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  1. #1

    Exclamation Fairmont rear shock help!!!

    So doing replacement rear shocks on my 79 Fairmont Futura, KYB Excel-G, checked every source I can find and I have the correct part number...
    My rear shocks have just a rubber bushing in the eye, with a shoulder bolt and steel spacer between the shock and frame support... The KYB had a molded in bushing with sleeve that is not flush with the bushing and too small diameter for the shoulder of the bolt, and the sleeve OD is too large for the spacer to fit on the backside... I can't use a smaller bolt as the frame hole is too large and it'll have slop...

    Does everyone list the wrong shock? Can the KYB bushing be pressed/hammered out and original bushing re-used? (Hate to do that... it's old) I'm stuck!
    Tried to hammer the new bushing out but didn't spend much time as it seemed like it was molded in and didn't want to move easily...

  2. #2

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    Edit: I'm not sure the inner sleeve can be pressed out either but that might be enough to make it work. Is it just harder to press out than I'm expecting?

  3. #3
    FEP Senior Member Greywolf's Avatar
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    Jul 2007
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    The sleeve can be pressed out; use a couple deep sockets and a vice or a big hammer and wood blocks (definitely recommend the vice if available). A long time ago, bolt kits (and sleeves) came with the shocks, then were sold separately when the shocks were sold, now...I don't know. Shoulder bolts are still available, and were the same part as on similar-aged Crown Vics and such. It may take some mix and match but the parts are out there. A lot of late 60s to mid-2000s RWD cars (including other brands and dirt track cars) used the same setup so if there's a speed shop with some old-timer counter guys they can probably give you the right part off the shelf for a couple bucks.

  4. #4
    FEP Power Member gmatt's Avatar
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    Jul 2009
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    Chicago, south subs
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    You could change the shock mount on the axle to the later type. They bolt right on.

  5. #5

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    I seem to recall running into something like this when putting ~ 2001 design Mustang Bullitt shocks into my 7.5 inch axle equipped LTX LX. There was an adapter that Maximum Motorsports sold that did the trick, bolted to the axle and then had a different mount for the bottom of the shock. Not sure if it would help here.
    1985 LTD LX original owner

  6. #6

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    I remember the 8.8 shock mounts being different than the 7.5 shock mounts. Used shock brackets from LMR

    https://lmr.com/item/LRS-9998915K/Mu...cket-Kit-86-93
    79 Zephyr, 4.6L 4v/4r70w swap, with team z front and rear suspension, 8.8 and upgraded brakes and coil overs. Running Holley Terminator X Max.

  7. #7

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    Unbolt the stud that is on the axle and use the later bracket as linked above. Leave the shocks as they are.

    WAAAAAY back when I replaced the 6.75" diff in the '80 Z7 with a 7.5 I just swapped to the later "u" brackets and installed some SN-95 take-off shocks. The 6.75 had the stud, and my later 7.5 did not.

    You may need to drill the extra hole in the axle bracket for the shock bracket upper tab to locate on.

    83 TC "Clone"
    85 Marquis LTS
    86 LTD Wagon

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