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.