I'd been planning on going with poly bushings when I replaced my nasty old factory control arm bushings. Can anyone give me an idea how much all that extra aggravation gets me in terms of handling over just replacing the control arms whole? Given that I may have ball joint play, it's tempting to just get the new control arm with rubber bushings and ball joint.
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85 4 door 351 Civi Crown Victoria - Summer daily driver, sleeper in the making, and wildly inappropriate autocross machine
160KMs 600cfm holley, shorty headers, 2.5" catted exhaust, 255/295 tires, cop shocks, cop swaybars, underdrive pulley, 2.73L gears.
waiting for install: 3.27's, Poly bushings, boxed rear arms, 2500 stall converter, ported e7's, etc
06 Mazda 3 hatch 2.3L 5AT (winter beater that cost more than my summer car) -
I would say it's worth never having to do them again when you go with poly. BTW if you are interested I will be tearing my 96' suspension apart which has all poly bushings and new balljoints.Originally posted by johnunit View Post
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Can you even buy new control arms for boxes nowadays?
PeteOriginally posted by gadget73
2003 Grand Marquis Ultimate, the "Stealth Bomber": http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthre...-Grand-Marquis
1991 S-10, 'Bulldog', 2.5l 5 speed: http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthre...375#post698375
1985 Town Car, 'Faded Glory', gone but not forgotten. 84/87/91/97 MGMs too.Comment
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I know you can get the lower control arms loaded still from RockAuto. I didn't see the top ones last time I was on there though.
'78 LTD | '87 Grand Marquis | '89 Crown Vic (RIP) | '91 Grand Marquis (RIP) | '94 Town Car (RIP) | '97 Town Car (RIP)Comment
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I just bought new Dorman lower control arms for my Tudor and Battle Wagon. They both needed lower ball joints anyways, and the bushings are shot on both as well. I'm sure the new rubber bushings will eventually fail, but I didn't want poly bushings for either of those cars.2020 F250 - 7.3 4x4 CCSB STX 3.55's - BAKFlip MX4
2005 Grand Marquis GS - Marauder sway bars, Marauder exhaust, KYB's
2003 Marauder - Trilogy # 8, JLT, kooks, 2.5" exhaust, 4.10's/31 spline, widened rear's, metco's, addco's, ridetech's 415hp/381tq
1987 Colony Park - 03+ frame swap, blown Gen II Coyote, 6R80, ridetechs, stainless works, absolute money pit. WIPComment
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Why did you not want poly bushings for these cars? I've heard of squeeking issues, but nothing beyond that. This car will be semi-daily driven, but also hopefully autocrossed or even taken to Mosport.Originally posted by pantera77 View Post
85 4 door 351 Civi Crown Victoria - Summer daily driver, sleeper in the making, and wildly inappropriate autocross machine
160KMs 600cfm holley, shorty headers, 2.5" catted exhaust, 255/295 tires, cop shocks, cop swaybars, underdrive pulley, 2.73L gears.
waiting for install: 3.27's, Poly bushings, boxed rear arms, 2500 stall converter, ported e7's, etc
06 Mazda 3 hatch 2.3L 5AT (winter beater that cost more than my summer car)Comment
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That's tempting. I'm not sure they'll fit though. Rockauto's interchange says they'll fit, but it also says the same control arms fit for 1975 Grand Marquis but not box towncars.Originally posted by Mr Bean View Post
85 4 door 351 Civi Crown Victoria - Summer daily driver, sleeper in the making, and wildly inappropriate autocross machine
160KMs 600cfm holley, shorty headers, 2.5" catted exhaust, 255/295 tires, cop shocks, cop swaybars, underdrive pulley, 2.73L gears.
waiting for install: 3.27's, Poly bushings, boxed rear arms, 2500 stall converter, ported e7's, etc
06 Mazda 3 hatch 2.3L 5AT (winter beater that cost more than my summer car)Comment
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I did the big brake swap with es poly bushings and I don't see any issues with the ride quality at all. The consensus that I have seen is that you give up ride quality, but I don't see that at all. My only complaint is that I wish they made a bigger difference as far as handling. I expected more steering response, but there maybe other factors involved so don't take that as scientific evidence.87' Lincoln Town Car Stars + Stripes. Explorer GT40P, Anderson B31 Cam, Shorty Headers, FRPP 1.6 Rockers, A9L, Sn95 T5 Trans, 3:55 Limited Slip, GNX Rear Springs, LSC Turbines, 1.5 wheelspacers, Full Custom Dual 2.5/Flowmasters, 00 P71 Airtube, 19lb calibrated Maf, Summit Alum Radiator, King Cobra Clutch, Short throw Shfter, Energy Susp Trans Mount,
Mods to come: Big Brake/Poly Front Swap, PI Front Swaybar, Addco 650 Rear Swaybar, Boxed Upper Rear Control Arms, 351/Alum Heads, FRPP Valve Covers,Comment
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The poly works well on the panthers. it doesn't get objectionably harsh. Its vastly worse on a fox chassis car. I'm giving serious thought to un-converting my Mark VII.86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley
91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry
1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal
Originally posted by phayzer5
I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousersComment
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Is there any long term evidence on any cars, production or aftermarket equipped that prove how long poly's may last? I could picture one after many years just cracking in half and falling out...-Phil
sigpic
+1982 Ford LTD-S Police Car. Built 351w, Trickflow 11R 190 Heads, Holley Sniper EFI, RPM Intake+ Hyperspark dizzy, WR-AOD, Full exhaust headers to tails. 3.27 Trac-Lok Rear. Aluminum Police Driveshaft. Speedway Springs+Bilstein Shocks, Intermediate Brakes, HPP Steering Box.
+2003 Acura CL Type S 6-speedComment
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I've done some more looking around and can't find a firm answer: Will the control arms from the 96 mentioned above bolt on? I'm not interested in changing the spindles, since I have all new front brakes and over $1000 into a set of 15 inch wheels and tires.
85 4 door 351 Civi Crown Victoria - Summer daily driver, sleeper in the making, and wildly inappropriate autocross machine
160KMs 600cfm holley, shorty headers, 2.5" catted exhaust, 255/295 tires, cop shocks, cop swaybars, underdrive pulley, 2.73L gears.
waiting for install: 3.27's, Poly bushings, boxed rear arms, 2500 stall converter, ported e7's, etc
06 Mazda 3 hatch 2.3L 5AT (winter beater that cost more than my summer car)Comment
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yes, but the lower ball joints are not the same. You'd have to fit box ball joints in there.86 Lincoln Town Car (Galactica).
5.0 HO, CompCams XE258,Scorpion 1.72 roller rockers, 3.55 K code rear, tow package, BHPerformance ported E7 heads, Tmoss Explorer intake, 65mm throttle body, Hedman 1 5/8" headers, 2.5" dual exhaust, ASP underdrive pulley
91 Lincoln Mark VII LSC grandpa spec white and cranberry
1984 Lincoln Continental TurboDiesel - rolls coal
Originally posted by phayzer5
I drive a Lincoln. I can't be bothered to shift like the peasants and rabble rousersComment
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So 96 control arms + box lower ball joints= bolting in to a stock box spindle? including the sway bar links?Originally posted by gadget73 View Post
85 4 door 351 Civi Crown Victoria - Summer daily driver, sleeper in the making, and wildly inappropriate autocross machine
160KMs 600cfm holley, shorty headers, 2.5" catted exhaust, 255/295 tires, cop shocks, cop swaybars, underdrive pulley, 2.73L gears.
waiting for install: 3.27's, Poly bushings, boxed rear arms, 2500 stall converter, ported e7's, etc
06 Mazda 3 hatch 2.3L 5AT (winter beater that cost more than my summer car)Comment
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yeah... the hole is in the lower control arm for the sway bar links even in the whales.
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former. -- Albert Einstein
rides: 93 Crown Vic LX (The Red Velvet Cake), 2000 Crown Vic base model (Sandy), 2003 Expedition (the vacation beast)
Originally posted by gadget73
... and it should all work like magic and unicorns and stuff.
Originally posted by dmccaig
Overhead, some poor bastards are flying in airplanes.Comment
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