Ford Thunderbird 1966 - Page 46

3-16
GROUP
3
-SUSPENSION,
STEERING,
WHEELS
AND TIRES
HANGER
MOUNTING
BOLTS
FRONT HANGER
SPRING
FRONT
MOUNTING
BOLT
BUSHING
F1208-B
FIG.
12
-Rear
Spring
and
Front
Hanger
Mounting
SIDE RAIL
BUSHING
F
1209-
A
FIG.
13
Rear
Spring
and
Rear
Hanger
Mounting
INSTALLATION
1. Position
the
lower
insulator
and
spring clip
plate
on
the
center of the
spring. Place
the
entire
assembly
on a
wood
block and
jack,
then
raise the
jack
until the
spring
is
in
mounting
position.
2. Position the rear
eye of the
spring
on the rear hanger
and install
the
shackle
assembly
to
the
spring
and
hanger (Fig. 13).
The rear eye
is
at
the
long
end
of
the
spring
from the
center tie bolt. Install
the
shackle bar
and
retaining
nuts.
Do
not tighten the
nuts at
this
time.
3.
Position
the
spring
and front
hanger
assembly
on
the
underbody,
and
install
the
hanger
mounting
bolts
(Fig.
12). Do
not
tighten
the bolts
at
this
time.
4.
Install the
upper
insulator
and
retainer on
the
spring
(Fig. 11). In
stall the
axle
shim
if one was used.
5.
Raise the
jack
until
the center
of
the
spring,
the
insulators,
the
retainer,
and
the
spring
clip
plate are
all
pro
perly
aligned
and positioned
against
the
spring
pad
on the axle
housing
(Fig.
11).
6. Install
the
spring
clips
over the
axle
housing
and
through
the holes
in
the
spring clip
plate.
Install
the
spring
clip
nuts,
but do
not tighten
at
this
time.
7.
Raise the rear axle
so
the
weight
of the
car
is
on
the rear
suspension.
8. Torque
the
rear
shackle
nuts and
the front
hanger
mounting
bolts to
specification.
9.
Torque the
spring
clip
nuts even
ly
to
specification
(Part 3-5).
Make
sure that
the
lower
insulator retainer
contacts the upper retainer.
Remove
the jack and wood block.
MAJOR
REPAIR
OPERATIONS
UPPER ARM
OVERHAUL-
ARM
REMOVED
INSPECTION
Inspect the
upper
arm
and
the inner
shaft
for
cracks,
bends or other dam
age.
Replace the parts as required.
Replacement arms come with the
bushings,
inner
shaft,
and
ball
joint
installed. If the
original arm
is to be
used,
these
components
should
be
re
placed
on the
bench.
BUSHING
AND INNER
SHAFT
REPLACEMENT
Always
replace
both
upper
arm
bushings,
if
either
bushing
is
worn or
damaged.
Install
only
new
bushings
when
replacing
the
inner shaft.
1.
Position
the
upper arm
inner
shaft
in a
vise,
then
unscrew
the
bushings
from
the shaft
and
arm. Re
move
the
assembly
from
the
vise,
and
separate the
inner
shaft
from
the arm.
2.
Position
the shaft in the
arm,
ap
ply
grease to the
new
bushings,
and
install
the
bushings
loose on the shaft
and
arm.
Turn the
bushings so that
the
shaft is
exactly
centered
in
the
arm. The shaft
will be
properly
cen
tered
when
located at the
dimension
shown in Fig. 14.
3.
Fabricate a 9 1/4-inch
spacer
from a section of
3/4-inch
diameter
pipe or metal of
comparable size
and
strength.
4.
Position
the arm
and inner shaft
assembly
in a vise.
Position the spacer
parallel with
the inner
shaft,
and force
the
spacer between the
flanges of the
upper
arm.
If the spacer can not
be forced
between
the
arm
flanges due
to
exces
sive
distrotion,
replace the
upper arm
assembly.
5.
With
the spacer
positioned in
the
arm,
torque
the
bushings to specifica
tion.
Pivot the
arm
on
the
shaft to be
sure
that
no
binding
exists,
then re
move
the spacer.
BALLJOINT
REPLACEMENT
1.
Remove the
ball
joint-to-arm
retaining
nut
and
remove
the
ball
joint from
the
upper
arm
(Fig.
14).
2.
Install
the
replacement
ball
joint
in
its
recess
in
the
upper
arm
so
that
the ball
joint notch
faces
the
front of
the car
(Fig.
4).
3.
Install
the
attaching
nut
and
torque
to
specifications (Fig.
14).
LOWER
ARM
OVERHAUL-
ARM
REMOVED
INSPECTION
Inspect
the lower
arm,
the
inner
bushings,
and the
pivot
bolt for
cracks,
bends,
wear
or
other
damage,
and
replace the arm if
necessary.
Replacement
arms
come
with
the
ball
joint
installed. If
the
original
arm
is to
be
used,
the ball
joint
should be
replaced
on the
bench.