Need some info on 2003 Crown Vic suspension swap

TxSlick66 · Post by **TxSlick66** » January 12, 2011, 10:03 pm

I have the front suspension from the Crown Vic bolted into my frame. But, I am having a hard time finding the rear bushings for the lower control arm. I can find the bushings, but they have an oval shaped hole where the LCA shaft goes in it. My LCA is larger diameter and is ROUND. It will not even begin to go in that oval shaped hole in the bushing. I have tried the standard type bushings, cop car bushings, taxi bushings and even oredered a complete LCA with bushing to see what it had on it. It came with an even different sized smaller round shaft on the LCA and the bushing could rotate around and was sloppy as all get out. Surely it is not loose like that on the car.

AM I MISSING SOMETHING HERE?

Anyone have experience with this? The guy that pulled the front suspension off the crown vic left the factory bushings bolted to the car frame and just slid the LCA out, so I was never able to see the factory fit.

Help please!

GDG · Post by **GDG** » January 13, 2011, 6:51 am

Yes you do have some missing parts, as I remember there are steel washer/bushings that go between the shaft and the hole in the bushing. Better go to the junkyard and check one out or see the Ford dealer they should have an exploded view of the assembly. Get all the right pieces and mount the bushing to the frame at the same angle that they are on the CV frame, the bushings have voids in them to provide lateral and vertical control. With that set up the ride, handling, and braking is great!!
Doug

TxSlick66 · Post by **TxSlick66** » January 13, 2011, 8:32 am

Thanks. My problem is the diameter of the shaft on my LCA is larger than the ID of the bushing it is supposed to fit into. And no one seems to be able to come up with a bushing it WILL fit into. You are right, though... I have to make a trip to the Ford dealer to get the final word on this.

bluebolt · Post by **bluebolt** » January 13, 2011, 12:22 pm

I did some research and came up with no answers. Is there a ford part number on the lower control arm? May be an aftermarket replacement. Pictures might help us out.

TxSlick66 · Post by **TxSlick66** » January 13, 2011, 6:19 pm

I went to Ford today. They do not sell the bushing!!! You get them FREE with the purchase of a lower control arm... I did not bother asking the price...

I had the counter jock print out the parts diagram. Was of no use.

I guess I will just have to machine out the hole in the bushing to the larger round size. This should be interesting to try and do that. Drill is out of the question. Reamer may be the answer.

bluebolt · Post by **bluebolt** » January 14, 2011, 9:46 am

TxSlick66 wrote:I went to Ford today. They do not sell the bushing!!! You get them FREE with the purchase of a lower control arm... I did not bother asking the price...

I had the counter jock print out the parts diagram. Was of no use.

I guess I will just have to machine out the hole in the bushing to the larger round size. This should be interesting to try and do that. Drill is out of the question. Reamer may be the answer.

That sucks. Try freezing the bushing prior to reaming, using dry ice to make it even colder may be even better.

bluebolt · Post by **bluebolt** » January 14, 2011, 9:53 am

While looking around I came across this site, for these prices I think I would just get the new arms and be done with it! $108 for Mevotech lowers and $85 for Moog uppers.
http://rep.racepages.com/parts/racepage ... c=true#top

TxSlick66 · Post by **TxSlick66** » January 14, 2011, 10:15 am

They do not show the lower control arm at that company, bluebolt.

bluebolt · Post by **bluebolt** » January 14, 2011, 10:27 am

TxSlick66 wrote:They do not show the lower control arm at that company, bluebolt.

Sorry looked at it too fast, you can get better prices at Rock Auto.

I found the mevotech lowers on Race Pages but they were around $260 versus around $177 for Rock Auto

Brian Taylor · Post by **Brian Taylor** » January 14, 2011, 1:02 pm

Steve, do we need to make a trip to the salvage yards??

randyr · Post by **randyr** » January 14, 2011, 9:38 pm

Brian Taylor wrote:Steve, do we need to make a trip to the salvage yards??

Yeah, I was gonna say why not just go back to the salvage yard and get the parts you're missing from the donor car?

TxSlick66 · Post by **TxSlick66** » January 14, 2011, 10:55 pm

The front end was purchased "delivered" from a guy on Craigslist that was parting out an almost new cop car. When he pulled it, he took the easy route and took the nuts off the shaft and slid the LCA out without unbolting the bushings from the car frame.

I have decided to use an end mill and make the oval holes round, then make a bushing to get it back to the correct ID for the shaft to fit into. Then I will make the bushing bolt to the frame with slotted holes so they can be moved to adjust caster.

Just one more little detail to deal with. Luckily I have a good machinist that makes all the Mustang parts that I sell, and he can "hannelit".

Need some info on 2003 Crown Vic suspension swap

Need some info on 2003 Crown Vic suspension swap

Bushing

Freezing

Cheap parts

Can't read