Classic Ford Strut Installation Steps

The hole for the strut rod may need to be smoothed with an air-driven die grinder, as shown here. Originally, the hole had to accommodate the shoulder on a rubber bushing, but now it must accept a precision-machined component.

Here the RRS spherical-end housing is set in place, and pilot holes or dimples are created with a right-angle drill. The housing will eventually be installed on the other side of the mounting bracket, but for now, it's much easier to work on the back side where there is more room.

Once two of the pilot holes are in place, enlarge them to the final size. The third hole is more difficult to locate and create. As a guide, secure the housing with the first two fasteners.

Here, two fasteners are temporarily installed to hold the housing secure while the third mounting hole is made. The close proximity of the third hole to the wall of the frame channel makes drilling difficult.

With all the mounting holes created, the spherical end housing can be permanently mounted. Notice the grease fitting which allows easy lubrication of this juncture. The Allen-headed fasteners are provided, and you may wish to use a thread-locking compound such as Loctite.

With the spherical end housing installed, it's a simple matter to slip the strut rod into position. Back off the rear jamb nut enough so that you won't be fighting to shorten rod length when it's time to fasten the rod to the control arm at the rear.

Slip the two threaded studs on the strut rod through the corresponding holes in the lower control arm. Install and tighten the fasteners. Don't worry about any slack in the rod length at this time. It will be eliminated when the final caster adjustment is made on the alignment rack.

The final step of the installation is to position the outer or front jamb nut. After our project is complete, the jamb nut positions will be set during the course of a complete frontend alignment. Don't forget to lube the grease fittings to minimize wear and eliminate noise. Look to RRS for a whole array of innovative frontend components for your next classic-Ford project.