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Any tips on getting the energy trac bar bushing in?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Hodgson (Post 15839988)

cpye2: FYI, I was able to press the bushing out with socket smaller than the track bar bushing hole on one side and a socket larger than the bushing on the other side, in a bench vice. Lube it up with dishwashing soap or better yet Turtle Wax Superprotectant and it will come out in a bench vice (or better yet a press).

This is the ticket. Worse comes to worse, you can buy a press at harbor freight on the cheap. Take it back if you don't want to keep it (I don't do this, but have a friend that does it quite often, they are starting to charge restocking fees now). But a bench vice is a must have IMHO.

ball joint press keeps sliding off. I have a vice 4 hours away in my storage unit. I wouldnt be able to get a press from harbor with the truck out of commission.

Have any or access to any cabinet or pipe clamps. With a good bit of improvising I'm sure you can figure it out.
Even a big C clamp

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwalters (Post 15841785)

Have any or access to any cabinet or pipe clamps. With a good bit of improvising I'm sure you can figure it out.
Even a big C clamp

The ball joint press I was using was slightly warped so I went to a different parts store, rented a newer one and got them in. Was very difficult with a ball joint press even with multiple adapter kits because none of them were a good fit for the trac bar ID. I must say, use a lot of that grease when doing this because it takes a LOT of force to get them in and when they get in they have to deform and literally be pressed through. The 2 piece bushings may not be as bad, but this was very difficult. Getting the sleeve in the middle was no joke either. I hope this was worth it because it was a very hard task. Trac bar looks better than new though. :-jammin A new one was only $60 shipped with bushings. They weren't Energy polyurethane bushings though! I'll put it back on tomorrow and try to get the tie rods on also.

Here are a few pics. The old trac bar bushing vs the new. The new shocks. I connected the brake lines today. Looking to bleed those within the next couple days

So all thats left now is bleeding the brakes, sway bar bushings, mounting the tie rods, and putting on the new stabilizer. Few questions before I get to the tie rods and stabilizer:

Do I need to to do the tie rods with the wheels off the ground?

Any tips on aligning things before I mount the tie rods, or what the best process is?

Should I put the dual stabilizer on before I go to the tire shop for balance and alignment?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Y2KW57 (Post 15839282)

You can try cross referencing the Ford part number stamped/engraved into the underside of the bottom leaf of your leaf springs, with the spring code on your Federal Certification tag in your door jamb, to see if there is correlation. You might need to find the chart that interprets the spring part number with a spring rating, and another chart that interprets axle spring code with a spring rating, to see if the ratings match.

These types of charts have been posted and reposted all over this website over the years, a so hopefully a search will reveal them in a short amount of time.

On the stamped/engraved spring part number... you are interested more in the suffix of the part number, typically two letters, than you are in the prefix of the part number. The basic (middle) portion of the part number will always be the same regardless (5310), so that won't tell you much other than "front springs". The last two letters following the 5310, usually after a hyphen, will be the most important part of that part number.

Just because those last two characters in the part number happen to be letters in the alphabet, those specific letters are not to be interpreted as "B" code or "X" code or "W" code springs, even if one or more of the letters happens to be B or X or W. Instead, the last two letters need to be considered as a pair, and together this pair determines the specific revision of front springs that you have. You will need to cross reference that part number with the "code" number short hand for spring ratings.

Once you do the same for your cert label, you can extrapolate if the springs you have match what the truck was originally issued with.

OHHH wait a sec, another way just occurred to me that I never usually think about because my truck is just two months older than when Ford started their Historical Vehicle Bill of Materials data base. (HVBOM for short).

If you go to your local Ford parts counter with your VIN, they can likely run a HVBOM for your front springs, and give you the engineering number for the springs your truck left the factory with. See if that number matches what is stamped under your springs. Much easier, because you have a 2002. My 2000 was built in November 99, just prior to Ford's establishment of this database.

I found this list of codes:
Front leaf spring codes for SuperDuty 4x4 pickups, '99 thru around 2004:

S = 2C34-5310-AAB, 4,000 lb.
T = 2C34-5310-ABB, 4,400 lb.
U = 2C34-5310-ACB, 4,800 lb.
V = 2C34-5310-ADB, 5,200 lb.
W = 2C34-5310-AEA, 5,600 lb.
X = 2C34-5310-AFA, 6,000 lb.

So I would say I have V codes. Anyway, they are factory springs and I dont see anything under or above them so I will assume im at factory height.

Looks like I wont be using these energy bushings on the sway bar this time around unless I find factory links without bushings. My truck has Moog with ball joints on the end. I found the factory part numbers MEF-205 and MEF-206 that come with bushings. I wouldn't mind buying those and using them and replacing bushing next time with my energy bushings, but they are $75-$80 each. I see some discount brands available but before I go and buy some, I'd like to make sure they fit my energy bushings for next time replacement. Anyone have a recommendation?

Found Raybestos, ACDelco, Dorman, TRW Automotive, Prosteer, MAS industries on Amazon. Anyone know if these will fit the Energy Bushings designed for the factory bars?

Dorman says 905-301 and 905-302 are DIRECT replacements.

I am in the same boat as you are, I am thinking of just driving out what's there and putting in my energy suspension bushings and buying some suitable bolts to use?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rikster-7700 (Post 15845566)

I am in the same boat as you are, I am thinking of just driving out what's there and putting in my energy suspension bushings and buying some suitable bolts to use?

I dont think you will be able to do that, but let me know how it works out for you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Y2KW57 (Post 14216286)

On the subject of having several options to choose from, I just now made an abbreviated list of the substance of PART B: completely pre-assembled full replacement front sway bar end links for 1999 - 2004 4WD F-250/350/450/550/Excursions. The list below is a redacted version of the yet to be posted Part B promised in my original post. In this now modified Part B, I deleted out all the pricing, places to purchase, and any quality/comparison/commentary on the constitution of the bushings and bolt that are pre pressed in... for the sake of brevity.

FORD MOTOR COMPANY:
1C3Z-5K483-BB - Driver Side Front Left
1C3Z-5K483-BA - Passenger Side Front Right
Revision Note: New design effective date June 21 2001.
Pre-Assembled Link Notes: Includes new upper eyelet bolts prepressed into OEM Sachs style bushings with new dished washer heatshield for the upper passenger side.
Application Notes: Not intended for use in early 1999 models as originally equipped, depending on whether Front Stabilizer retrofit is/was performed per earlier era Ford TSB, incorporating a raised sway bar mounting position, axle weldment, and revised end links. If unmodified, see next Ford link below.

FORD MOTOR COMPANY:
F81Z-5K483-BB - Driver Side Front Left
F81Z-5K483-BA - Passenger Side Front Right
Application Note: For 1999 Model year only, unless TSB was applied.

MOTORCRAFT:
MEF-205 - Driver Side Front Left
MEF-206 - Passenger Side Front Right

MOOG:
K80274 - Driver Side Front Left
K80273 - Passenger Side Front Right
Cautionary Note: Observe that these MOOG part numbers coincide with the endlinks that PickupmanX2 inquired about several posts above. As I mentioned earlier, I would not assume that the parts sold on that eBay link are actually MOOG, even though the numbers "match". This is due to some eBay sellers listing knock off parts by the numbers of better respected brands.

RAYBESTOS:
5451422 - Driver Side Front Left
5451423 - Passenger Side Front Right

ACDELCO
45G0422 - Driver Side Front Left
45G0423 - Passenger Side Front Right
Branding Note: These ACDelco are simply rebranded/repackaged, and not produced by ACDelco. They are in fact the same endlinks as the Raybestos immediately above.

MEVOTECH
MS40805 - Driver Side Front Left
MS40806 - Passenger Side Front Right

Application Note: Unable to confirm with reliable certainty the difference between the MEVOTECH MS40805/6 front swaybar end links that are 14" length with bend, versus the MEVOTECH MS40812/3 front swaybar endlinks listed immediately below that are also 14" length with bend. The MS40806 appears to include the bushing heatshield, whereas the MS40813 does not. Photographs online from merchants cannot be trusted, due to images being "similar to", but not precisely accurate for, the part numbers described. Pricing for the Mevotechs varies very widely, from as little as $13 to as high as $40, so not even cost is a clue of how the part numbers differ. The Mevotech website, a Canadian company, did not produce results when these part numbers were searched for there.

MEVOTECH
MS40812 - Driver Side Front Left
MS40813 - Passenger Side Front Right
Application Note: (see note immediately above)

DORMAN
905-302 - Driver Side Front Left
905-301 - Passenger Side Front Right
Note: MADE IN CHINA https://www.google.com/#q=dorman+905...n+china+amazon

So there you have it... Part A details the options for replacing only the parts that go bad... the bushings. Part B details the options for replacing the entire links as an assembly. Now that all of the options are contained in one thread, this should help future members figure out which option suits their needs best.

Y2KW57, do you know if any of these discount sway bar links will work with the energy bushings for the 2000-2004?

I think I am going to go with the AC Delco because the come with the top and bottom bolt. Since Im removing the preforged Moog's, and most of the kits only come with 1 bolt, this seems to be my safest bet. I'll let everyone know if the energy bushing will fit it.

If you already own a set of Energy bushings, and if the greasable cross axis ball joints in the Moog sway bar end links you just removed are FUBAR'ed, then why not at least try pressing those old joints out of the Moog iron, in order to see for yourself if the Energy bushings will fit?

Might as well use everything you have, and save money too, since nothing much else can be done with the old Moog links unless the joints are replaced. That is, if indeed the cross axis joints are ruined, which I can't tell from your photo. But I'm assuming they are no good since you are seeking to replace them.

Here's what the factory eyelets look like inside. Just a smooth bore hole:

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...c3e1616f7d.jpg

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...fdd338b30f.jpg

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.for...d715e01c11.jpg

I definitely don't have the tools to press these out. As mentioned previously my vice is back home in storage (4 hours). Also, I am not sure you can press these out. The lip on the ID is under the back of the joint. Maybe I'm looking at it wrong. Regardless, my ball joint press alone doesnt look like its going to work. Also, I need the truck running again by end of next week. Last problem with doing that is I didn't have the mounting hardware to mount them. Mine may not be bad. I haven't taken a close look at them yet.

I got the tie rods on and torqued today. Bleeding the brakes tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have the dual stabilizer on Wednesday and have sway bars back on Thursday. Taking in for balance and alignment next week then going on a 400 mile trip. :-jammin Would also like to change fluids in the differentials and transfer case before Christmas.