Bushings, where to get them.

Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives

Long story short, I'm going to repair/maintain/update my suspension. Springs will also be on the way. I went to advanced auto and found out they are useless, They carry parts they can't order...And parts that are wrong sizes listed in their PC inventory.

So where can I order bushings for the rear end of my tour?

I need:
2 x 18mm sway bar
2 x rear control arm sets

I could still order them from advance, but I have to do it online. Anyone know of other places to order these?

Sway bar bushings from advance

sway arm busshing from advance

just to double check with some guru's, those would be the correct parts? If I have to order them from advance I will, but I figured there may be better knowledge out there. And my sway bar is 18mm.

Wow, was I off. I need to keep my head straight.

Too much excel spreadsheet today at work. It's really fried my brain. I meant I need tie rod bushings, even typed the same name for the links.

I found tie rod bushings from here:
Tie Rod Bushings

The illistration shows that the one on the end of the tie rod is the same as the on on the control arm. Is this true? Then I could order the ones from advanced (the 2nd link that I incorrectly labled)

I believe I may be getting myself confused here. So maybe another way of putting this is: "I can twist the tie rod, What bushings do I need to replace to stop it from twisting so easily"

Thanks in advanced for the help.

Originally posted by ZeroHour:
Wow, was I off. I need to keep my head straight. Too much excel spreadsheet today at work. It's really fried my brain. I meant I need tie rod bushings, even typed the same name for the links.

I found tie rod bushings from here:
Tie Rod Bushings

The illistration shows that the one on the end of the tie rod is the same as the on on the control arm. Is this true? Then I could order the ones from advanced (the 2nd link that I incorrectly labled)

I believe I may be getting myself confused here. So maybe another way of putting this is: "I can twist the tie rod, What bushings do I need to replace to stop it from twisting so easily"

Thanks in advanced for the help.

I dont believe you can get tie rod bushings... You may need sway bar bushings or more paticularly end links, which are probably worn out...

The tie rod bushing is a boot over the ball that bolts onto the hub. Its pretty much attached to the outer tie rod... if you need a new tie rod bushing, then you need a new outter tie rod... which means when you install that you need to get an alignment.

Why exactly do you think you need new tie rods?

haha Well I'm working on the rear of the car. If your pic is the rear I think I may have been driving the car in reverse for over a year.

Joking aside, Maybe this will help.

Number 5 is the tie rod. Or am I miss naming parts?

Number 6 is the bushing for number 5. (that is the bushing that is worn badly. I can twist number 5 by hand, and the flex occurs at the joint with the #6 bushing)

Hopefully this cleared up alot of the confusion.

Originally posted by ZeroHour:
haha Well I'm working on the rear of the car. If your pic is the rear I think I may have been driving the car in reverse for over a year.

Joking aside, Maybe this will help.

Number 5 is the tie rod. Or am I miss naming parts?

Number 6 is the bushing for number 5. (that is the bushing that is worn badly. I can twist number 5 by hand, and the flex occurs at the joint with the #6 bushing)

Hopefully this cleared up alot of the confusion.

The terminology is easily confused, but I think you have it right--or at least it matches the Ford parts catalog.

Do you want rubber/OEM or Poly?

IF you want poly, I recommendSuspension Restoration Parts Co.. They carry every Energy Suspension part number in stock, so I ordered on Tuesday and it arrived on Saturday. $17 plus shipping for the trailing arm set. Most other vendors list the parts, but don't order them from ES until you order. This can take several weeks to get the parts to you.

Are the number 6 bushings really identical? I was going to order them from advanced auto online. I know I have the right sway bar bushings through advanced. I just want to make sure that the bushing in the tie rod and the knuckle are the same.

And yes I was going to order energy suspension through advanced.

I'm reading information while i'm scanning documents, but I keep finding rear "control arm" bushings. Do the control arms have bushings? Or are these being identified incorrectly on other sites. (meaning sites are listing the tie rod/knuckle bushing as control arm bushing)

Energy suspension:
web page

They list rear control arm bushings.

Originally posted by ZeroHour:
I'm reading information while i'm scanning documents, but I keep finding rear "control arm" bushings. Do the control arms have bushings? Or are these being identified incorrectly on other sites. (meaning sites are listing the tie rod/knuckle bushing as control arm bushing)

Energy suspension:
web page

They list rear control arm bushings.

The control arms have bushings.

The ES "control arm" bushings won't fit there. They do fit in the tie rod and knuckle.

At this point, the only way to replace the actual control arm bushings is to replace the control arms, AFAIK.

hooray! That is what I was hoping to hear! Almost time to place an order. :-)

I did send ES an email and asked them about it. I'll be waiting for a response tomorrow.

Read this:

Informative rear bushings thread

and this:

ES rear bushing how-to

Wow!?!

I somehow missed that one. Well at least my issues are cleared up. I should be placing an order tomorrow for sway bar bushings, tie rod bushings, and a set of upper intake gaskets. I might even order my springs.

Bushings ordered with an ETA of no later then 8/14.

I can do the sway bar immediately, but the tie rod bushings will have to wait until I doing the springs. Not to mention my dad is having a garage built now.

So I'll probably have to blow off a weekend of work to get the springs on come september.

It really sucks to work all summer and come up short handed.

Next summer I might have to say dick the work experienc and work in the pressure casting place in town. It would be worth the extra 4.25 an hour.

Well I checked my order status and guess what! ORDERED CANCELED.

I didn't even get an email telling my order was canceled. I called the number and the parts will be out of stock until the the 9th. And that is only the ETA of the parts to the warehouse.

I believe I may begin to completely avoid advanced auto from now on.

Update, I just got off the phone with suspension.com. I placed my order and they will be here about middle of next week.

Oh and they were IN STOCK! haha But I got the last set of 18mm Sway Bar bushings! The guy I talked to Bruce said he'll be ordering more soon.

Originally posted by ZeroHour:
Update, I just got off the phone with suspension.com. I placed my order and they will be here about middle of next week.

Oh and they were IN STOCK!

Amazing! Where did you hear about them?

I'm not sure! lol

Althought they didn't have the red ones in stock.

But black will have to do.

Ordered my Koni Springs tonight.

Originally posted by ZeroHour:
I'm not sure! lol

Althought they didn't have the red ones in stock. But black will have to do.

Some people are just never happy.

oh I will be happy once all the parts on the car and I get it aligned! haha oh damn I have to pay to get it aligned

Just arrived today. But I get my wisdom teethed pulled out and I'll be waiting on the springs.