Big Dave's Sonic Blue Mustang Thread
Thread Starter
NTTAWWT





Joined: January 27, 2007
Posts: 14,456
Likes: 35
From: That town you drive through to get to Myrtle Beach
Thread Starter
NTTAWWT





Joined: January 27, 2007
Posts: 14,456
Likes: 35
From: That town you drive through to get to Myrtle Beach
So I'm coming up on 5 years with the car, so I decided it's time to start working on it again. it's got a long *** way to go including desperate need for paint (have considered wrapping it for a couple years), but I started with some wheels. AM finally started carrying silver Saleen wheels again, so I bought a set.
I thought I'd try them out, and I'm glad I did. Guess I'll need to find some steering rack spacers here so they don't rub on the frame. Looks awesome though, and I've got a bonus bit of cool for the calipers behind. I also want to find some reasonably priced center caps. Even some plain silver ones would be great.

I thought I'd try them out, and I'm glad I did. Guess I'll need to find some steering rack spacers here so they don't rub on the frame. Looks awesome though, and I've got a bonus bit of cool for the calipers behind. I also want to find some reasonably priced center caps. Even some plain silver ones would be great.

David just grab a set of 3/16" slip over spacers. They're a lot easier to source versus the steering stop spacers. You can pick them up from Amazon for cheap! I did 1/4" on my old '00 when I put the Cobra wheels on, but I was running a square setup and had 1" spacers bolted on the rears, so the 1/4" made the front and rear equally flush to the fenders.
Thread Starter
NTTAWWT





Joined: January 27, 2007
Posts: 14,456
Likes: 35
From: That town you drive through to get to Myrtle Beach
So yesterday was just a huge pain in the ***. I wanted to get home from my vacation and swap the wheels on and go. I should have known better.
I got the front end up on stands, then noticed something a bit odd, the sway bar wasn't connected to anything. The top end had just snapped off somewhere. fortunately the local parts store had a pair, so I replaced them both with new ones (forgot pics, second one is what the factory ones are supposed to look like).
After the 2-3 hours in blazing hot sun fixing that (and having to call a buddy over to hold one of the end links in place so I could actually get both sides connected, I realized that the steering rack had some funky clamps holding on the dust boot, so I couldn't get the rack limiters placed on. After looking it over, the tires only touch the control arm on full lock, so I'm going to drive it very limited keeping that in mind until I can really look at the boots (when I get it up on a lift for the alignment).
Finally got the front "finished" up, and put the backs on easily enough, went driving around the neighborhood and everything was fine. Get out on the highway and immediately notice a problem. I've got a wicked shimmy over 40mph. I'm not really sure what it is. I checked the lugs again, they were all tight. Not sure if it's a wheel severely out of balance, maybe the end links not situated right (they're tight, I might need to check again though), or just a bad alignment made worse by the wider tires.
Never an easy project with this car.
I got the front end up on stands, then noticed something a bit odd, the sway bar wasn't connected to anything. The top end had just snapped off somewhere. fortunately the local parts store had a pair, so I replaced them both with new ones (forgot pics, second one is what the factory ones are supposed to look like).
After the 2-3 hours in blazing hot sun fixing that (and having to call a buddy over to hold one of the end links in place so I could actually get both sides connected, I realized that the steering rack had some funky clamps holding on the dust boot, so I couldn't get the rack limiters placed on. After looking it over, the tires only touch the control arm on full lock, so I'm going to drive it very limited keeping that in mind until I can really look at the boots (when I get it up on a lift for the alignment).
Finally got the front "finished" up, and put the backs on easily enough, went driving around the neighborhood and everything was fine. Get out on the highway and immediately notice a problem. I've got a wicked shimmy over 40mph. I'm not really sure what it is. I checked the lugs again, they were all tight. Not sure if it's a wheel severely out of balance, maybe the end links not situated right (they're tight, I might need to check again though), or just a bad alignment made worse by the wider tires.
Never an easy project with this car.
Last edited by StangMahn; Jun 14, 2015 at 04:49 PM.
Big Dave's Sonic Blue Mustang Thread
So yesterday was just a huge pain in the ***. I wanted to get home from my vacation and swap the wheels on and go. I should have known better.
I got the front end up on stands, then noticed something a bit odd, the sway bar wasn't connected to anything. The top end had just snapped off somewhere. fortunately the local parts store had a pair, so I replaced them both with new ones (forgot pics, second one is what the factory ones are supposed to look like).
After the 2-3 hours in blazing hot sun fixing that (and having to call a buddy over to hold one of the end links in place so I could actually get both sides connected, I realized that the steering rack had some funky clamps holding on the dust boot, so I couldn't get the rack limiters placed on. After looking it over, the tires only touch the control arm on full lock, so I'm going to drive it very limited keeping that in mind until I can really look at the boots (when I get it up on a lift for the alignment).
Finally got the front "finished" up, and put the backs on easily enough, went driving around the neighborhood and everything was fine. Get out on the highway and immediately notice a problem. I've got a wicked shimmy over 40mph. I'm not really sure what it is. I checked the lugs again, they were all tight. Not sure if it's a wheel severely out of balance, maybe the end links not situated right (they're tight, I might need to check again though), or just a bad alignment made worse by the wider tires.
Never an easy project with this car.
I got the front end up on stands, then noticed something a bit odd, the sway bar wasn't connected to anything. The top end had just snapped off somewhere. fortunately the local parts store had a pair, so I replaced them both with new ones (forgot pics, second one is what the factory ones are supposed to look like).
After the 2-3 hours in blazing hot sun fixing that (and having to call a buddy over to hold one of the end links in place so I could actually get both sides connected, I realized that the steering rack had some funky clamps holding on the dust boot, so I couldn't get the rack limiters placed on. After looking it over, the tires only touch the control arm on full lock, so I'm going to drive it very limited keeping that in mind until I can really look at the boots (when I get it up on a lift for the alignment).
Finally got the front "finished" up, and put the backs on easily enough, went driving around the neighborhood and everything was fine. Get out on the highway and immediately notice a problem. I've got a wicked shimmy over 40mph. I'm not really sure what it is. I checked the lugs again, they were all tight. Not sure if it's a wheel severely out of balance, maybe the end links not situated right (they're tight, I might need to check again though), or just a bad alignment made worse by the wider tires.
Never an easy project with this car.

I know what you mean about things not going as planned!! What should have a 30minute process turned into a 60 min ordeal due to heat and a clutch cable that wanted to fight me on its bracket!!
I love the way your mustang is looking! Very clean!
For the shimmy it's most likely a wheel or wheels out of balance
I love the way your mustang is looking! Very clean!
For the shimmy it's most likely a wheel or wheels out of balance
Last edited by Jim74656; Jun 14, 2015 at 07:46 PM.
Thread Starter
NTTAWWT





Joined: January 27, 2007
Posts: 14,456
Likes: 35
From: That town you drive through to get to Myrtle Beach
Big Dave's Sonic Blue Mustang Thread
My clutch cable was a big pain too.
Idk how the wheels could be out of alignment. They're brand new and were balanced when the tires were put on.
Idk how the wheels could be out of alignment. They're brand new and were balanced when the tires were put on.
well it may or may not be an alighnment issue but evidence (the wobble) says something is not right with the car...
has the car ever been in ANY type of collision? wobble isnt something that "just happens" on its own with out some other force or action occureing (IE wheels being off balance or not correctly balanced) is there any other items/parts missing or loose? you stated that you were missing a art (and showed it in the pictures above)...im just going through process of elimination with this as a person who is a DIY/mechanic...
Sorry if it sounds like im trying to bust ***** here, just trying to be logical on this...
on a side note if you want to check out my build thread I have dome some updating, and will be doing some upgrades like what you got soon too
has the car ever been in ANY type of collision? wobble isnt something that "just happens" on its own with out some other force or action occureing (IE wheels being off balance or not correctly balanced) is there any other items/parts missing or loose? you stated that you were missing a art (and showed it in the pictures above)...im just going through process of elimination with this as a person who is a DIY/mechanic...
Sorry if it sounds like im trying to bust ***** here, just trying to be logical on this...
on a side note if you want to check out my build thread I have dome some updating, and will be doing some upgrades like what you got soon too
Last edited by Jim74656; Jun 15, 2015 at 08:41 PM.
Thread Starter
NTTAWWT





Joined: January 27, 2007
Posts: 14,456
Likes: 35
From: That town you drive through to get to Myrtle Beach
well it may or may not be an alighnment issue but evidence (the wobble) says something is not right with the car...
has the car ever been in ANY type of collision? wobble isnt something that "just happens" on its own with out some other force or action occureing (IE wheels being off balance or not correctly balanced) is there any other items/parts missing or loose? you stated that you were missing a art (and showed it in the pictures above)...im just going through process of elimination with this as a person who is a DIY/mechanic...
Sorry if it sounds like im trying to bust ***** here, just trying to be logical on this...
on a side note if you want to check out my build thread I have dome some updating, and will be doing some upgrades like what you got soon too
has the car ever been in ANY type of collision? wobble isnt something that "just happens" on its own with out some other force or action occureing (IE wheels being off balance or not correctly balanced) is there any other items/parts missing or loose? you stated that you were missing a art (and showed it in the pictures above)...im just going through process of elimination with this as a person who is a DIY/mechanic...
Sorry if it sounds like im trying to bust ***** here, just trying to be logical on this...
on a side note if you want to check out my build thread I have dome some updating, and will be doing some upgrades like what you got soon too

Thread Starter
NTTAWWT





Joined: January 27, 2007
Posts: 14,456
Likes: 35
From: That town you drive through to get to Myrtle Beach
Since the pic doesnt seem to exist anymore, this happened Valentines Day 2011. Lady turned left through some traffic without looking, I was doing 30 and she pulled out 30-40 ft from me.
Car was fine from the firewall back, they cut the nose off a rear-ended one to act as a donor for mine. Not perfect, but fine for now.
Car was fine from the firewall back, they cut the nose off a rear-ended one to act as a donor for mine. Not perfect, but fine for now.
Like Father...
I ♥ Sausage
I ♥ Sausage





Joined: April 4, 2007
Posts: 20,164
Likes: 643
From: Just outside the middle of nowhere
Try putting your old wheels and tires back on and see if the shimmy is still there. Won't take long to swap and it'll eliminate one variable as to what is going on.



Came with the shifter