Hey, all. 1988 aerostar, 3.0 vulcan, auto.

Work done.

1. Replaced the kickdown with one from a 90 4.0, and it works great.

2. Replaced leaky r/p with a unit from a 92 and new 92 hoses.

3. Replaced all 4 ball joints and both outer tie rod ends (92 r/p had good inners).

Also has new brakes all around, new wheel bearings, added a trailer hitch, needs bumpers (has none...looks like a hooptie lol) and I have put FOUR fuel pumps in it.

Questions.

1. I need a front end alignment. I'm going to have it done next payday, but need to get it closer than it is now until then. How?

2. I have both alternator whine and spark ticking in my radio. It's REALLY IRRITATING, and I'd like to get rid of it. How?

3. I want to change my mirrors from the older smaller ones to the newer bigger ones. I have the new ones. Both sets are power. Plugs are different. How? I need a wiring diagram for the power mirrors for an 88 and a 92.

Thanks,
Stephen.

 

1. On the alignment, you just have to take some measurements and try to get it as close as you can. Make alignment a priority.

2. Factory radio or aftermarket? If your ground is poor, interference is more likely. What kind of spark plug wires are you using?

 

Factory radio with the graphic equalizer. Spark plug wires are...I forgot. I think autozone cheapos. When I put those in my priority was going from not running to running lol.

I'm pretty sure the wheels should be toed in, but how much. Camber and caster weren't affected much. I'm sure they might be off for the new ball joints, but not a lot.

 

If all you want is to get the alignment close enough to drive to the shop, just set the toe to zero, or slightly toed-in. A simple way is to draw a thick chalk line along the center rib of each front tire, then scribe a very sharp line in the middle of that by turning the tire while holding the chalk/scribe steady against the tread. Then tape a weighted string from the sharp line at the mid-point of the tires in the front and back. Allow the weights to touch the ground and note their positions. Measure the distances between the front pair of points vs the rear pair of points, and adjust the toe so that they're almost equal. Bias any inequality so that the front is slightly (at most 1/16") narrower than the rear.

If you want to set camber, you can set a long carpenter's level against the side of one of the wheels. Assuming the floor you're parked on is level, set the level so that it is straight up. Then measure the distance between the level and some vertical surface of the rim, at the top and bottom. Adjust camber so that the two measurements are the same. That sets zero camber.

It would be very difficult to set and check the caster, so leave that for the shop.

Don't forget to roll the car forward and backward a few feet after each adjustment to relieve the stress of the new adjustment so you get a more accurate reading.

Once you have made both settings, you should be able to drive to the shop without tearing up the tires.

 

Yeah, its just the toe. I'm not messing with camber or caster. The toe is more off because the whole r/p was swapped, and the replacement didn't have outer rod ends so I had to guess.

I had to take the upper control arms out to get the ball joints out of them (most stubborn ones I've ever seen!) And I kept track of the shim packs and put them right back where I found them so it should be very very close...

 

On the wires, get some genuine Motorcraft wires. Cheap aftermarket wires have poor EMF suppression. Few aftermarket wires are as good or better than OE, and most that are comparable are actually more expensive than Motorcraft. Since you do not need to be in a hurry for that, I recommend you order them from RockAuto Auto Parts.

 

I have nothing but good things to say about Autolite wires from Advance. Mind you I replaced hundreds of spark plug wire sets over the past ten years. I put them on my Aero and the fit is great and the price is right. The previous junk wires were starting to fail and I heard the same whine/tick through the speakers. My guess is the AutoZone 'specials' you installed are junk to begin with.

 

Honestly, I'm not really sure what wires are on it. The autozone wires are usually grey, but the ones on the van are bright orange lol.

 

The Motorcraft wires are not bright orange. Usually they are grey or black and have Motorcraft stamped in white or black lettering.