front suspension suggestions needed

[northern piper]

Hi

I plan on replacing the struts on my 3.8 2000 with 126,000 km this spring. I've replaced the sway bar bushings 10,000km ago. I'm doing the preventative maintenance thing and am wondering how far to take it. I plan on using the monroe quick struts so that will all be new. I also plan on tie rod ends. What else would be prudent? suggested? advised?

Piper

[busboy4]

Hi
since you are going a long way toward rebuilding the whole front end, you might consider the lower control arms. Rockauto has them for $71. That will give you a new ball joint and new bushings at two other points.
http://info.rockauto.com/Moog/Detail...K80009_TOP.jpg

[tripletdaddy]

Ditto on the tie rods if expense in not an issue and it sounds like you will be disconnecting them anyway. I was going to post on your other thread, but saw this here. On all three of my Fords, the inner tie rod on the passenger side seems to wear the fastest, as expected. I guess the inner isn't as tolerant as the outer. The inners have lasted from 50k to 80k. Don't recall much on the outers. So far only one lower ball joint control assembly so far I think at 100k. My time is coming. I'd go based on mileage and how rough your roads are. If you need front alignments once a year, I'd expect you need these parts often too.

[wiswind]

I would get some sway bar "links".
My OEM ones were made of plastic/nylon.....and the shop needed to use the "blue wrench", aka torch, on the bolts.....melting the links.
So they replaced them also.
I have a couple of pictures posted, in the pictures that the link in my signature takes you to, that give a front and rear view of the front suspension.....with labels for many of the parts.
The sway bar links are not expensive.

[tripletdaddy]

Ditto on those sway bar end links especially if they are the original white "dog bones". Those things were junk. I had them on both my ws and taurus. I think I replaced them with TRW which were very solid looking units. I had an awful time taking them off the designed way. I added heat to break the rust and wound up to my fortune a better solution when the nylon melted, letting me yank off the link and grab the ball with pliers so I could finally turn off the nut!?!