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My wife and I took it to Costco for their early hour for seniors. We had been trying to order things on-line, but they seemed to be out of everything. We began to suspect they just were not showing inventory on-line but actually had all the stuff in the store. We were right, and were able to get everything we had on our list. And we had a delightful top down ride back home.
I’m still in ankle recovery mode so my buddy came by to check under the hood and spray the engine compartment down with some rodent repellent spray. I’m still paranoid from the last time I had visitors chewing up my engine wires two years ago. I’m not sure this rat spray is the reason I haven’t had a return but I’m superstitious and I haven’t seen anything since. a few more weeks or less and I’ll be able to push a gas pedal again.
Good to have friends to keep the rats at bay! So VidPro you still enjoying your new Ranger?
I was. It’s my first pickup truck so I’m not sure I’m a good judge but I was enjoying the hell out of it. I need to get some door dings fixed (luckily no paint chips) and my front bumper painted because someone decided to scrape the hell out of the corner of it leaving a parking space. Other than that it’s been great.
I’m still in ankle recovery mode so my buddy came by to check under the hood and spray the engine compartment down with some rodent repellent spray. I’m still paranoid from the last time I had visitors chewing up my engine wires two years ago. I’m not sure this rat spray is the reason I haven’t had a return but I’m superstitious and I haven’t seen anything since. a few more weeks or less and I’ll be able to push a gas pedal again.
...
It adds a bit of piece of mind. Since using it I’ve had zero activity. I even spray the front wheel wells because I think that’s how they like to start their journey.
It adds a bit of piece of mind. Since using it I’ve had zero activity. I even spray the front wheel wells because I think that’s how they like to start their journey.
Yesterday - Put the wife's Shelby up on jack stands (no, not Harbor Freight ones, lol) and started checking out the bushings, mounts, everything at the back of the car.
We've been feeling/hearing some knocking/clanging at the back of the car, sometimes over bumps, sometimes when shifting.
Found some cracks/tears in the upper diff bushing and a bunch of cracks and worn bushings in the stabilizer links and stabilizer bar bushings.
Ordered parts. New Prothane bushing for the upper diff mount, new Energy Suspension bushings for the stabilizer bar and links.
Also spaced out the main BMR Watts Link brace away from the spare tire well a bit, as it seemed to be touching. And even though the main brace is firmly bolted to the body and doesn't move, it was too close for comfort and I thought that maybe between the worn bushings and the brace touching the body, maybe it would occasionally bang against it. Meh, I thought I'd eliminate a possible source for a noise.
Very informative video Gabe! Needless to say, I've also been noticing the very same knocking and clanging noises from the rear, especially when going over bumps and uneven road surfaces, but not so much at all when just shifting. Anyhow, it appears I'll be having the stabilizer end link bushings, stabilizer bar bushings and upper diff bushings all checked for cracks/worn out. Also, while I'm at it, might just as well have the rear upper/lower control arm bushings checked along with the front sway link bushings/front sway bar bushings as well. Meanwhile, thanks for sharing
Very informative video Gabe! Needless to say, I've also been noticing the very same knocking and clanging noises from the rear, especially when going over bumps and uneven road surfaces, but not so much at all when just shifting. Anyhow, it appears I'll be having the stabilizer end link bushings, stabilizer bar bushings and upper diff bushings all checked for cracks/worn out. Also, while I'm at it, might just as well have the rear upper/lower control arm bushings checked along with the front sway link bushings/front sway bar bushings as well. Meanwhile, thanks for sharing
Thank you and you're welcome.
I don't know for sure if all the noises we've been hearing are caused by what I posted above, but I certainly hope so.
Parts won't be here until the end of the week, so I won't know for sure until early next week at the earliest.
But I'll keep you guys updated!
Thank you and you're welcome.
I don't know for sure if all the noises we've been hearing are caused by what I posted above, but I certainly hope so.
Parts won't be here until the end of the week, so I won't know for sure until early next week at the earliest.
But I'll keep you guys updated!
Well, it took me much longer than I ever thought it would, but I finished working on the wife's Shelby.
New Prothane polyurethane upper diff bushing, Energy Suspension polyurethane rear swaybar bushings and rear stabilizer links bushings.
The diff bushing was so much easier to do than those very stiff Energy Suspension pieces ... Worst part was getting the link back onto the bar. Once the bushing is inserted into the link, it squeezes the middle of the bushing just enough to make it extremely hard to get that bushing to go onto the bar. But yeah, those bushings needed to be done.
So many noises have been silenced
The old diff bushing, better shots with the control arm out of the way:
The diff bushing sleeve which gets re-used, so the old rubber has to be cut out and completely cleaned away for the new bushing to slide into:
The new Prothane bushing:
New bushing lubed, ready to be installed:
And done:
I'm glad it's all done. Only issue now is I really like the firmer/more controlled rear-end of her car, now I wanna do this to mine, LMAO. I think I'll give myself some time to recover though, both mentally and physically. LOL.
Meanwhile, I put together a video chronicling my swaybar bushing adventure:
Well, it took me much longer than I ever thought it would, but I finished working on the wife's Shelby.
New Prothane polyurethane upper diff bushing, Energy Suspension polyurethane rear swaybar bushings and rear stabilizer links bushings.
The diff bushing was so much easier to do than those very stiff Energy Suspension pieces ... Worst part was getting the link back onto the bar. Once the bushing is inserted into the link, it squeezes the middle of the bushing just enough to make it extremely hard to get that bushing to go onto the bar. But yeah, those bushings needed to be done.
So many noises have been silenced
The old diff bushing, better shots with the control arm out of the way:
The diff bushing sleeve which gets re-used, so the old rubber has to be cut out and completely cleaned away for the new bushing to slide into:
The new Prothane bushing:
New bushing lubed, ready to be installed:
And done:
I'm glad it's all done. Only issue now is I really like the firmer/more controlled rear-end of her car, now I wanna do this to mine, LMAO. I think I'll give myself some time to recover though, both mentally and physically. LOL.
Meanwhile, I put together a video chronicling my swaybar bushing adventure:
Gabe! By just looking at how dry rotted the diff bushing was, I'm curious if it was that which was responsible for causing most of your clunking sound noises or were the rear sway bar and rear stabilizer end link bushings just as bad? Anyhow, I haven't quite got around to checking mine yet, but just knowing how difficult of a time you had getting the end links/bushings back onto the sway bar, I may just go ahead and replace the entire end link assemblies altogether rather than just replace the bushings and go thru the headache as you did in getting them back onto the rear sway bar. But despite all the difficulties you went through, in the end, all your hard work paid off and resolved all your noise issues. Meanwhile, thanks for updating and putting together your very informative video and also congrats on a job well done and a much earned R&R recovery time
6/10/20, 11:40 AM
a few more weeks or less and I’ll be able to push a gas pedal again. 
