Wobbly Rear!

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Jun 8, 2006 | 01:51 AM

68Mercury250Ranger

Thread Starter

Laughing Gas

Joined: Sep 2004

Posts: 1,057

Likes: 3

From: gravel road ONTARIO

Wobbly Rear!

It felt like the rear end was loose on my 93 aerostar, when the wife and kids were in it today it was very noticable. I checked it at work and the bushings on top of the diff were very sloppy. Has anyone on here replaced those and what is involved? I am a truck/coach mechanic and I don't work on this small stuff unless its my own. The front 2 bushings on this Control Arm (????) looked to have no movement at all and the lower L and R arms bushings looked fine too.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Polyurethane?

Jun 8, 2006 | 08:29 AM

pbrunner

Senior User

Joined: Oct 2004

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I don't know if I had the same symptoms as you do, but I could feel a bumping and heard a thud sometimes when startin from a stop. It was worse on a hill. Turned out to be just a loose spare tire.

Jun 8, 2006 | 10:29 PM

FordBoypete

Posting Guru

Joined: Jul 2003

Posts: 2,222

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From: East Central Florida

Do yourself a favor & replace all the link & track arm bushings involved with the rear end suspension at the same time. Then put yourself a good set of progressive rear coil springs & Sensatrack [ also progressive] shocks and your Aero will be Kewl for another 125K Miles.I use the OEM Butyl type, they are not only cheaper, they work better.

I wouldn't endorse "Poly U" or "Poly G" either they're too firm & do not have the give to "forgive" as a passenger vehicles should. I've see both types of Poly Bushings do strange things in various app's over time. They can cause the end nuts to back off on an inner Front A Frame shaft. They also can cause a hard ride, and in some apps even do damage to light weight suspension parts.

They are all press fit. If you're over 100K mi when you R&R the components check close and you will see the butyl is failing or failed. New bushings, Springs & Shocks I mentioned make driving through the Smokey Mountains of TN Fun again!

FBp

Jun 9, 2006 | 02:26 AM

68Mercury250Ranger

Thread Starter

Laughing Gas

Joined: Sep 2004

Posts: 1,057

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From: gravel road ONTARIO

FordBoyPete: Thanks for the replace everything prospective, but thats just not very realistic for me. It was a $600 package deal for my 93 3.0 sport and 95 4.0 sport ext. parts van. I am up to about $200 more in parts on the 93 to pass safety and etest. And it looks like the "rear control arm is going to be removed this weekend and get bushings to the rear diff mount replace and thats it.
I have 2 kids under 3, 1 income and a mortgage so the replace everything theory doesn't work. I would have bought a lot newer/nicer minivan if I had the spare cash. Luckily I have a wife thats not impressed by the "NEW CAR SMELL" , and will drive anything I tell her runs,steers, and stops safely!!!!! Her old car is a 1990 VW Golf diesel with almost 400,000kms on it, thats what I get to drive now!
I believe most of what I've heard about the aerostars, and it sounds like they are a good vehicle for a tinkerer, which I am. My 2.5 year old loves it because she has her own sliding window and "can see the whole world" in her words!
Thanks for the feedback, and sorry about the rant.

Jun 10, 2006 | 11:31 PM

68Mercury250Ranger

Thread Starter

Laughing Gas

Joined: Sep 2004

Posts: 1,057

Likes: 3

From: gravel road ONTARIO

Update: I priced out the bushing required and everybody said that one isn't available and had to get at dealer, Ford dealer priced complete arm w/bushings and it was almost $350 CAN and that was trade price! I was a little upset. I knew that my 95 parts aero had less miles on it, and did not wander on the road, so I checked the rear suspension on it. It was worn almost exactly the same at the diff bushing? My parts aero had 2 almost new 215/75/14 tires on the rear so I swapped rear tires and OMG!
I couldn't believe my luck! It does not wander on the road. I knew my tires were rough but I didn't realize there could be that much difference. The old tires were not matched but both were 205/75/14s . I have the 3.73s so it should be ok.
Thanks guys.

Jun 10, 2006 | 11:45 PM

96_4wdr

Post Fiend

Joined: Apr 2005

Posts: 5,720

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From: Washington state

broken tire belt....glad you found it
your family is alot safer on the road now

new hvy duty gas shocks will make even more difference in ride

TRW & Moog make replacement rubber bushings for rear Aero suspension

Last edited by 96_4wdr; Jun 10, 2006 at 11:55 PM.

Jun 11, 2006 | 12:34 AM

68Mercury250Ranger

Thread Starter

Laughing Gas

Joined: Sep 2004

Posts: 1,057

Likes: 3

From: gravel road ONTARIO

96 4wdr:
TRW and Moog make rear suspension parts for all except for the one at the top of the diff. Even the dealer didn't have that bushing available. I talked to several different auto parts places, but now have left my info with a Spring/Suspension shop that works on small cars up to highway tractors and they will keep me posted of any developments. I am not as worried about it as before!
Thanks for the responses.