.. My last company car, the Gran Marquis, the one that I sat down with the guys at Vehicle Oerations in Allen Park, and ordered out special, had the police interceptor suspension, but it didn't set up higher than a standard CV or GM...
Click to expand...



Yeah, I remember your Soprano Mobile :D



Funny about its ride height, changing the springs on my P73 did raise it up (and no, it wasn't sagging before), could tell pretty clearly in the before/after sense. Well, OK...maybe not enough to truly "ruin the look" but enough that you could tell. And I did have to get the alignment tweaked :nixweiss
 
C. Charles Hahn said:
We swapped P71 springs into my buddy's GM as well, no change in ride height. The only difference is in the spring rates and load capacity.
Click to expand...



Ah, I never had a civilian b-body other than the Roadmaster wagon, and I had aftermarket springs on that one.
 
C. Charles Hahn- OOOH, OK, heh heh, that's different then. :think: Huh, wonder why mine raised up :think: Oh well... :nixweiss
 
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