Coil Spring Completion and Driver Upper Ball Joint Replacement

Today, I finished the replacement of the front coil springs by handling the driver side.  This included not only replacing the spring but also the upper ball joint.  

A few months ago, I decided I'd check the front suspension, make sure everything remained tight, and lubricate everything.  In the process, I learned of a slit in the driver side upper ball joint boot.  It was not horrible but it would certainly cause the ball joint to fail early.  

The ball joint replacement required that I grind off the rivets which held the original in place.  The new one is a Moog K8142 which bolts in place once the old one is removed.  The current upper control arm is a Moog unit so I thought I might be able to just replace the boot but the new one is held on by a trim ring while the original had a metal ring inside the boot which held it in place.  Regardless, the job is done and did not take too long.

If you look close, you can see the slit running from left to right on the top surface of the boot.

The new one bolted in place...

I then installed the new spring with the entire job requiring about 2 hours due to taking a leisurely pace with it all.  

I drove around the block some with the rear suspension bolts still just snug.  The front is now at 25 1/8" to the bottom of the fender which is a 1" increase over the 24 1/8" height before starting work.  I did not expect as much of an increase as I used the exact same springs and cut them exactly 5/8" higher.  Being longer, I expected the spring rate to be every so slightly less such that it would be between 1/2" and 5/8" higher.

The rear is still a bit of a mystery.  I'm still using the 1" lowering blocks and stock shackle with 5 leaf springs.  The passenger side is at 25 3/4" while the driver side is at 25 1/2" which has not settled much although I've not driven much either.  This is not much different than it was before switching but I'm completely full on gas which likely makes a bit of a difference.

I'm tempted to buy a set of .75 or .5 lowering blocks just to raise the rear a slight bit more.  I've not had the tire drag but then again I've not had many people in the car or the trunk full of gear for a road trip.  This would raise the rear to make it balance more with the front of the car.  I could also cut the front springs down just a bit more.

The best option would be to leave it alone for a bit now and drive it around some.  The front might settle some in the days to come.  It would be best to give it that opportunity before making any permanent change like cutting them.  If I were to do anything, I would try some different blocks to balance it out some for now as I wait to see if it changes over time.  

New Coil Springs - Passenger Side Done

I purchased a new set of front coil springs (NPD # 5310-8) and have been waiting to install them.  As a baseline, I measured the front suspension and the height to the bottom of the fender lip was 24 1/8"

I'm replacing my current springs with the exact same style I used before which are for a big block car.  The springs are rated at 428 lbs and set the ride height at 11.5" which is a little high.  I'll be cutting some off but not a full coil like I did with the last set.  My goal is to raise the front end by about half an inch which is not much and is a little picky.  However, now that I have raised the rear, the front will look rather strange unless I raise it at least a little.

I removed the passenger side coil spring and set it next to the new one.  I oriented them the same so it was each the height of the current spring on the new one.  I then measured up on the spring to the height that the overall spring height is 5/8" taller and cut both of the new ones there.  

I installed just the passenger side spring and went for a drive around the block.  The passenger side currently sits at 25 1/8" so I gained essentially an inch.  Trouble is that I know the raised height on one side is loading the other side of the suspension some.  If I move both up equally, perhaps this side drops more or perhaps it is actually shifting weight to the back some now.  It is hard to state.  I'm debating if I leave it alone or cut a little bit more off, install the driver side, and then pull the passenger side back out to fine tune it.

Since I had the measuring tape out, I measured the back and found the passenger side is at 26" and the driver side is at 25".  This is a little bewildering.  

When I installed the 1" lowering blocks, I drove around a bit to try to get the suspension to settle.  While I was out driving, I filled up with gas which was a bit of a mistake as it changed an extra variable.  When I made it home, I found the driver side was 1/2" lower than the passenger.  The blocks are exactly the same height so I figure it is something with the spring rates being slightly different or more gas weight on that side but none of it really makes any sense.  

As I said before, one of the many joys of working on a car with parts from China.  

New Rear Leaf Springs 3

I put on the 1" blocks on the rear suspension this morning.  Before driving, I quickly measured the passenger side and found it to be 26 1/8" which was about as expected as it was right about 27" before.  I then decided to go on a drive with the bolts just snug so it could settle.

While out, I completely filled the gas tank which was probably not the best decision for evaluating height changes.  When I returned, the passenger side was at 25 3/4" and the driver side was at 25 1/2".

Unfortunately, this means the driver side is back where it started at with the 4.5 mid eye springs.  That is a little surprising as that means the with the 1" blocks and a tank of gas that the driver side dropped 1.5 inches.  It is visible that one side is lower which is rather frustrating.  I keep throwing money at the problem but nothing sees to fix it.

I'm probably going to leave it for a bit now and come back to it later.  

New Rear Leaf Springs 2

The new Grab-A-Trak 5 leaf, standard eye leaf springs arrived this past weekend.  From the moment they arrived, I have worried that I made a mistake in accepting the 5 leaf springs instead of waiting for the 4.5 leaf springs to be available.  I'm afraid they will produce an overly stiff ride which is not really what I'm looking for but there is no turning back now.

I took off the 4.5 leaf, mid eye springs today and sat one on the ground next to the new 5 leaf springs.  The 4.5 leaf springs appears to have flattened out over time as it is 1" longer than the new 5 leaf spring.  The 5 leaf spring is taller by 1.5" at the axle mounting plate.  I imagine this means the car will sit about 1.5" taller but that is a rough guess.  That is more than I expected so we will see.

The 5 leaf springs seem exceptionally heavy so I thought I would weigh both sets before installing them.  I found the 5 leaf springs weight 37 lbs each and the 4.5 leaf springs weigh 35.2 lbs each.  I expected the 5 leaf springs to weight much more just from holding them but am glad to see there is little difference.

...

I installed the 5 leaf springs over the course of the last three evenings.  The front leaf eye bolt and shackle nuts remain relatively loose so the suspension can settle quickly.  Once I drive it around the block once, I will get them all tight so there is no binding.  Unfortunately, when I took the vehicle off the jacks, the rear height is at 27" which is way high.

I installed the springs using the original length shackles instead of the extended ones which raised the rear 5/8" a few years back.  Since the height using the mid-eye springs with the original shackles was 25", I expected a height of 26".  This was my expectation as the mid-eyes are advertised as... "They will set the rear of your Mustang 1" below stock ride height".  My new 5 leaf springs are advertised to... "They will restore the rear of your Mustang to stock ride height". I can't help but believe this is because they are 5 leaf springs and do not give as much under the weight of the car but the man I spoke with (Doug) indicated that would not make a difference when he spoke with me about changing my order to a 5 leaf spring.

I've not driven around the block yet as it is rather late.  I've rolled the car back and forth some and bounced the back end with my body weight but it makes no difference.  The car did not settle much in the past when I installed the 4.5 leaf springs.  While they appeared flattened on the ground next to the 5 leaf, I measured from the day I installed until recently and nothing has changed.

This is one of the major disappointments of restoring a classic Mustang.  More often that I would like, the parts you purchased to fix or restore your car are advertised incorrectly, don't fit, or are simply of very poor quality.  It unfortunately makes the two steps forward and one step back statement a reality.

#787040

New Rear Leaf Springs

In February of 2015, I installed a set of Grab-A-Trak leaf springs on the Mustang.  They are 4.5 leaf springs with a mid-eye which are advertised by Grab-A-Trak to be between 1 and 1.25".  I neglected to measure before installing the springs originally but the installed ride height was 25" afterwards.

My guess at the time was that the rear of the car dropped between .75" and 1" from installing the springs.  I expected less as I thought the stock rear springs were already sagging considerably.  It was only after installing the springs that I began to experience problems with the tires rubbing the quarter panel.

In March of 2015, I installed a set of Scott Drake extended shackles.  My understanding was they would increase the height some and I thought it could stop the rubbing.  These raised the height of the rear about 3/4" which settled out to a final ride height after driving around a while to 25 5/8".  However, it did not stop the rubbing on the tires on the quarter panel. 

I just ordered a set of 4.5 leaf, standard eye Grab-A-Track leaf springs in January.  They have been on back order so I called to find they did not expect to get any in for a few months!  They offered me the 5 leaf, standard eye spring as they had them in stock so I had them sent out.  I'm a little worried about the 5 leaf being too stiff (195 lbs vs 175 lbs) but I'll give them a try.  

If I installed the new standard height springs with the extended shackle, I imagine it would raise everything about 1" or so to 26 5/8".  However, I plan to go back to the standard height shackle which should drop the rear 5.8" and put me at 26".  This is essentially a 1/2" increase in rear ride height.  If this works, I think it would be about perfect.

The plan afterwards is to buy new springs for the front to match the ride height of the rear.  I'll buy another set of 428 lb coil springs and but a little off to perfect the height.  I just want to get the rear height right first and then I will work on the front. 

Driver Door Data Plate Removal

I suspect the driver door on my Mustang was replaced at some point.  The driver side fender and quarter panel were hit at some point and have a fair amount of bondo.  The door, however, appears to have no damage.  Additionally, the door was originally white behind the door panel when the vehicle was never actually white.  That being said, it has a date stamp inside of 3 67 which matches about the time the rest of the panels on the car were produced. 

The Data Plate is held to the door with some rather stange looking rivets.  I'd like to take it off so that the car can be painted with it off.  I'll then install a reproduction made by Marti Auto Works which does not have all the damage and paint overspray on it. 

In December, I had Marti Auto Works make me a reproduction of my Data Plate.  As you can see in the picture below, the original one from the car has a bit of damage to it.  Additionally, when I wiped it off after removing it with a towel and a little cleaner it took off a large part of the original paint. 

Once the Data Plate was removed, it was obvious the holes are a little pushed in by the rivets used.  This makes the holes such that I can't really install the replacement one with the correct style rivets.  I'll need to get a different style dolly to get this smoothed out as the ones I have can't get back to these small corner areas of the door very well.

While I'm at it, I'm working on this bolt which broke off early in the restoration.  I drilled it out with progressively larger bits until I was close to the threads.  I've tried the easy out tools I have but they are not working.  I'll need to come up with something a little better to finish this job up too.

New Exterior Door Handles

I begin this project on January 21st as part of an effort to make the passenger door a little easier to open.  My daughter has a really hard time pushing the button on the existing exterior handle to he the door to open.  I don't want anything to negatively impact my kids riding in the car so I decided to buy a new handle set.  

The door handle set (C7ZZ-6522404-5P) is made by Scott Drake which makes excellent reproduction parts for the Mustang.  They are a nice shiny chrome with all the hardware needed to perform the installation.

Installing the door handles is relatively easy.  They are held on with a screw which is accessible from the door latch area, a 3/8" nut inside the door (holding the narrow part of the handle to the door), and then a clip which retains the door release rod inside the car.  The job to install the passenger side took only about 20 minutes and it made a decent improvement in functionality and a large improvement in appearance.  However, my daughter was still not able to open the door without considerable effort.

I really need to adjust the hinge alignment a little to get the door setup perfect.  That would be easiest done with the fender off but I'm not ready to take this project that far yet.  The striker in the door jamb is not aligned perfectly but I've not been able to adjust it as the screws will not come out.  

I learned of a tool made by Craftsman called the hand impact driver (#CMMT14104).  You place a bit in it to match the screw which will not come loose, set it to turn in the needed direction, and then hit the back with a hammer.  The impact rotates the bit with considerable force and will break lose stuck screws.  I used it on both the passenger and driver sides.  Adjusting the striker then made it such that my daughter could open the door with no trouble.

Today, I finished up this project by installing the new door handle on the driver side of the vehicle.  This side was just as quick and easy with no trouble.  The only thing I have noticed is that the plastic pieces with the reproduction handle are just the slightest bit smaller.  This is a little evident as the previous paint job was done by just taping around these plastic bits.

I think when it comes time to paint the Mustang, I will reinstall the old door handles without the plastic pieces.  If the shop can take them off entirely that would be best.  However, if they end up needing to tape around the handles, I can then put on the plastic pieces for a much more finished appearance.  

Upcoming Projects

There are a few projects I'd like to tackle in the coming months.  They include:

Front Suspension 
There are a few things I'd like to do to refine the front suspension of the Mustang.  I have one inch of travel at the end of the upper control arm before it hits the bump stop.  I want to replace the coil spring and raise the car slightly.  

While the driver side coil spring is out, I need to replace the ball joint in the upper control arm as it has a tear in the boot.  Also, I need to replaced a tack weld on one of the hood support nuts as it spins freely when I try to tighten the bolt from the engine compartment.

While it probably sounds crazy, I'd like to replace my perfectly good front tires with a new set.  These seem just a little too narrow (225) and I'd like a bit more sidewall height (45 vs 40) as any little additional height will keep the tires from following grooves in the road as much.

Once this work is done, I'll probably just spray down the front suspension with some cleaner and a hose.  It has been many years now since the work was done to it all and it is looking rather dirty.

Windshield Leaks
I need to remove the existing windshield, clean all the old sealant out, check the condition of the metal, and then put the windshield back in with a new gasket.  Before doing this work, it would be smart to check the cowl to see if it leaks or if it is just the windshield.  If the cowl leaks, this project will grow in size exponentially.  

While I'm doing this work, I need to make sure that I have gaskets between the windshield arms and the firewall.  I want to make sure some of the leak was not coming from that area.  

This would be a good time to replace the wipers and potentially find a way to get the front windshield sprayers to work.


Master Cylinder & Steering Column
The master cylinder on the Mustang just continues to leak onto the steering column.  The master cylinder is all rusty and the steering column has all the paint stripped off from the brake fluid.

I want to replace the master cylinder with a Willwood model that seals. While I'm doing it, I want to pull the steering column and touch up the paint.  With the steering column out, I should replace the turn signal and horn switch.  

When this work is all done, I'd like to replace the turn signal harness in the steering column.  When I inspected the vehicle this last weekend, I learned the horn would honk when I turned the column hard to one side.  The turn signals also don't cancel as they should so a new turn signal switch would fix both problems.


Rear Suspension & Underbody Work
I've ordered a set of 4.5 standard height leaf springs from Grab-A-Track.  My hope was to install them to raise the back of the Mustang.  Along the way, I installed some Scott Drake extended shackles which raised the rear of the car 5.8".  The plan is to install the standard height springs with the original length shackle to see if it will raise the car about half an inch.

While the back of the Mustang is raised off the ground, I need to make a little clearance on the H-pipe for the new larger, aluminum driveshaft.  Additionally, I would like to mark the orientation of the mufflers and go ahead and weld them to the H-pipe section.  Additionally, I'd like to add flanges to the back of the mufflers and tail pipe sections so they are actually bolted together.  This will keep everything sealed and make it a little easier to remove when needed.  

Finally, while the driveshaft is out, I need to replace the seal on the back of the tail housing as it continues to leak.


Tail Lights
I still need to replace the tail light housings as I replaced everything but those.  I noticed that Scott Drake makes a new three bulb bracket that fits inside the stock housing (C7ZZ-STL-13400).  I'd like to install a set of these but with LED lights.

Potential 2020 Events

I'll use this post to track events that I can attend which are within an 8 hour drive.  I'm not sure which events I'll attend this year but it is always a good idea to know what is coming up so you can make plans when your schedule allows.



05/04/20 - One Lap of America - Decatur, TX - Eagle Canyon Raceway

06/17/20 - 06/20/20 - Mid America Shelby Meet - Tulsa, OK

06/20/20 Great American Race - San Antonio to Ardmore - Not sure this is good to spectate.

09/19/20 - 09/20/20 Search for the Ultimate Street Car - New Orleans

New 3.5" Aluminum Denny's Driveshaft

The new aluminum driveshaft from Denny's arrived in the mail today.  It essentially arrived one month after I ordered the driveshaft including the holidays and shipping time.  The driveshaft is impressive as it appears well welded, made of quality components, and is quite shinny.

The first thing I did after opening the package was check the weight of the new driveshaft.  I found the aluminum driveshaft is exactly 12 lbs.  The original driveshaft appears to be just under 3" in diameter and weights 16.2 lbs.  The difference is not exceptional but I suppose it is essentially a 25% reduction on rotating weight which no doubt makes a difference.

The new drive shaft appears to be about 3/4" longer from center to center of the u-joint openings (51 3/4").  I expected it to be between 3/4" and 1" longer so this is about what I expected.

While I can measure it all day, they know what they are doing so there is not a great deal of point in it all.  The main thing I wanted to have answered is what they use at the exposed yoke length at the transmission as it is the subject of some internet debate.  In this case, they have exactly an inch exposed including the space taken up by the extended seal coming off the back of the transmission.

My only concern after the installation is that there is only 3/4" clearance between the driveshaft and the exhaust cross over.  The exhaust cross over is 12" behind the center point of the yoke u-joint.  With the driveshaft overall length of 51", that means the rear of the driveshaft can move much further.

The rear axle can actually move farther as it is roughly 10" farther back from the center point of the rear u-joint.  This means the contact point is 12" back from the front u-joint but the rear axle is roughly 62" back from that location.  I'll need to polish up my math skills to see how much axle movement can occur before the driveshaft makes contact with the exhaust.

My issue is more when the back of the car raises creating more distance between the the body of the car and the rear axle.  I decided instead of trying to do the math, I would just jack up the rear of the car and take measurements of the gap.  After a little work, I found I can raise the rear of the car 4" and have just enough for a 1/8" shim between the exhaust and driveshaft.  At that point, the tires are not off the ground but they are close.

I think I am going to need to clearance the exhaust just a little.  I think that I can clearance 1/2" and gain plenty of space to get the rear of the vehicle off the ground without making contact.  I think I'm just fine for general driving.  It is just adding clearance for the extreme chance that I hit some incredible bump.

01/14/20 Update:
There was a fair amount of transmission fluid that came out the tail shaft when I removed the original driveshaft to take measurements and then again when I installed the new driveshaft.  Tonight, I drained all the transmission fluid and replaced it.  I used Valvoline Dexron/Mercon in the gallon size (#773636) although just under 3 quarts was all that was needed.

The old fluid looked a little dark as if there were something black mixed in it but not thoroughly.  I'm not sure what that would be exactly.  There was very little on the magnet drain plug.  I checked my records but I don't think I've done anything but add a little transmission fluid since I rebuilt it a while back.  It has not had many miles on it since but it is probably time to do it mileage wise due to the rebuild.