moog offers lots of steering parts under their problem solver line. it improves on the factory deficiencies in design. one of the better ones is the idler arm. moog offers it with a greasable bearing instead of a rubber bushing. this substantially reduces the deflection in the idler arm making for better steering response and less tire wear. the part number is k8245 it is available from rock auto at this date at a price of $28.79 another is the control arm shaft kit. it replaces the noisy metal upper control arm bushings with rubber bushings. this stops the squeak that the metal bushings like to develop if not greased regularly. i think this kit has been discontinued by moog but rock auto shows it available a wholesaler close out right now. the part number is K8233 for a price of $26.89 i am plan to look into some polyurethane bushings to replace the rubber bushings in the moog kit. if i cant find them ill machine some aluminum/delrin bushings for it. im planning on this stuff for my comrick build. if anybody else has any good part numbers up grades like this, post them in this thread. this thread may make a good sticky for people to reference.
Open Tracker has some nice DIY kits for upgrading the stock control arms and other parts of the front suspension. http://www.opentrackerracingproducts.com/streetupper/
I wud not buy the K8233 kit. I bought this kit a few years ago and cud not get the bushing in the upper control arms. I recall bushing to big to press in the holes. I have a friend (also Maverick owner) who is a long time mechanic at Firestone working on the car and we cud not press them in. I have not doubt, he knows this type of suspension systems. We had to replace the units that we removed, they really weren't in poor condx. I wud go w/ screw in type replacements - probably why Moog discontinued K8233. Save yourself the grief, K8131 screw-in's the way to go.
i installed them in vals maverick a year ago. i put a spacer between the ears of the control arm to keep it from crushing and it pressed right together. i intend to use them on my comrick but do intend to upgrade the bushing so its not exactly the same thing.
U installed the 8233's? Don't quite understand "putting spacer between ears", or how that wud work? If the 8233's are made to fit these arms; why is there a need for spacers?
a temporary spacer between the ears to keep them from bending during the pressing process. i just took a piece of angle iron i had laying around and cut it to be a tight fit between the ears. the put the center shaft in, pressed one bushing about half way in then the other bushing most of the way in, then went back to the other and just sneaked up on pressing them in to an equal amount to make sure they were centered.
IIRC, Moog used to say that once you used their "problem solver" control arm shaft kit you couldn't go back to the original style shaft.
Well, I get what u did now. I C it really helps to know what ur doing. We never tried the spacer method. He was helping me work on the suspension on his day off work in the back of his place of employ and did not want to be there any longer than necessary. I was not suppose to be in the workshop area. Anyway, the 8131's wud be my choice for the average home mechanic/hobbist. The only problem I discovered, the bushing nut was loose, otherwise 8131's - the way to go IMO.
