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SUGGESTIONS WELCOME for an EA to FG forum sections, tips and how to's

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post your suggestion below, and I'll find some time to add them into the forum. 

 

there will be a detailed and specific AU section for sure, as i am a new owner and would like to see info easy to find for Myself any anyone else lucky enough to find themselves a non skidder classic to own and enjoy. 


so should we have an EA to ED,  EF and EL and AU, BA BF and FG section added? 
is there any structure you'd like to see or just a facebook style rolling Q&A style for the moment (much easier initially for Me/admin to establish) 

 

Thanks for your time and input, 
Dean.
 

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Welcome to 2025 with a good suggestion Dean.

 

We have sections for F-Trucks, Cortina and Escort so I think it is a good idea to expand into the E- Series and AU.

 

The three Falcons my father drove in his lifetime were XD, EA and AU so I have a bias towards those three generations which aren’t always well received. It does hurt every time I see an AU getting tuned into a budget skidder.

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If it's easy enough to set up, then I'd say the three generations in their own sections would make searching/finding easier. There could be a rolling Q&A thread for people to use then copy paste into the relevant pages if desired.

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1 hour ago, SOHCDriver said:

Very good video. Thank you. I'll be watching this space. (EA to FG sections)

if you have any requests,  i might come across some more specific to your needs that will help others

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LOWER BALL JOINTS LOWER IN THE CAR (this post may be edited with uppers also later)

AU (and probably same for E series and B series to some degree) 
assuming your lower control arm bushes are ok, you can do the lower ball joints in the car

This is a HARD JOB

2nd time writing this up, i'm going to add the pics now and edit the details later. 
disc needs removing, but you can rebolt the caliper back on
BCTXeMm.jpeg

 

WFurWFX.jpeg


grease the tool before using
hCUK32o.jpeg

 

make sure you have enough height on your stands to wind the tool.. (i used a shifter for ground clearance)
i just sat it over at first to be sure
QqzgXnr.jpeg

x7OCp0O.jpeg

this needed changing, i ended up using a socket. you'll see later
hk9fhj4.jpeg

this almost worked, but the washer pulled through

XmuhRmB.jpeg

TZUpJiB.jpeg

the 1/2 drive socket jammed on the threads. so i decided to make it a square shape, i was tempted to chop it off, but wasn't sure if i'd need the length to beat on it if i had to. 

sQj64qa.jpeg

 

the tool was turning with the force, so i needed to jam it with the breaker bar. 
UkGEXlM.jpeg

 

once the ball joint moved even 1mm there was a POP/THUNK noise.. it was fairly freely moving after that.
bjgyrIZ.jpeg

 

 

the new one pressed in fairly easy, (next time i'll freeze it first so it's possibly easier) but i wasn't sure when it was finally all the way home, the tool seemed to just get hard to turn any further, and that was it.. 

w1pcS5p.jpeg

 

nKdakP8.jpeg


E5sFUGC.jpeg

 

pmiwvsi.jpeg

 

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AU upper ball joints 
i bought a spare set of arms for this job, because i didn't want the car disabled if i had some kind of issue.. $60 the pair including postage on ebay with "tight" ball joints. (i was tempted to use them, however when i removed one of the ball joints, it did actually have some play in it, easier to feel with the boot removed i bet also) 
the bushes, i was tempted to leave in.. they were probably fine but "new is new" (Mackay brand bushes i fitted, genuine ford ball joints)

the same ball joint press was used as the lower in the previous post. ($48 incl post ebay) 

THIS JOB IS HARD! I'm going to assume the upper ball joints could be done in the car, and it might be useful to do it if you don't have a vice (hard job to refit the ball joint, and the vice wasn't strong enough to push it in either)

one of the hardest parts of this job is finding the right spacer ring/socket, pressing die etc to fit your application. the 10 provided aren't enough. 

i'll run through My list of things i did for this job, then provide pics that might be useful. 

the pressing out socket. 
G3EObHx.jpeg


H7vzffv.jpeg

 

TIGHT to press out, one made the familiar POP sound, the other just moved easily.  first one i set the shifter on it to stand on at first and it just came out, but it ended up in the vise as standing on the shifter wasn't working.
opIZaPx.jpeg

 

y7MC0Jv.jpeg



BUSHES NEXT
i used mapp gas to head the outside of the bush housing, and beat them out with an extension bar. EASY..

(hard part was refitting them)
8Fnqoma.jpeg

 

Db2q9Rj.jpeg

 

I tried to set the ball joint using the vise, but it went a bit cockeyed and needed to be punched out again, vice had no hope of pushing the ball joint in, and i even heated the arm and had the ball joint in the freezer for a good 30mins..

Mrl3rmb.jpeg

 

MRDtv8s.jpeg

 

this was the START of the refit of the bushes
i found a bolt with washer in the arm and using a press cup on the other side was the best way to fit these. Nolathane would be easy.
PNyKXMQ.jpeg

 

decided i might clear coat the ball joint tops.. after painting the arms black
 

 

UMcsK3X.jpeg

Z6lPtlz.jpeg
 

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I recently fitted a new SRP driver's side front seat belt to my AUII Falcon. Works well but the lower nut on the SRP is held in with a thin sheet clip arrived already broken in the packaging. I TIG welded the nut in place and was good to go. (The original nut was pressed or welded) It pays to inspect even new parts before fitting them! 🙄

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@SPArKy_Dave @Thom

anyone else who might have any clue from a ford factory manual?

 

when i fitted these arms, the ball joint post that is clamped can be slid up or down a bit. (i thought the through bolt would lock it in one spot) 

I can't remember if i positioned it in a particular spot for a reason but would be easy to change.

would this affect camber either way(doubt it) 

ALSO 
when i removed the left upper arm, a shim fell out.(didn't notice where from). 50/50 chance it was from the front or the rear side of the inner upper mounts to the inner guards.. i guessed it would be on the front edge to give more caster? but it appears packed out further looking at it and i did 200km and the tyres are now feathering on the outer edge (toe in)
i have one more lower ball joint to change, before going for a wheel alignment.  i'm guessing it could have been shimmed in the past to compensate for rooted lower ball joints or even bush wear? 
any idea on that shim?  (needs the arm mounts unbolted completely to remove it, it's not a slotted one)


x6luTgM.jpeg

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Note to anyone doing ball joints, get a wheel alignment VERY soon after. (tyres will chew out fast if it was aligned with stuffed ball joints)

**speaking of.. next time you get a wheel alignment or new tyres and an alignment. ask them if they check the suspension for wear before doing it.. (most don't check anything)
 

30 years ago i had an alignment done, the tyres were stuffed in a week (600km).. took it back, ripped into them and for them to reply "it's within spec" and after questioning if they would give  Me a new set of tyres(from memory, they gave me some second hand ones after telling me to get a pedders check.. confirming lower ball joints were buggered, along with idler arm.. )

 

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15 hours ago, deankxf said:

when i fitted these arms, the ball joint post that is clamped can be slid up or down a bit.
ALSO 
when i removed the left upper arm, a shim fell out.

 

Shims usually live behind the upper arm front mount I thought,

used to increase caster, by pushing the top pivot point back?

 

The upper arm clamp, should self center on the ball joint recess, when fully tightened?

 

And yeah, lower ball joint wear caused excess toe/camber on my BF.

It had been previously aligned to compensate, but when I fitted new ball joints, I didn't think to re-adjust.

Note -

After not adjusting the alignment, it wore the front tyres, within around 15,000km's.

When later fitting new tyres, I located whiteout marks for the factory toe settings, and set to those points.

Further confirmed, with a DIY string/tape measure arrangement.

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