Replacing the Strut Rod Bushings

Purchased the bushing from CJ Pony Part - part no. SRB9, but the Scott Drake part number is C4DZ-3A187-AR
The Strut Rod mount bolts are also from CJ Pony Parts - part no. F1156
The car is a 1966 Mustang Fastback with a factory V8 and T5 transmission.
Shot with GoPro Hero 9 with the Media Mod, edited on Davinci Resolve 18.
Credit for the music in the video:
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Epidemic Sound
Try it today! www.epidemicso...
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#krusebuilt
#kruseview
#Mustang
#1966
#fastback

[@SmackeysGarage]

Nice video. This is also on my to do list at some point this winter. You're right about these needing an alignment adjustment on at least the 69.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Cool, sounds like you've got more content for you channel. :)

[@kevins7791]

Nice quick install. I'll have to add it to my never ending Mustang "to-do" list.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Perfect!

[@1965copester]

Great job! The best thing I did for my front end was the roller spring perches. Got rid of the darting around on the highway.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Don't have the darting problem, but I'd like to upgrade to new spring perches. :)

[@CaptRon-kc1js]

Hey Andy and other posters, my son’s 67 Cougar broke the left strut rod a couple weeks ago. Luckily, he was only traveling at five miles an hour on our gravel driveway. He of course instantly lost directional control and the tire/wheel assembly jammed itself aft into the wheel opening. Kind of scary that rod is a single failure point on these front ends. 67 strut rods are adjustable on the aft side of the bushing where the rod is threaded. The rod snapped right at the end of the threaded portion. There were old, crusty original style rubber bushings. Another difference to the 65/66 rods is that the bolts at the lower control arm are actually pressed-in studs (pressed in through the LCA). The Cougar failure has me concerned about my 67 Fairlane’s front end. I think I’m going to upgrade all of the components with Global West products. Thanks for another great Ford maintenance subject!

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Thanks for the info. Yeah, Global West makes some good stuff. Good luck!

[@dogsense3773]

Were they cougar or mustang rods? Factory cougar rods are better than mustang rods, I see lots of cougars with the wrong rods

[@banks412]

Thanks Andy! Ordering a set this week for my 65. Looking at mine and they are cracked and look to be in really bad shape, so this is an easy and quick project! Trying to calm all the ‘squeaking’ down. 😂

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Yeah, this definitely goes on the easy list. :)

[@banks412]

@@AndyKruseChannel well it definitely took me more than an hour to get this done! Haha - my strut rods were pretty nasty, so I took some time to sand off the old paint and prime/repaint them. If it's going back on the car, I figured I might as well freshen it up as I go, right!? On to the sway bar!!

[@AndyKruseChannel]

@@banks412 Awesome, now you can check them off your list. Hopefully that Sway Bar goes a little more smoothly. 😀

[@josemedeiros007]

Get Moog Steel Lined Strut Rod Bushings, they are much better the the factory bushings. 🙂

[@charlesa8136]

Anther good job Andy. I always replace the hardware as you did here

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Thanks!!

[@robertclymer6948]

Hey Andy! Nice to see you again. I need this done on my 67 gt also. I will check that difference you talked about and see if it changes my alignment. It is set so good right now, I hate to mess with it, but the rubber is shot. Thanks for sharing. Blessings and cheers from Motown.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Yeah, double check if the 67 needs an alignment. Trying to match the location of everything will probably be good enough to get you to an alignment shop, just don't take the scenic route. :)

[@Glens1965]

The seperate bracket is the steering spindle stop for over steering. Also a tapered drift in one of the LCA bolt holes will line it up also to get the other bolt in and then your home free. Great video Andy as allways.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Thanks for the info!

[@Ron06NL]

Great video again. The brackets are steering stops. I do have the adjustable strut rods from Global West. I have rack & pinion steering and needed some more caster, what I couldn't get with the standard strut rods and shims. Rubber bushing are for the original strut rods the best. I read several cases where they used Poly bushings on the rods broke.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Yeah, I knew somebody would know what those brackets are for. Are you referring to these bushings as Poly, or are you thinking of the Urethane bushings?

[@Ron06NL]

As I read polyurethane bushings that broke.

[@GeeBoogie78]

Good job 👍🏾

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Thanks 💯

[@ripr7248]

Nice job Andy I did the exact same replacement a couple of weeks ago, except I had the bushings the other way around with the smaller female up front..lol looks like I might have to swap them around 😅

[@AndyKruseChannel]

I'm not exactly sure which direction they go, I was just replicating what was on my car. :)

[@drodman34]

Just replaced these on my 65 Galaxie 500. I miss my 66 Mustang fastback I had in the 80's

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Yeah, we all have that car that got away. :)

[@chiefak1163]

Why not an adjustable strut rod with heim joint? Or the ORP delrin mono ball bushings? One if those changes that really improves the stability of the car, especially in braking. You do great work, don’t mean to criticize, just curious as to why you would not upgrade?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

I'm trying to find the balance of comfortable cruising and sport driving. The more I tweak the car, the more NVH is introduced, and the less the wife likes to be in it. :)

[@chiefak1163]

@@AndyKruseChannel I can certainly understand that. I haven’t noticed that much, if any, changes to NVH, but then again I didn’t get a chance to do a A to B comparison. That would be cool to see a comparison like that. Thanks again for your video.

[@waheller1]

Plus one for opentracker delrin bushing kit, does away with side yo side motion when braking.

[@eddievantailn2882]

Do the strut rod bushings effect braking at all? Currently my car pulls to the left as I brake. Thanks Andy

[@AndyKruseChannel]

No, not in the sense that hard braking (or light braking) determines how hard the brakes are being applied. However, if the bushings were worn out and you jam on the brakes, that wheel could move rearward within the wheel well and it could affect the alignment, making the car steer to one side.

[@blue68yellow73]

Nice job but you should have painted the strut rods while you had them out

[@AndyKruseChannel]

I thought about that, but I am tossing the idea around of doing more replacements in that area and so those rods might not be staying. :)

[@bcmc5919]

Hi there, I always see your Quick Jack mounted on the wall on your videos, why don’t you ever used them in your videos?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

It takes too long to setup and access to the middle of the car is extremely limited. If I was doing a long term project, and didn't need to access anything in the middle of car, I would use them. They do provide more ground clearance than the jack stands that I have, so sometimes I use them when I need more height. I did a review video on them where I go into more detail. :)

[@eddievantailn2882]

Gonna check mine today, I'm sure it's another thing I will need to do. Question: No alignment needed after, correct?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Correct, no alignment needed as these components in the video are not adjustable. It's possible that adjustable units may be adjusted to the point where they can affect the steering dynamics, and therefore a full alignment would be needed. :)

[@kevindollar4944]

What brand tires and size are you running on your mustang?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Falken Azenis RT615K+, 225/50/16, all four. :)

[@PowerfulTyrone]

What is the bracket for on the strut rod?

[@AndyKruseChannel]

I wish I knew. When you find out, let me know. :)

[@ConemantheBarbarian]

@@AndyKruseChannel I think it’s a steering stop.

[@CaptRon-kc1js]

Correction: bolts pressed in through the strut rods…

[@AndyKruseChannel]

Understood. :)

[@bofa83]

Do you have an email, or way to message you? I’m looking to buy a mustang and don’t live far from you, was gonna see if you have any leads on one.

[@AndyKruseChannel]

There's not much in my area, that's why I had to travel to Minnesota to get the one I have now.

[@bofa83]

@@AndyKruseChannel I hear you. I’ve looked in pretty much all the western states, and if there is even a decent one the prices are outrageous. Even the prices for crappy ones are too high.