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Author
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Topic: Broken Strut Rod???
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Fastback Nation
Gearhead Posts: 130
From: San Diego, CA USA
Registered: Aug 2004
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posted 03-14-2005 07:14 PM
   
I just read the rubber vs poly debate on another thread. I'm restoring a big block 67 fastback and took the advice of Mustangs Plus and got poly bushings.
Are mine going to break in 10k miles?! Of course no one can tell me, I know. But if one does break, is my only option to find some used ones? I haven't seen any repopped 67 (68 same?) rods. Should I toss the poly and buy rubber?
What about the ride, will poly strut rod bushing impart more vibrations into the chassis?
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Fastback68
Gearhead Posts: 4270
From: Sucat, Paranaque, Philippines
Registered: Jul 99
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posted 03-14-2005 07:43 PM
It's funny - well, maybe it's not - how dealers don't tell customers the down side. On a trip to the US, I wanted to buy some rubber strut rod bushings and the dealer recommended I "upgrade" to poly. I completely ignored him.
67 and 68 strut rods are a little different, and if memory serves are not interchangeable - but I can't remember why.
They will impart harsher shocks to the frame, and yes, I'd toss them.
FWIW, I won't be bothering again with poly bushings in the rear leaves. For a street car, I simply don't see any benefit - except that they are a lot easier to install than rubber which need a press for the front set.
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MinivanManFan
Journeyman Posts: 57
From:
Registered: Jan 2005
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posted 03-14-2005 09:40 PM
i bought new bushings for my strut rods on my 66. along with every other bushing on the car. no kididng either. thats what a ground-up restoration calls for.anyways, i wnet to Mustangs Unlimited here in Georgia and they recommended rubber to me. they've actually heard stories of the strut rod mount on the frame breaking from hitting a good size pothole at speed with a poly bushing. everywhere else urethane or poly is great, but that is the only area where i would turn away from it. 
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exlocal
Gearhead Posts: 1200
From: hacienda hts., CA, USA
Registered: Dec 2004
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posted 03-14-2005 10:34 PM
I don't have any experience with them on my Stang, but have also read of other people breaking strut rods with poly bushings. I did have poly bushings installed on my Pathfinder strut rods. They didn't last too long before cracks in the bushings started appearing and it constantly needed lubrication to get rid of an annoying squeak.------------------
reliving youth
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Fastback Nation
Gearhead Posts: 130
From: San Diego, CA USA
Registered: Aug 2004
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posted 03-15-2005 10:24 AM
Thanks you guys, you've all sold me on the idea of ditching the poly bushings. Throwing away my $25 polys(ies??) is a small price to pay considering the possible repercussions!!
QUESTION: should I lube up the rubber bushings with regular old chassis lube, or use something special, or nothing at all since they're rubber?
As a note to MiniVanManFan, I too am doing a ground up resto, and am replacing anything and everything that does sealing/insulating surface, including weird stupid stuff like the windshield-wiper-transmission arm mounting pads. Then again, I don't really have a choice since I got the car as nothing more than a shell that. LOL! But I figure a an S-code '67 fastback is worth it. Wait, ALL mustangs are worth it!! 
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grego37
Gearhead Posts: 381
From: los angeles,CA,USA
Registered: May 2004
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posted 03-15-2005 06:47 PM
What about the guys running or wanting to run the strut rods that have no rubber or poly. They're just a direct bolt up with an adjustable center portion.Both Global west and Total Control Products sell these. Does anyone have any good/bad info on these type of adjustable strut rods? I've been considering a set.
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68 S-code GT
Gearhead Posts: 3570
From: Sayreville, NJ, US
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 03-16-2005 09:15 AM
The 67s are straight were the 68 and up have a bend like a hockey stick. You can use the 68 style if you get the 68 style lower control arm. NPD has the 67 rods for $50 ea. and the 68s for $35 ea.------------------
Ed S. 68 S-code FB GT 4spd(now C6)/3.25 PS PDB
68 J-code(now 289) Cp Sprint"B" C4/3L00-9" PDB PS AC Bla-Bla-Bla
99 F150 XLT Ext/cab, 4X4, 5.4L, 3L55
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Fastback Nation
Gearhead Posts: 130
From: San Diego, CA USA
Registered: Aug 2004
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posted 03-16-2005 01:50 PM
Ed, thanks for the input, I guess I never saw the 67 rods in NPD's catalog. About the hockey stick bend though: my 67's strut rods looked like they've never been removed yet they have the 90 degree bend at the lower control arm end. I sandblasted them and installed them with a new set of upper and lower control arms for a 67, and everything fit just fine. Don't the bends act as steering stops? What do you think about all this, will I encounter problems with this setup? Obviously the cars is not yet running.
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68 S-code GT
Gearhead Posts: 3570
From: Sayreville, NJ, US
Registered: Mar 2000
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posted 03-16-2005 02:20 PM
How many holes were in the lower arms? It might be possible that they were made to accept both but it sounds that you have the later rods that are supposed to lessen the bump steer affect. 67s fit 67s only and will not interchange with the other years unless you use the 67 lower control arm. I?m going by original parts of course. If you go into my profile you will see a link for homepage and that?s a link to a yahoo page that has some pictures of things I?m selling. I have a picture of a pair of strut rods from a 70 in there. Do yours look like these?------------------
Ed S. 68 S-code FB GT 4spd(now C6)/3.25 PS PDB
68 J-code(now 289) Cp Sprint"B" C4/3L00-9" PDB PS AC Bla-Bla-Bla
99 F150 XLT Ext/cab, 4X4, 5.4L, 3L55
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Fastback Nation
Gearhead Posts: 130
From: San Diego, CA USA
Registered: Aug 2004
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posted 03-16-2005 03:29 PM
Ed, taking a look at your pictures I see where the confusion was: I was refering to the steering stop bends (at the very end of the rods) as the hockey stick bends you were describing. I see now that the bend you're refering to is sort of a 45 degree bend that is in the same plane as the rod itself; the hockey bend is BEFORE the mounting holes. So I guess my 67s are in fact 67s. Thanks for clearing that up.
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MinivanManFan
Journeyman Posts: 57
From:
Registered: Jan 2005
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posted 03-16-2005 05:17 PM
while we're talking about strut rods, i got a question.when i installed my original tie rods on my new lower control arms, i had to pull the lower control arms back to make the holes line up. i have new rubber bushings on the strut rods, btw. is this normal? thanks y'all  [This message has been edited by MinivanManFan (edited 03-16-2005).]
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Fastback Nation
Gearhead Posts: 130
From: San Diego, CA USA
Registered: Aug 2004
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posted 03-16-2005 05:45 PM
When you put the new bushings on the strut rods, did you count the number of threads showing on the strut rod before you dissasembled it? It's possible that the proper alignment won't give you that same number. This is due to the new bushings being, well new! They'll give a little more/less and won't be cracked and bulging which will alow them to take up more space on the rod and leave less thread showing. But counting the threads is a good starting point to get you on the road to the alighment shop.
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Fastback Nation
Gearhead Posts: 130
From: San Diego, CA USA
Registered: Aug 2004
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posted 03-16-2005 05:55 PM
Don't forget that the new bushings in the lower control arm have an affect as to where the arm sits when first installed. As long as you didn't have to put much effort into pushing the arm back, I think it's pretty normal. But I'd like to hear from others??
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MinivanManFan
Journeyman Posts: 57
From:
Registered: Jan 2005
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posted 03-16-2005 06:19 PM
i did count the threads, but that 2 year old piece of paper is long gone where i wrote it down.besides, this stang's first stop once it's running is the alignment shop, so they'll fix me up. they're gunna have to adjust the strut rods, all the steering linkage obviously, and the upper control arms, since i managed to miss a shim or three when i reinstalled everything. oops. thats what happens when you take everything off the front of your car. they're gunna haaaaate me at the alignment shop lol. that reminds me, will any alignment shop know how to do all the adjustments on these old cars like shimming upper control arms and stuff? thanks buds
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Fastback Nation
Gearhead Posts: 130
From: San Diego, CA USA
Registered: Aug 2004
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posted 03-16-2005 07:01 PM
No, not always! Make sure you ask them first, and even give them a xerox of the shop manual calling out how to align it and what the specs are. A buddy here at work took his 67 coupe in to an alignment shop, and heard all sorts of bumps and knocks when driving it. Those dummys loosened the front strut nuts to knock the caster back a bit, and didn't re-tighten the rear nut back to spec! It was all loosey goosey! And dangerous! Assume nothing, but be polite in asking them of their ability.
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whiteknight289
Gearhead Posts: 1391
From: Wheaton, IL, USA
Registered: Mar 2004
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posted 03-16-2005 07:17 PM
quote:
Originally posted by MinivanManFan:
they're gunna have to adjust the strut rods
They don't have to adjust the strut rods on 65/66, those cars are adjusted strictly by the use of varying numbers and thicknesses of shims on the upper control arm shaft. Starting in 67 they have adjustable lower control arm and adjustable strut rods. Talk to some people in your area, you need to find an old-timer alignment guy, or bring a shop manual with you to teach the newbies how to do it! LOL
Scott
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