Work done to my 2002 3.8 Tropic Green Mustang This Week

My car was due for inspection and registration in July. I've been working on the wheels and suspension the last two weeks. I used the buy 3 tires get 1 free deal and an online $30 off coupon and got some Cooper Zeon A/S tires from Pepboys. After the rebate and the road hazard insurance and labor it will come out to be about $120 a tire. The only thing I didn't like is I have to send in a rebate form to get my money back for the 4th tire. I needed new front brake pads, so I installed new front rotors and new brake pads.

Then I decided I might as well replace the struts and shocks. I read some online forums and people were saying the struts weren't that difficult so I did it myself. I bought a 2 jack stand and floor jack combo from Advance Auto for $49.99 and got Monroe gas-matic struts on the front and Monroe gas matic shocks on the back. The back shocks were a good deal only $16 each. The old shocks are in my garage now with 104,000 miles on them and look rusty and beat up. The new ones look smaller and lighter.

It took a long time, about 4 hours to take out and reinstall the struts and shocks working by myself. The struts were the most time consuming because I had to take off the brake caliper and rotors to take off the struts bolts. I supported the control arms with the jacks stands and I didn't even have to compress the struts to install them. The struts had instructions included as well. The 2002 mustang has separate permanent springs so the front strut is basically like a shock that bolts to the brake calipers.

Also, after seeing the cross bar bushings were looking squashed and rusty I went ahead and bought some Energy Suspension performance sway bar end link bushings. I got the red ones and they were only $9.99 at Advance Auto. You have to remove both top sway bar bolts to remove the old bushings. The one thing I always comment on when working on American cars is how great the prices on replacement parts are compared to Asian cars.

Yesterday I took the car in to Firestone because I payed for the life time alignment a few years ago and got the wheels aligned and state inspection and they got it done in an hour. I guess the suspension is separate from the alignment and I didn't move the top plate of the strut when I installed them so the alignment didn't get changed much. Then I went to the DMV and got my regsitration stickers for the license plate so I am good to go until next July.

What I installed last two weeks:

Tires - COOPER ZEON SPRT AS http://www.pepboys.com/catalog/tirecover?pn=W112PMG864&sz=2255516&lc=TIR

Shocks - Monroe Gas-Matic LT Truck Shock Absorber http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_Gas-Matic-LT-Truck-Shock-Absorber-Monroe_15900013-P_50_R%7CGRPSHOCAMS_891960940___

Struts - Monroe Gas Matic
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_Gas-Matic-Strut-Monroe_5930092-P_49_R%7CGRPSHOCAMS_977398201___

Sway Bar End Link Bushings - ( the washers that came with it were the wrong inside diameter so I sanded and painted the original washers and tie rod silver and reused them) http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_Polyurethane-Sway-Bar-End-Link-Bushings;-8-Bushings-Washers;-OD-1-1-8%22,-ID-3-8%22---Red-Energy-Suspension_16360001-P_N3435C_P%7CGRP60035____

Front Disc Brake Rotors - http://c2c.activant.com/ctoc/index.jsp?ID=cAi1oFiopEU50KjN_CUdGM2JPUVU6AlAJVnAkBQAA

The only things I couldn't do myself was the wheel installation and the alignment and car inspection.

The shocks are still breaking in and feel a little stiff but it handles better and even drives and runs better. I just remembered that I also installed a new PCV valve, that is so simple, it's the valve beside the oil cap on the valve cover. http://c2c.activant.com/ctoc/index.jsp?ID=bAi1oFiopEU50KjN_CUdGM2xFU1E6ZzIIUnMf

I also drained and flushed the radiator and coolant and refilled it with new anti-freeze.

Now the car rides great with brand new tires, struts, sway bar bushings, shocks and it even sits a little higher than before.