My 1992 Ford Aerostar XL Extended 4.0liter has some cracked control arms/sway bars in the front... i would like to know if, when i take them off/put them on do i need and special tools (spring compressor, balancer, etc.), and do i need to do something prior to taking them off... I also need to know if an arc welded control arm is any good if i did that.. it is SPLIT not broken at the bolt-up areas not vertically but horizontally in the middle, like this --> = <-- this way on the front front and front rear sway bars... i also need to know if used bushings from the junkyard would be such a good idea... c'mon why not save $10.00 with some cheap used bushings~!... but anybody who can help me will be a blessing!

 

I re-read your post several times and I am still confused as to whether "front/front and front/rear sway bars" refers to the actual sway bar mounting (there is only one per side) or are you refering to the front and rear mounting points of the lower control arm?

If the control arm is simply split at the sway bar link mounting point, I would imagine welding would be acceptable. If, on the other hand, the control arm is split between the front and rear mounting points (between the large rubber bushings), then replacement would be the preferable route. A used one is too cheap not to replace.

As for replacement tips: I recently had to completely dismantle the front suspension TWICE. The second time due to a rebuilt steering rack that developed a leak. The first time I used a spring compressor but the second time, I used a jack to lower the spring. The second way is much easier than using a spring compressor but requires some caution. You need to jack up the front side you will be working on and place a jack stand or large wooden block under the front cross member, just behind the control arm. You need about 10" clearance between the floor and the bottom of the control arm. Remove the sway bar link. (At this point I am assuming you do NOT have 4WD) Remove the brake caliper and tie it up out of the way. Mark the spring location with tape to ensure it goes back the same way. Put a floor jack under the spring pan and jack up the spring a little way but not enough to lift the van off the jack/block. Remove the pinch bolt at the upper ball joint and push the upper control arm out of the spindle. Now you can SLOWLY lower the jack and lower control arm. The spring will fall out. There are rubber isolators for each end, so make sure you account for both. Note the depression in the control arm where the end of the spring sits. It all has to go back the same way.

Installation is the reverse. I found this much easier than using the spring compressor. Just be careful to have the jack placed carefully under the spring pan so it will not slip during the process. As I recall, I placed a 2x4 across the bottom of the control arm and jacked against that.

Okay, curiousity got the best of me. How did you manage to split the control arm?