Arm, Lower

Removal

1. Raise vehicle on a hoist, allowing the front suspension lower arms (3078) to hang free. Refer to Section 00-02.

2. Remove the wheel (1007) and tire assembly.

3. If necessary, remove the front disc brake caliper (2B120) , then wire it out of the way to obtain working room. Remove the front disc brake rotor (1125) and front disc brake rotor shield (2K005) . Refer to Section 06-03.

4. Disconnect the front wheel spindle connecting rod or end (3A130) assembly from the front wheel spindle (3105) using Tie Rod End Remover TOOL-3290-D or equivalent.

5. Remove the steering gear bolts if necessary, and position the gear so that the front suspension lower arm bolt may be removed.

6. Disconnect front stabilizer bar link (5K483) from front suspension lower arm .

7. Loosen the ball joint nut one or two turns. Do not remove the nut at this time.Tap the spindle boss sharply to relieve the stud pressure.

8. On Mustang with 3.8L engine, use Spring Compressor Tool T82P-5310-A to place the upper plate in position into the spring pocket cavity on the crossmember (5025) . The hooks on the plate should be facing toward the center of the vehicle.

9. On Mustang with 5.0L engine, use Spring Compressor Tool D78P-5310-A or equivalent, to install a plate between coils near the top of the front coil spring (5310) . Mark location of upper plate on coils for installation. Use care not to nick spring coils when installing upper plate.

10. Install compression rod into front suspension lower arm spring pocket hole, through front coil spring , into upper plate.

11. Install the lower plate, lower ball nut, thrust washer and bearing, and forcing nut onto the compression rod.

12. Tighten the forcing nut on the compressor tool until a drag on the nut is felt.

13. Remove and discard ball joint stud nut, and raise entire front shock absorber (18124) and front wheel spindle assembly. Wire it out of the way to obtain working room.

14. Remove and discard front suspension lower arm-to-crossmember nuts and bolts. The compressor tool forcing nut may have to be tightened or loosened for easy bolt removal.

15. Loosen the compression rod forcing nut until spring tension is relieved, then remove the forcing nut, front suspension lower arm and front coil spring .

Installation

1. Place the front spring insulator (5415) on the top of the front coil spring . Position the front coil spring into the front suspension lower arm spring pocket.

   NOTE: Ensure the spring pigtail is positioned between the two holes in the front suspension lower arm pocket.

2. Position the front coil spring and front suspension lower arm onto the compression rod. On Mustang with 5.0L engine, install upper plate between coils in location marked during removal. Install the lower plate, lower ball nut, thrust washer and bearing, and forcing nut onto the compression rod.

3. Tighten the forcing nut and position the front suspension lower arm into the crossmember . Install new lower arm-to-crossmember bolts and nuts. Do not tighten at this time.

4. Remove the wire from the front shock absorber and front wheel spindle assembly, pull the assembly down, and attach to the ball joint stud. Install a new ball joint stud nut. Do not tighten at this time.

5. With a suitable jack, raise the front suspension lower arm to a normal attitude position. Remove the compressor tool. On Mustang with 5.0L engine, use care when removing upper plate to avoid nicking the spring coils.

6. With the jack still in place, tighten the front suspension lower arm-to-crossmember retaining nuts to 191-259 Nm (141-191 lb-ft).

7. Tighten ball joint stud nut to 148-202 Nm (109-149 lb-ft), and install a new cotter pin. Do not back-off nut to install cotter pin. Tighten nut to align holes. Remove jack.

8. Install the front disc brake rotor shield , front disc brake rotor , and front disc brake caliper , if removed. Refer to Section 06-03.

9. Install the steering gear-to-crossmember bolts and nuts, if removed. Hold bolts and tighten to 122-135 Nm (90-99 lb-ft).

10. Position the front wheel spindle connecting rod or end assembly into the front wheel spindle , and install the retaining nut. Tighten the nut to 47 Nm (35 lb-ft), and continue tightening the nut to align the next castellation with cotter pin hole in the stud. Install a new cotter pin.

11. Connect the front stabilizer bar link to the front suspension lower arm . Tighten the retaining nut to 16-22 Nm (11-16 lb-ft).

12. Install wheel and tire assembly. Tighten wheel hub bolt nuts (1012) to 115-142 Nm (85-105 lb-ft). Lower vehicle.

13. Check front wheel alignment and adjust if out of specification. Refer to Section 04-00.