Suspension Bushing installation

I just got my new front and rear Polyurothane bushings from P-S-T. Boy I can hardly wait! Anyone have any helpful hints about removal and installation? Is it possible to remove and replace the ball joints with conventional weapons or will I be better off taking the control arms to a machine shop? Same question for the bushings themselves? What special tools will I need to buy/rent? Thanx.

You can remove / replace the bushings / ball joints yourself, but it is a big PITA most of the time. When I completely rebuilt my front end last year, I just pulled the control arms, and had the machine shop remove the old ball joints / bushings and install the new ones. Money well spent, IMO.

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Jeff Korn

88 Turbo Coupe: Intake and exhaust mods, T3 turbo at 20 psi, forced air intercooler, water injection, bypass valve, Ranger roller cam, subframes, etc., etc.. // 86 Tbird 5.0: intake, exhaust, 100 HP nitrous, ignition, gears, suspension, etc., etc.... // 91 Escort: Bone stock winter car // 00 Windstar (wifes vehicle)

I ditto what Jeff said. The machine shop charged me $10 per ball joint and put the bushings in also. I'm interested in your results. I rebuilt my front end last year with the PST kit and FORD shocks/struts (to the tune of over $500). I wanted to keep the PRC in tact. All I can say is it sucks big time. The front end bobs up and down like a cork on the ocean. The only thing I can think of causing this is the polyurethane bushings.

Poly bushings wouldn't cause that. Soemtimes it;s just a combination of the road, stiff suspension, and a short wheelbase car. There are some sections of freeway around town that cause the XR7 (and the Pace Car) to seem like they bob/buck back and forth. But once the expansion joints are past..and we're onto blacktop it stops. If the car is porpoising..it's in the struts and shocks..
I've run poly in the front of most of my Fox cars...not a problem

I put poly front control arm bushings in my 86 Tbird several years ago, and for me, they are a bit on the harsh side, especially when driving on the rough, pot holed roads here in the upper midwest. When I did my 88 TC I just used the stock Ford bushings, but I did use poly sway bar and end link bushings, as well as poly spring isolators. Its all a trade off in transmitted noise / harshness vs handling, and depends on your personal tastes.

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Jeff Korn

88 Turbo Coupe: Intake and exhaust mods, T3 turbo at 20 psi, forced air intercooler, water injection, bypass valve, Ranger roller cam, subframes, etc., etc.. // 86 Tbird 5.0: intake, exhaust, 100 HP nitrous, ignition, gears, suspension, etc., etc.... // 91 Escort: Bone stock winter car // 00 Windstar (wifes vehicle)

FRED... when you rebuilt the front, did you have or install new coil springs? If not, then the source of your bouncing is from the springs being worn and sloppy.