some might remember I mentioned last fall how my tie rod boots and front control arm bushings were starting to look 'cracked'... well they hadnt leaked as of last fall, but had it up on the lift today and both sides were totally split out, oozing grease...
Ford used a real crappy rubber on these(guessing same supplier that made the failing valvestems in 07?) and like I said, they looked like they were surface cracking last fall, but over the winter they fell apart...luckily I hadnt driven it a whole lot this year and after popping the boots off, they still had clean grease in them/still feel tight- the way they split, was along the perimeter of the fold, so the 2 'lips' still kinda sealed- but both sides were also starting to split radially- luckily no dirt inside, looked to be no moisture either.

Energy suspension lists a pair of boots p/n 9.13101 that *should* work- I'll try to pick up a set tomorrow and see. The wifes 07 looked same as mine last fall, havent checked it yet, but bet is failing too. Hope the lower/rear front control arm bushings dont fall apart too- didnt think to look at them till now.

lower balljoint bushings must be different supplier, rubber looks perfect.

gotta see if I can look up the tierod supplier- the OEM boots have a logo:
FN with a backwards L underlining it, and part number 53028001 molded in- wanna take any bets this junk came from some chinese sweat shop?

funny- believe it or not, my 65 galaxie still has the original tierod ends and lower balljoints(upper arms were replaced in '04) and the rubber is still good almost 47 years later...guess they knew about mixing rubber back then, China must just be catching up to '60s technology.

I hope and pray Ford didnt source engine/powersteering/tranny/ABS valve seals from the rubber shops that popped these boots and those faulty valvestems out- that would be a disaster as these cars age.

 

I'd went to summit picked up a couple pairs of the red boots- extra set for the wifes car) they fit ok...today at the local autozone, saw the exact same boots there on the shelf...$4.99 a pair.

 

bump...

springtimes here, lots of cars returning to the road from storage, just a reminder. saw pics on facebook of a nice mustang that met its demise from a busted tie rod at highway speed, luckily the owner and passengers walked away unscathed...

someone commented about how solid these cars feel/handle that you cant 'feel' looseness like on older cars- a good point to think about that really hadnt occurred to me.
The balljoints/tierods are sealed/unserviceable, if you dont jack up and check joints unloaded, your first indication of a possible issue could be out of control wild ride...if unsure of how to check, its always done during a routine frontend alignment/test and places like NTB will check alignments for free- if alls good, no charge, otherwise like 70 bucks to adjust- or up to big bucks if stuff is found ready to fall off, but still far cheaper than busted steering with no real warning- it could happen to any of us- but with what ive seen with the crappy rubber in use these days, some models (like Mustangs) might be far more likely to suffer from unseen problems.

can you believe our 65 LTD still has the original joints/boots? yet the chinese boots on our mustangs are cracking at just a couple years old letting the 'sealed for life' joints die at a early age... sad as the rubber boots retail for 5 dollars a pair- doubt the OEM cost saved by sourcing cheep chinese rubber was more than a few pennies

anyways glad these folks were OK, just dont want to see any more pics like this or worse

 

Thanks for the heads up!


I'm gonna check mine ASAP.


How hard is it to change the boots/bushings?

 

Ive never changed my rear bushings still... they were showing surface cracks at a yr old, but are still intact. the tie rod boots are easy, popping the ends can be fun sometimes but mine came out with just a couple good cracks with the hammer to the side of the knuckle, cant use a pickle fork as they ruin the ends, separators can help, but dont always fit...
once popped loose from the knuckle, just swing it down and boots you kinda gotta pry off, they had a spring wrapped around IIRC, the urethane ones just slide on- after popping the boots, if there is no rust or grit inside, just clean them up with a clean rag, pop the boots on, take brakekleen or something to clean the taper, put back together- the urethanes can be greased pretty easy with a needle type tip. gotta be careful putting the joints in with suspension hanging- the urethane boots fit pretty snug, and with it at full drop, the outer edge tries to roll under as you put the taper back into the knuckle- not hard to keep out, just dont want to chunk out the new boot at install...once theyre seated, it cant fold under, but when installing it can.

be aware as old as these cars are, if the boots did fail, they likely got dirt in by now, might be loose as heck already... any shake in the ball/socket, or metal dust or rust in there = trashcan... think replacements were only about 30 apiece when I got new outer ends for my mercury last summer.
some folks just rather let alignment shops do it all as if you need to unthread the tierod, you need to get aligned anyways...just popping boots off/on shouldnt change anything, unless the tapers are super-stuckand you hit it hard enough to bend it- unlikely, but imagine its possible Ive had some Ive had to wail on before, even with a separator or pickle fork in there...

 

I have an 07 GT/CS just resently on a highway when in a high speed curve a slight shudder appeared . My son was good enough to invite me to his work Boss said for your dad no worries no charge either 😋 inspected everything & the putter tie rods are slightly worn, so order new better ones , we will stick them in tomorrow & as luck even has it the have everything for a front end alignment. May cost me a case of beer & a bag of corn on the cob. Sweet deal.

 

Those stock boots look like it may have been from how the cars been driven . Mines an 07 and they are healthy & firm so to crack like that makes me think of off road or driving very irratict just my 2 cents

 

There are a few factors involved that will lead to faster deterioration of the rubber boots.
But one should be checking these things on a regular basis anyways. I used to lube and inspect the suspension every 3-4 months when she was a daily and now it's about twice a year or every oil change. Also, whenever you wash your car, it never hurts to spray the underside. Don;t have to detail it or anything but removing loose dirt and grime along with road salt and oil will extend the life of your parts. I always at least get the hose under there and spray that stuff off.

 

what part # do you get for your Mustang ?

 

9.13101R Energy Suspension at O'Reilly Auto Parts
This boot fit my 06 perfectly but O'Reilly doesn't match this boot to my car nor any boot to my car