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Front Suspension Rattle? #679770 07/01/03 01:32 AM
Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 505 Hudson, MA, USA M MonkeyBiz_dup1 OP Veteran CEG\'er
OP MonkeyBiz_dup1 Veteran CEG\'er M Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 505 Hudson, MA, USA	Change your front anti-roll bar end links!!! I did mine tonight after work...took about two hours total time. I can't believe I lived with that rattle for so long with such an easy fix. I picked up the parts from the ford dealer in the next town (Iverson @ Billerica). They are the same part for ALL Contours & Mystiques; '95 through '00. They were $12.XX each + tax. CHEAP AS HELL FOR THE GOOD THEY DO!!! Def. need floor jack & jack stands. The job can be done from under the car, but it's SO much easier on stands with the wheels off the car. I started on ramps... Also need ratchet w/metric sockets (shallow & deep) & metric box wrenches. Box wrench to hold the nut on the stud and the ratchet to work the removable nut. Two nuts on each link...one top 'n' one bottom. Thatz it... The passenger side was more difficult for some reason. There wasn't much (READ: not enough) clearance between the bottom of the end link and the control arm to get the ratchet in there. Some ingenuity involving the old end link from the driver side to lift the anti-roll bar was involved. Final note...the end links are symetrical from top to bottom. On one side of the shaft it says "Made in Japan" the other side has the Ford logo on it. Install so that the Ford logo is facing out. Just good form. For real final note...the replacement end links are about an inch shorter than the original ones, made of some aluminum alloy I think ( ), thicker & lighter, and the ball-joints are much smaller and made of poly-u & brass. '98 SVT Contour #897:Mods= Intake, exhaust, suspension, & aesthetics www.community.webshots.com/user/rob98csvt897.

Re: Front Suspension Rattle? #679771 07/01/03 02:46 AM
Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 8,445 Prince Spaghettiville E ElKy Hard-core CEG'er
ElKy Hard-core CEG'er E Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 8,445 Prince Spaghettiville	i have a front end jingle goin on but as far as i know my end links are fine. were yours visibly bad? or were they broken or sumptin how could you tell they were no good? my jingle is getting worse and worse every day me wanna get rid of it. NY State Trooper: So what makes your car so special to have SVT all over it? Me: Er...It was made by Fords SPECIAL Vehicle Team?

Re: Front Suspension Rattle? #679772 07/01/03 03:02 AM
Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 505 Hudson, MA, USA M MonkeyBiz_dup1 OP Veteran CEG\'er
OP MonkeyBiz_dup1 Veteran CEG\'er M Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 505 Hudson, MA, USA	They weren't visibly "broken", but the bushings were clearly wore out. Seriously...do the front end links. If it doesn't fix the problem, you're out $26 bucks & 2 hours. I'm guessing it will, but if it don't, you've narrowed the problem a bit. Hell, we could do a front end link meet this weekend... '98 SVT Contour #897:Mods= Intake, exhaust, suspension, & aesthetics www.community.webshots.com/user/rob98csvt897.

Re: Front Suspension Rattle? #679773 07/01/03 05:06 AM
Joined: Jun 2001 Posts: 2,299 Windsor CT J JSmith_dup1 Hard-core CEG'er
JSmith_dup1 Hard-core CEG'er J Joined: Jun 2001 Posts: 2,299 Windsor CT	14mm socket and a 17mm open end wrench on the back side of the link. and a pipe in case the nuts are hard to get off I feel sorry for the people who don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, thats the best they're going to feel all day - former President Lyndon B. Johnson

Re: Front Suspension Rattle? #679774 07/01/03 05:26 AM
Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 505 Hudson, MA, USA M MonkeyBiz_dup1 OP Veteran CEG\'er
OP MonkeyBiz_dup1 Veteran CEG\'er M Joined: Apr 2001 Posts: 505 Hudson, MA, USA	Originally posted by JSmith: 14mm socket and a 17mm open end wrench on the back side of the link. and a pipe in case the nuts are hard to get off The nutz ARE hard to get off. Liquid Wrench is a good "pipe" substitute...but I know what you mean. 15mm socket... On the replacement links, it's a 14mm open end now. The ends of the link are much smaller than stock. The shaft is bigger & the ends are smaller. The overall heft of the link is less. wow..."heft" pulled that word outa my a$$ after three pithers in 1 1/2 hours... '98 SVT Contour #897:Mods= Intake, exhaust, suspension, & aesthetics www.community.webshots.com/user/rob98csvt897.

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