need help (damaged diff cover, sway bar, panhard rod and support, as well as rear axle moan TSB issues)

Well, as I said in this thread, yesterday I jacked the car up by the diff so I could get the wheels off to clean them in and out. I got the rear passenger wheel off, and then decided it was better to get the car on some jackstands before going any further and as I raised the car a little more to get the stands underneath and WHACK! The front wheels were chocked on both sides, which didn't allow the car to get pulled back as the arm of the floor jack swung up (and oddly enough the jack itself didn't roll under the load like it should have), and the jack basically pulled itself out from underneath the car. As the car fell over it, the jack hit the anti-roll bar and both stabilizer bars and bent them. By hitting the upper stabilizer (the one resembling a frame rail from the driver's side body to the passenger side suspension) it actually prevented the passenger side wheel hub from smacking the pavement, so it's not all bad. But it did peel back the bottom edge of the diff cover, which now has a slow leak (about 1 drop every 10 seconds when fully warmed up and not at all when cool). I put some grey RTV on it to try to at least slow the leak down.

So the dealer confirmed the damage assessment as the front and rear stabilizer bars, the anti-roll bar, and the differential cover. They couldn't confirm any other damage because the upper (forward?) stabilizer bar was rattling against the exhaust so you couldn't hear anything. But after they bent it back a little bit using a pair of vice grips and a dent puller (pretty **** ingenious if you ask me), the rattle was gone and on the way home I didn't hear or feel anything abnormal except that the car was a little squirly due to the unresolved damage.

So here's where I stand, I need a new diff cover and the 3 bars. I've got a garage and a friend who's experienced with suspension work, so the issue is going to be getting the parts. Anyone have any recommendations for what parts to get and where to get them? Aftermarket performance parts are actually cheaper than what the dealer wants for Ford parts, so here's what I've been considering so far:

#BMR Fabrication#
Tublar Panhard rod $99
Moser 8.8" aluminum rear end cover $160
Rear 7/8" Swaybar - 2005+ Mustang $199
Upper Panhard Rod Support $110
http://www.bmrfabrication.com/2005MustangSUSPENSION.htm
http://www.bmrfabrication.com/2005MustangCHASSIS.htm

#Steeda#
Steeda Street Panhard Bar - '05-'07 $160
Heavy Duty Panhard Bar Brace -'05-'07 $80
Steeda Rear Swaybar (7/8") - '05-'07 $160
(or)
Steeda Rear Swaybar w/ End Links - '05-'07 $360
LPW Differential Cover Girdle - All 8.8 $170
http://www.steeda.com/products/suspension_swaybars.php
http://www.steeda.com/products/drive...s_ring_pin.php


# UPR Products#
Mustang Pro Series Double Adjustable Pan Hard Bar $160
Mustang GT Chromoly Panhard Brace $75
http://www.uprproducts.com/mustang_suspension_05.asp

#STILLEN#
Rear Swaybar kit (non-adjustable) $139
Granatelli Panhard Rod (rear/street) $154
Granatelli Panhard Rod Brace ($149)
Above Steeda pahnhard bar and brace $150 and $79

#Mustangs Unlimited#
Chrome Differential Cover/bolts $39

So far I'm looking at either BMR or Steeda, and possibly the Chrome Diff cover from Mustangs Unlimited (I don't drag race so I don't need a heavy duty cover). Just need some opinions on what's better, or if there's a manufacturer/supplier I haven't considered.

Also, is there anything else I'm going to need for the install besides what's included in the kits? For anyone that already has one of these kits, do they list the torque specs in the instructions? Any tips/tricks to installing these parts?

 

Well, I couldn't wait so I ordered the Steeda parts. Should be here by Thursday, which is when I plan to change the diff cover. Does anyone know the torque specs on the differential cover and the tightening order?

 

wow dude. musta freaked u out i bet. go easy, play hard. hope it turns out ok.

 

Thanks man, yeah it definitely did.

 

No other posts, huh? You all are of such great help here, no really..

Are you telling me no one on this site has swapped their own diff cover?
No one has swapped out their own swaybar? Their own panhard rod?
No one has any tips or torque specs? ANYTHING??? I've only got a few days here to get this car fixed...

 

Sounds like your jack's hydrolics failed.

 

hydraulics are fine. The jack slipped off the differential case and that's why the car fell. The arm stayed 100% when the car fell on it, and I lifted the car next day and the day after without issue (had to refill the gear oil). Thanks for the input though. No one seems to want anything to do with this thread

 

Check out the work instructions link in the Warranty section of this site. There are several pdf's that detail quite a bit about the rear diff. and the rear suspension.

 

Not being a smart ace here, but...maybe if you changed the thread title, you would get a few more replies. A lot of people just read the "pop up" at the thread title and move on, maybe no one with any real knowledge has read through the entire thread. I can't help, but I wish you luck.

 

I just installed Steeda Sway bars and the rear bar installation instruction sheet from Steeda included Torque specs. For the front, check out the Warrantee/Service section as mentioned above.

Good luck!

 

Look on this thread and you can find all your torque settings.

http://www.s197forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=611

 

Shaun,

If you haven’t already made your purchase please give me a call or PM me. I can usually give TMS members some pretty good discounts on out product line.

Thanks

 

Sorry to hear about your bad luck. Hopefully the repair won't cost too much. This is why you should NEVER lift a car by using the differential! If you want to lift the car, use the control arms in front of the rear wheels. That is a much safer way.

 

HOLY HELL!!!! THIS IS THE TYPE OF THREAD I'VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR!!! WOW MAN, I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH. THIS IS PERFECT!!


I actually ordered all the parts from Steeda on Tuesday. Spent a rediculous $66 on 2nd dair air shipping to get the diff cover here by today (thursday), only to find out that they screwed up the shipping address. So it'll get delivered tomorrow. I was actually looking at the Stillen website, but didn't see the diff cover in the catalog. If I had known about the discounts, I might have ordered the suspension parts (maybe a few extras too )

Thanks man, you have no idea about my bad luck, believe me. I usually lift by the body mounting points for the contol arms until I saw the metal starting to bend. So I decided to use the diff this time. Woulda gotten away with it too if it weren't for the tiny 2" cup on the jack and my own lack of forsight.

Yeah that actually woulda been a good idea. Thanks

-- - -- - --
Thanks for all the input guys, it's definitely going to help me out (especially the site dly posted ).

I think this repair is going to go fairly well, but some extra luck wouldn't hurt. I only have 2 issues. The first is a squeak from the driver's side wheel ( a left over issue from this thread; you can see what I was talking about with my luck) which will be delt with next week. I'm not sure how the shop is going to react to the aftermarket swaybar and panhard rod and support. The second issue is the important one.

I've been hearing the rear axle moan detailed in TSB 06-12-11 for months, and never got the chance to take it to the dealer. Well Monday after the car fell, that was one of the things I wanted them to check out while I was there, but they couldn't hear anything over the rattling. I left them a message yesterday to try to find out if they'd still cover the moan under warranty, and they never returned the call. Now that they know the car fell and that I'm replacing the diff cover myself with an obvious aftermarket one (by LPW), I'm wondering if they're going to cry that the moan could be damage from the car falling, and refuse to cover it. But it's been getting louder over the last few months (thankfully not any more since the car dropped) and it really doesn't sound healthy. Anyone have any insight?

 

You can always do the easy fix that has worked for most of us. Go to the dealer parts dept. and ask for the Limited Slip additive, they will know what you are talking about. It is in a little 5-6 ounce bottle and costs about $8. Add that to your differential through the drain plug. It totally fixed mine, and many others on here. Way easier than dealing with the service dept. and losing a day with the car.

 

Oh ok. I misunderstood. I thaught you said the jack arm ended up down. And there's two positives here:

1. The car didn't fall on you.
2. The damage could have been MUCH worse.

 

True. I am thankful for the second point. With the fun I had this weekend, the first one might have been the lesser of two evils.

Well actually, read below
- - - - -

Well folks, it's been a lovely weekend, and here's the update. I paid $66 for 2nd day shipping from UPS and the parts didn't come on thursday as planned because Steeda screwed up the shipping address. So I called UPS Thursday night and gave them the right one, and they said they'd reschedule for the next day. Tracking confirmed it. Then Friday afternoon came and the parts were a no-show. I called and they said that the incorrect re-delivery date had been listed. So they put the parts on the next truck and had them delivered by 6. Great! So I inspect all the parts, everything's there. And I go outside to start the installation process. I wish I had taken pictures, but at the same time I'm glad I didn't because EVERYTHING in the trunk and now certain areas in my apartment smells like Mobil 1 gear oil. A nauseating smell, I've gotta say. I have no problem being saturated in motor oil after an oil change, but there's something about the smell and consistency of gear oil that just makes me want to vomit. But I digress. So here's the breakdown of the LPW differential cover install:

First I jacked the car up, the proper way by using load points listed here:
Attachment 29820
Then I placed the oil pan under the diff cover (and you're going to need a big one), took out the filler plug, and then removed all the bolts that held on the cover, except for the top one, which was simply loosened. If you remove all the bolts and pry the cover, it'll pop off, and you'll get oil everywhere. Then I broke the seal on the cover, and let most of the oil drain out before removing the cover completely. Then I allowed it to drain for about 45 min, and scooped my fingers into the recess at the bottom of the differential case so get rid of the pool of oil.

I did that again and again for the next half an hour before I left it to further drain while I scraped the old RTV off the case. And per dealer recommendation, I used brake cleaner sprayed onto a rag to clean off all the remaining RTV that the scraper didn't get, as well as any extra grease, fingerprints, etc. Then while the oil continued to drain (the old oil was dark grey, btw) I prepared the new LPW cover. Once all the oil was drained, I put the bead of silicone RTV on the new diff cover and mounted it (Helpful hint: Place the bolts in the top and bottom holes before installing the cover to help guide the cover in the first time). Then, using the AmPro torque wrench I bought at Advance Auto, I torqued the bolts in a star pattern to 10 ft-lbs, then to 20ft-lbs then on the way to the spec 33 ft-lbs...SNAP! One of the bolts broke off at the head! So, it was then 8:30 in the evening, getting dark out, and I found myself riding my bicycle the 5 miles on a hilly road to the parts store for a screw extractor set and a replacement bolt, trying not to get hit by an SUV. Ok, 35min gone by, and now not only was I going to have to get the old bolt out, but completely remove the cover and redo the seal. Great. And as I tried to maneuver my drill into place I came to a realization. The drill don't fit.

So it was then 9:30 at night and Home Depot was 8 miles away. Too late and too far to get there by bike before it closed. So I waited till morning and bought a right angle adapter for the drill. On the way, I found a parts store and stopped in to see if I could get a better grade bolt. They identified the broken one as Grade 5 (cheap I guess?) but didn't have any in a better grade. Told me to try Fischer's Hardware. Turns out they had them in Grade A. Then on the way to the Depot, I hit a pothole on the sidewalk and popped my front tire! HA! PERFECT! There was a bike shop close by, so I got it fixed with a total of 20 minutes of delay. Eventually, 2.5 hours later after a total of 18 miles on my bike (yeah I've got a speedometer/odometer on it) I'm back at the car. I take the diff cover off only to find that I didn't even need to drill it out! There were plenty of exposed threads without the cover on that I could take it out with my fingers. Oh well. So then I re-install the cover with new RTV and the Grade A bolts and torque them all to 10, then 20, then 33...SNAP! SON OF A B!%(#!!!! (Use your imagination to fill in the 5 min string of profanity that followed) This time I used the extractor set and removed the broken bolt and installed one of the cheap ones for the time being, and only torqued it to 15 ft-lbs or so. Let it cure, and finally by 9PM I filled it up with 2.5 quarts of gear oil and 7oz of friction modifier. I watited 30 min for any oil to seep out if it was going to, and was finally ready for the test drive. Only leaks were a slight seep from the fill and drain plugs that come in the new cover. Tightened them down and no more leaks.

Then today when I installed the suspension components, I replaced the cheap bolt with another Grade A I bought today and torqued it to 33 ft-lbs with a torque wrench from the garage I was working in. And I noticed something. the amount of effort required for 10 on my wrench was about equivalent to 30 ft-lbs on this one. Both the same brand and model. Now which wrench should I trust, the one I just bought or the one the shop uses? Yeah. I went with the shop's. Which means I torqued all the other bolts to at least 50 ft-lbs. No matter. It still doesn't leak and since I torqued all of them down in a star pattern in small increments at a time, I'm pretty sure it's safe. I'm just glad I torqued the bearing cap bolts down by hand with an alan wrench. So after all that, between the delivery problems, bolts snapping, bike rides to various stores, tire tube blowouts, etc. you can all begin to see what kind of luck I have. And it doesn't just apply to cars.

Now as for the results. No leaks! The new differential cover looks GREAT. Nice bullet-proof look. I'll definitely post pics in the morning when I get some light. And, as for that differential whine/groan? GONE. Must have been the new oil and friction modifier additive I put in.

 

And now for the suspension work for the Steeda sway bar, panhard bar, and panhard bar support (referred to as a lateral stiffener by Ford's service manual).

Once again, no pics. Sorry. This time we had a real lift to work with. Actually there's not too much to write up here. The installation went really well. First we took out swaybar, then the panhard rod, and finally be brace/stiffener. All simple unbolt operations. Threw the new stiffener in. Then set the adjustable panhard rod to the stock length and installed that. Interestingly, the suspension didn't move when we disconnected the old one, so getting the new one in was a cinch. Then when we put the swaybar in, we found the bar was actually contacting the bracket where the panhard rod mounting bracket on the driver's side. When we put the car back on the pavement, the suspention loaded and changed the whole geometry, so clearance wasn't an issue anymore. Out of curiosity...anyone else have this clearance issue with their Steeda 7/8" swaybar when the car's on a lift? Not sure if this is normal or if something is wrong with the bar or the axle.

While we were under there, we used the ruler method Steeda lists in the instructions (place a ruler against the fender and another one against the rim just inside the lip and measure the horizontal distance) for the panhard rod to set the length and center the rear end. Problem is, this was done while the suspension was unloaded. When I got the car home I noticed that the axle was off by about half an inch. SO...with the car still on the ground, (the stock mufflers cool down faster than you'd think..) I loosened up the jam nuts and turned the panhard bar and checked with the rulers and repeated at least 5 times until I got it within a mm or so to my best estimation. Tomorrow if the rain stops, I'll try hanging a plumbob from each fender (assuming I can get the car on level ground) and adjust it as precisely as possible.

But the test drive went great. Whereas before the repair and before I properly adjusted the panhard rod, the car felt squirly; it now feels much more planted in the rear, and I've definitely noticed MUCH more traction when I make an aggressive launch. Even in the rain the car dug in before the wheel hop eventually set in. Used to be hop from the get-go. The rear end definitely feels a lot more tortionally springy (which I'm not sure I like), but feels more planted at the same time. And I'm definitely noticing more rear grip. Overall, much better.

So there it is. The diff cover is installed, not leaking. The suspension is repaired. No more diff moan, more grip. I'll try and post some pics tomorrow. The aluminum diff cover with the almost brass colored grade A bolts looks amazing, and the blue swaybar and silver panhard rod and support don't look too bad either. Can't wait to test this thing out on some dry roads.

Still gotta get that **** squeak taken care of though. The driver's side rear wheel only seems to squeak when the suspention is under increased load, such as under acceleration or when there's a lot of heavy stuff in the trunk. But I'll see what the body shop says.

 

Sorry for the multitude of mishaps, but glad things worked out for you.

 

Yeah, after all that work, you deserve some great, trouble-free road time in the Mustang. Glad it worked out in the end.


P.S. - You've made me change my habit of jacking up by the pumpkin.