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very nice, smae color as mine. I was also thinking of doing the work myself but I dont have access to a lift, so i might have to bite the bullet on it and bring it to a shop after I get my transmission rebuilt.

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The caster/camber kit has the mounting instructions. Two pieces are to be taken from your old set up. The spring mounting plate and the strut retaining nut, every thing else is new. The pic is pre suspension upgrade. The car came with some type of lowering springs and stock struts, some bumps bottom the struts out and I'm not sure how long they've been on so it's time. Maybe this weekend if o.t.'s not available @ work.

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Guest KAOS_2.5M
here's the springs, struts, bushings and caster/camber kit. and the tour pre paint and BAT suspension.

 

looks pretty good, needs some kind of side skirts.

 

didn't know the bat springs were red. could have swarn the pic on the catologue had them black.

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looks pretty good, needs some kind of side skirts.

 

didn't know the bat springs were red. could have swarn the pic on the catologue had them black.

That Bat catalogue is so out of date,in it it says that they are working on four piston calipers.They sold out of those four years ago! I am thinking about picking up a bat kit to and using the coilovers just for track days!

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The caster/camber kit has the mounting instructions. Two pieces are to be taken from your old set up. The spring mounting plate and the strut retaining nut, every thing else is new. The pic is pre suspension upgrade. The car came with some type of lowering springs and stock struts, some bumps bottom the struts out and I'm not sure how long they've been on so it's time. Maybe this weekend if o.t.'s not available @ work.

 

So basically it should be a complete upgrade for me with only the plate and nut being reused. Is that right?

 

Let me know how it goes.

 

- J.D.

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Hey dub!!

 

Did you get the kit shipped to you in 4 seperate boxes? I am being told they are sending my kit with the mounting brackets I ordered as well, in 4 seperate boxes. I hope this doesn't cause a problem for the military. It always seems that when they have more than one box to the same person, they like to hold onto each one for a wekk or so, and then release them slowly. Anyway, talk to ya later!!

 

- J.D.

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Hey dub!! Did you get the kit shipped to you in 4 seperate boxes? I am being told they are sending my kit with the mounting brackets I ordered as well, in 4 seperate boxes.
nope, one huge box, 82lbs. That mofo was heavy, and the cat seems to like the box. Kinda stalled here lately on car projects because of the garage building project and other yard work at home. Also getting my sewing machine rebuilt so I can start the leather interior stuff. J.D. Did you say they are shipping you a spring mounting plate? I was wondering if that was red as well? If so then I may order one too. The one on the tour is black and a little dinged up. Not that it can be noticed unless it's on the rack. Ifso put up a pic, please.
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nope, one huge box, 82lbs. That mofo was heavy, and the cat seems to like the box. Kinda stalled here lately on car projects because of the garage building project and other yard work at home. Also getting my sewing machine rebuilt so I can start the leather interior stuff. J.D. Did you say they are shipping you a spring mounting plate? I was wondering if that was red as well? If so then I may order one too. The one on the tour is black and a little dinged up. Not that it can be noticed unless it's on the rack. Ifso put up a pic, please.

 

 

I will let you know when it gets here. I am actually really excited. My ride will finally stop sounding like Sanford and Son Junk Truck. I will also take some pics and post here. This is what I actually ordered. 1 European BAT Kit, 2 Adjustable Front Camber/Caster Kits, 2 Rotating Bearing Front, and 2 Upper Strut Mount Rear. All of this was scheduled to ship on the 26th of June, which means I should see it maybe tomorrow. Hopefully. If not then it will be after the 4th of July weekend.

 

- J.D.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I GOT IT!!! They look great, even in the box. :lol: Anyway, I was going to do the work myself, but it would still require a new alignment, so I have talked to Ford, and they offered to do all four with the alignment for 340 Euros if nothing causes problems along the way. I don't foresee any issues with taken the old ones out ... any ideas? They seem to be worried about the bolt that holds the bottom of the strut to the knuckle or whatever. They seem to think it could cause problems. This 340 Euros is about $540. It sounds steep but it will at least be guaranteed work. I am not too sure if I trust myself to do this work, and then have to find someone close by that will do the alignment. Anyway, I will be taking before and after photos, and then hopefully I can move onto another project. I am hoping this will solve almost all the noise problems. I know the one in the engine area (possibly the Exhaust Manifold Gasket) will still be an issue, but at least all the squeaking and other noises dealing with the suspension will be finally over.

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I GOT IT!!! They look great, even in the box. :lol: Anyway, I was going to do the work myself, but it would still require a new alignment, so I have talked to Ford, and they offered to do all four with the alignment for 340 Euros if nothing causes problems along the way. I don't foresee any issues with taken the old ones out ... any ideas? They seem to be worried about the bolt that holds the bottom of the strut to the knuckle or whatever. They seem to think it could cause problems. This 340 Euros is about $540. It sounds steep but it will at least be guaranteed work. I am not too sure if I trust myself to do this work, and then have to find someone close by that will do the alignment. Anyway, I will be taking before and after photos, and then hopefully I can move onto another project. I am hoping this will solve almost all the noise problems. I know the one in the engine area (possibly the Exhaust Manifold Gasket) will still be an issue, but at least all the squeaking and other noises dealing with the suspension will be finally over.

I would make sure that it is guranteed work , ford is notorious for throwing on none MotorCrap parts and then not honoring the labor when they fail 50% of the time ( ford techs drinking on the lunchbreak)because of improper installation.I think the price is right where it should be,there is some labor involved.Also if you do not properly depress the springs they can Kill you or one of your buddies helping on the install!Get the strut tower brace for added handling.

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I would make sure that it is guranteed work , ford is notorious for throwing on none MotorCrap parts and then not honoring the labor when they fail 50% of the time ( ford techs drinking on the lunchbreak)because of improper installation.I think the price is right where it should be,there is some labor involved.Also if you do not properly depress the springs they can Kill you or one of your buddies helping on the install!Get the strut tower brace for added handling.

 

 

I have everything lined up for tomorrow. Ford will be installing instead of me and my buddy, but I already told Ford if they want my money, then I will be present during the install. Mama didn't raise no fool. B) So, this will ensure they do it properly, don't take breaks, and also make sure they aren't sabotaging anything else to keep me coming back. I already had that problem with another Ford dealership.

 

One thing I noticed, is that I didn't see the cup, mounting nut, boot, or bump stop in the new strut packaging. I am assuming if it is not there, then I am to use the ones on the car already. Is this correct? Is this a problem or not really. Everything else looks great though.

 

As far as the srping issue, since it is Ford mechanics working on it, I will make sure I take an extra step or two back, if they try it without the compression tool. B)

 

I will be taking some before and after pics, and hopefully this will quiet all the noises, so I can move on to the next noise. :D

 

Later!

 

-J.D.

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I have everything lined up for tomorrow. Ford will be installing instead of me and my buddy, but I already told Ford if they want my money, then I will be present during the install. Mama didn't raise no fool. B) So, this will ensure they do it properly, don't take breaks, and also make sure they aren't sabotaging anything else to keep me coming back. I already had that problem with another Ford dealership.

 

One thing I noticed, is that I didn't see the cup, mounting nut, boot, or bump stop in the new strut packaging. I am assuming if it is not there, then I am to use the ones on the car already. Is this correct? Is this a problem or not really. Everything else looks great though.

 

As far as the srping issue, since it is Ford mechanics working on it, I will make sure I take an extra step or two back, if they try it without the compression tool. B)

 

I will be taking some before and after pics, and hopefully this will quiet all the noises, so I can move on to the next noise. :D

 

Later!

 

-J.D.

When I got my D2s the upper mounting plates were reused,later replaced!Speaking of shady Ford Dealers,I got my oil changed and they told me I needed a new oil pan.So I got the one from BAT,go it installed.Go back two months late get a new oil change,again they told me I needed a new oilpan. So I jacked the car up when I got home and realized they're mechanics have splashed my oil pan with oil so when the engine heats up it will appear to leak.Cleaned it with 409 degreaser,and low and behold the drip went away.Best of luck JD,make sure you get the pics on the ground so people can see how much fender gap it gets rid of!

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One thing I noticed, is that I didn't see the cup, mounting nut, boot, or bump stop in the new strut packaging. I am assuming if it is not there, then I am to use the ones on the car already. Is this correct? Is this a problem or not really.
correct and since you're @ a dealership those items that look bad could be easily be replaced, like the bump stop.
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Ok, umm..... I haven't really noticed much of a difference yet, but the dealership said it may take a few days of driving to get the setup to fit in. :huh: Not sure how that works. BAT stated it should help delete nose dive during braking, but it seems it still dives. The alignment took two minutes, and I didn't notice really any difference in the numbers. I can post them after I get back from this business trip I am taking this week if anyone wants to check the work done for me, cause I am not sure what to think just yet. Another thing is the ride height looks higher than before, but that might be because when we popped the spring/strut out, the strut slid down inside the shock without pushing, so apparently I was driving on just the springs. They apparently didn't even need to adjust the camber/caster kit I purchased, so not even sure if that was all necessary.

 

Little disappointed right now, but at least the noise is gone. I also need to get new bushings for the rear sway bar link, due to a mechanic who attached them to the lower control arm with an air powered gun, and destroyed the old ones. :angry: Yeah, so that will be changed by me personally, and hopefully that will help out a little. I am still hearing a high pitched squeal every now and then, so maybe the rear bearings are going out, or maybe it is the front. Not sure where it is coming from just yet.

 

Anyway, I will take some pics later, and post them when I get back. Any ideas or suggestions to better the ride, let me know.

 

Later!!

 

- J.D.

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Ok, so now the ride seems to have settled in. When I go over large bumps, it creaks and knocks in the back. :huh:

 

Also, the squeaking noise is still there, so I am wondering if this is the rear hub and bearing pack.

 

I have also been told to get some silicone spray and spray the you know what out of the rear suspension moving parts, and see if it goes away.

 

I also got an e-mail from Anastasia at BAT, and she said the rubber bushings for the rear sway bar link is available at any Ford dealership stateside or even in Europe. So the Mondy will fit the Contour. This would be the quicker way to get the items I need.

 

 

- J.D.

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Spray the sway bar bushings. On the endlinks, I've used polyurethane bushings from Energy Suspension. They are generic and need the hole in the bushing enlarged, but they work well. Just don't overtighten them.

 

Check the hubs for play.

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Guest KAOS_2.5M
Spray the sway bar bushings. On the endlinks, I've used polyurethane bushings from Energy Suspension. They are generic and need the hole in the bushing enlarged, but they work well. Just don't overtighten them.

 

Check the hubs for play.

 

how much improvement did the ES bushings give over the old rubber ones? theres a autozone around here that has a full selection of individual pairs of all sorts of ES bushes and they're pretty cheap

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Spray the sway bar bushings. On the endlinks, I've used polyurethane bushings from Energy Suspension. They are generic and need the hole in the bushing enlarged, but they work well. Just don't overtighten them.

 

Check the hubs for play.

 

 

Well, on the way home yesterday, the squealing was so annoying, I cranked the double 12's just so I wouldn't have to hear it anymore. :angry:

 

So, I took it over to the Ford dealership ready to accuse them of not installing it correctly. It turns out that the bushings holding the Rear Sway Bar Links to the control arm, are completely destroyed. That mechanic who helped me that day we put on the BAT 21mm Sway Bar, tightened the nut on those links down with an air powered impact wrench. I knew it was wrong when he did it, and I told him. He just said, "Who is the mechanic here?" What an (_)_)!! So now I got Ford to order me 2 new bushings from the Mondy for around 4 Euros total. I will be putting them in on in about two days. I will let you know how it works out.

 

BTW Spridget, I took it on one of the country roads here in Germany this morning on the way to work. WOW!! I hit the back road at about 75mph, and whipped it around a couple of times to see how it would handle, and finally dropped it down to 2nd to hit the circle, and punched it through at around 45-50. This thing responds quick and with little to no sway in its swagger. It also helps get the looks when you have the loud exhaust on there (121db). B)

 

Anyway, I will get some pics out after I get the parts put on.

 

Later!!

 

- J.D.

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....most shops and DIY's make the same cock up when fitting suspension parts...they always seem to tighten up all the bolts on bushings with no weight on the car (wheels should be ON the ground taking weight of the car BEFORE the bushes are tight) THIS is the usual cause of knocks, bangs, creaks etc etc...It pre loads the bushes in the WRONG position...

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....most shops and DIY's make the same cock up when fitting suspension parts...they always seem to tighten up all the bolts on bushings with no weight on the car (wheels should be ON the ground taking weight of the car BEFORE the bushes are tight) THIS is the usual cause of knocks, bangs, creaks etc etc...It pre loads the bushes in the WRONG position...

 

 

Well, I tell you this Terry, if it keeps it up, my Ford dealership is going to take it apart and redo it at no charge. I got news for them, they don't want me to start something.

 

As far as the mechanic who fitted my links? He won't be working on any cars at the shop anytime soon unless it is his own.

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Guest KAOS_2.5M
As far as the mechanic who fitted my links? He won't be working on any cars at the shop anytime soon unless it is his own.

 

let me guess, military mechanic? you outrank him?

 

my brother in law is the "you asked for my help so I'm right" type, I can't stand those guys. I try my dangdest to be the only guy who knows squat about cars when I get help with mine so it's just "hey you, bring me an 11mm" or "put a hand on this heavy crap" haha.

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let me guess, military mechanic? you outrank him?

 

my brother in law is the "you asked for my help so I'm right" type, I can't stand those guys. I try my dangdest to be the only guy who knows squat about cars when I get help with mine so it's just "hey you, bring me an 11mm" or "put a hand on this heavy crap" haha.

 

 

He is an old military mechanic (retired now), but still has the mentality of being in the Army. He is one of those guys that because he knows a little bit about a little bit, he thinks he is a subject matter expert. What a moron!!

 

I think it also has to do with his whole family seeing as they are pretty simple people, and he wants to prove that he has made it to the higher levels. However, everyone knows who has been around the military, you don't have to be a smart person to advance. As a matter a fact, it is usually the dumb idiots that move up and the smart guys end up getting passed over.

 

Oh well, live and learn right?

 

- J.D.

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However, everyone knows who has been around the military, you don't have to be a smart person to advance. As a matter a fact, it is usually the dumb idiots that move up and the smart guys end up getting passed over.

 

The back bone of the Army has some true idiots. I worked for a few, but when I joined the Texas Army National Guard, stupid went to a whole nother level. And being subordinate to stupidity was the hardest part of being a soldier. I'm not trying to generalize the entire group though, I worked with some of the greatest Americans out there.

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The back bone of the Army has some true idiots. I worked for a few, but when I joined the Texas Army National Guard, stupid went to a whole nother level. And being subordinate to stupidity was the hardest part of being a soldier. I'm not trying to generalize the entire group though, I worked with some of the greatest Americans out there.

 

 

This is why I tried to be the best NCO for my soldiers. I still keep in contact with them, and when they are in the area, they like to take me out for lunch. Almost all of them (with the exceptions of those who didn't want to listen and ended up getting the boot out of the Army) still ask me for advice with their current leadership. It actually makes me feel good to know that they still regard me as, what they say, "The best NCO I have ever had."

 

Make sure you turn-in your common sense at Basic Training (glad I kept mine). B)

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  • 2 weeks later...

gallery_2786_155_45920.jpg

 

My Euro kit from BAT arrived today. This set is going into the '97. The '99 is getting a Spax adjustable kit, which should arrive in the next few days.

 

Nice stuff, I highly recommend BAT. Very nice people and considering what you're getting is quality parts direct from Europe, the prices are more than reasonable. I spent $825 for the Euro kit with all mounts.

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