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My Second Mod: Suspension Rebuild

69105 Views 633 Replies 30 Participants Last post by  Zep5.0
After I got my T-Bird running last week, I noticed that there was a rattling coming from the front. I was told to lift the front, grab the wheels at 12 and 6 o'clock and shake it to see if it moved / wiggled. The fronts were fine so I moved to the rear. Upon doing the same for the rear driver, it moved and likewise for the passenger rear. This obviously means that I have failed rear hubs which will need replacement. This being a safety issue, I've decided to go ahead and start rebuilding the suspension over the transmission. The transmission just leaks but shifts fine otherwise and I have to add some ATF to it every so often which I can live with for the time being.

All this being said, I've begun doing some searching here in the suspension section of the forum and have found a ton of info. Posting on the FB TCCoA group, I was told by Woodman (Durwood) to go ahead and do all the knuckle bushings since I'll already be there anyways. He's even provided me the link to Energy Suspension for the correct bushings. They're inexpensive, so I'll definitely be doing this. The video I found (below) on YouTube pretty much spells out how to do the job, minus how to put the new hubs on, this job seems to be something I can do in an afternoon. This post by jco1385 (pictures in the quote) makes it seem that I can do press the hubs in myself provided I have the right tools.

Lovely Chinese wheel bearings....
Now that I've mentioned this, I will have to say that the suspension will most definitely take me a long time to get it to where I want it to be at. The rear hubs being replaced is basically my starting point on all this. I'm going to be doing more reading and research on the matter, and of course asking here as questions from me come along.

As far as parts go, I've heard from several people and read in a few threads already that Timken is the way to go in terms of hubs. There has been one person mention a brand called SKF for hubs. Any thoughts on Timken vs SKF?

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Are they hub centric rings? Mustang hubs are a different circumference, IMRC
Looking at the rear brake relocation kit from Super Coupes Unlimited, I see one kit has rings and the other kit does not have rings.

What is the purpose of the rings?
The hub bore of the Mustang is larger than the T-bird. If you use the Mustang Cobra rear hubs (or the FTBR hubs), then the center bore of the rotor matches the center bore of the hub and the rings are not needed. If you re-drill your stock T-bird hubs to the Mustang bolt pattern (or redrill the Cobra rotors to the T-bird bolt pattern) then the rings take up that difference to center the Mustang rotor on the T-bird hub.
To keep the wheel centered on the axle. If you do hard acceleration, they will move off center, and it will 'bump' down the road.
The hub bore of the Mustang is larger than the T-bird. If you use the Mustang Cobra rear hubs (or the FTBR hubs), then the center bore of the rotor matches the center bore of the hub and the rings are not needed. If you re-drill your stock T-bird hubs to the Mustang bolt pattern (or redrill the Cobra rotors to the T-bird bolt pattern) then the rings take up that difference to center the Mustang rotor on the T-bird hub.
So as long as I do a hub swap, I don't need to worry about getting the rings, right?
So as long as I do a hub swap, I don't need to worry about getting the rings, right?
Right.

OTOH unless the wheels are specifically meant for the classic Ford 5x114.3 the hub center of wheel wheel may be a different diameter than the standard 70.3mm and might need rings if they aren’t lugcentric(should be a non issue since most wheels are, but food for thought)
How will I found this out on the car if I don't know this information ahead of time?

Will there be play in the wheel when it's installed on the hub?
What's the PN for the 96/97 SN95 Manual ECU?

I think I'll look for one on the fleabay. I'm going to chance it.
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What's the PN for the 96/97 SN95 Manual ECU?

I think I'll look for one on the fleabay. I'm going to chance it.
The part number won’t tell you anything about the program on it, the catch code is what you should look for; ggl4, zxa3, zxa4 are all 96-97 GT 5-speed codes. There may be more but those seem to be the most common
3
Timken 5x114.3 front hubs were received today. The FTBR rear hubs are on their way and should arrive tomorrow 😁.



I also did a comparison fit between my Honda, 5x114.3, and the T-Bird. It's a subtle difference, but also a significant difference.



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These came in today 😁.

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ECU aside, I think I'm ready to build my T-Bird.

There are a few other odds and ends that would be nice, but not necessarily required for the build. Things like the rear differential brace or upgraded differential cover.

I'm still on the wall on replacing the flywheel or getting the dowel fixed. If replacing, I was looking at the LUK flywheel, but the clutch is a McLeod. Shouldn't matter, right? I'm not sure what the current flywheel is, or if it was even marked with a brand or PN when I got it.

As for actually building it, I'm literally just needing to finish out my son's bedroom and a small patio project so that I can have my required garage space cleared out for the car to fit. I just haven't been able to continue on either project because other things around the house or family take precedent over these projects. 😞
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Hey, you're getting there. These things can take time, but you have to keep your eye on the prize. My car sat for 14 years before I had the funds to do anything with it.
Hey, you're getting there. These things can take time, but you have to keep your eye on the prize. My car sat for 14 years before I had the funds to do anything with it.
My wife would flip if it sat for that long. Shoot, the 5yrs or so it's already sat has been bad enough.
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My wife would flip if it sat for that long. Shoot, the 5yrs or so it's already sat has been bad enough.
I was lucky enough to have a building at my parent's place where it was out of the way. If I had to store it, you likely wouldn't see me here.
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