Improving The Ride-OEM Rally Springs/Eibach Sway Bars-Members List

[azerik]

Have the springs. Waiting for the bars (been delayed twice from the manufacturer). Also need to get a better spring compressor. Rolling the dice with a cheap compressor is a young person’s game.

barrow one from Autozone, it's free. and much stronger than some crap off amazon.
My springs are here, rear shocks are installed (though I get to do that again to install the springs) front struts are inbound.
Interesting find., there's only 1 (set) strut for the 24/25+ They now apply to the rwd and awd. I spent a week trying to pin down the AWD strut. Also I got them from fordoemdirect.com (which is actually sanderson ford) picked up.
Now if I can get over this bronchitus/possible pneumonia I could get something going.

Part Number	Part Name	Price	Quantity	Total
ASH-866308	Motorcraft Strut	$143.36	1	$143.36
ASH-866290	Motorcraft Strut	$143.36	1	$143.36

Subtotal: $286.72​

Local Pickup: Free​

Tax: $26.38​

Total: $313.10​

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[SpaceEVDriver]

barrow one from Autozone, it's free. and much stronger than some crap off amazon.
My springs are here, rear shocks are installed (though I get to do that again to install the springs) front struts are inbound.
Interesting find., there's only 1 (set) strut for the 24/25+ They now apply to the rwd and awd. I spent a week trying to pin down the AWD strut. Also I got them from fordoemdirect.com (which is actually sanderson ford) picked up.

Part Number	Part Name	Price	Quantity	Total
ASH-866308	Motorcraft Strut	$143.36	1	$143.36
ASH-866290	Motorcraft Strut	$143.36	1	$143.36

Subtotal: $286.72​

Local Pickup: Free​

Tax: $26.38​

Total: $313.10​

I have planned a trip to pick up an old, high-quality spring compressor from my brother later this month.

With almost 60k miles, I’m seriously considering adding the struts and shocks to this job just so everything’s done at once and only once.

 

[azerik]

Which is exactly why I'm spending triple my expected cost. The rear shocks are the same price but fully assembled. I break 60k this week.

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

Which is exactly why I'm spending triple my expected cost. The rear shocks are the same price but fully assembled. I break 60k this week.

I couldn’t find the fully-assembled, but I’ll check again and maybe offload the bare springs to someone with fewer miles.

 

[azerik]

Only the rears are. Which is now the only way the rear shocks come, double the cost for the upper mount, stupid boot, bumpstops.

 

[markboris]

Wanted to comment on inexpensive spring compressors a few here have been talking about. In 2007 when I got one of my F-150's I needed strut springs compressors for the front as I was lifting the truck with lift springs to level it out with the rear. I went to Autozone and bought the inexpensive dual strut spring type compressors. I don't remember exactly how much they were but don't think it was over $30 (today they are around $40). It has been almost 20 years and I cannot tell you how many times I have used them. Just since '21 with the Mach-E's I counted a minimum of 16 sets I have installed on my 3 and quite a few other owners. With my GT500, Focus RS and 3 other F-150's it is well over 20.

I have no reservation using these spring compressors. In order to take the springs out of the strut on the Mach-E I barely have to compress the spring one inch. Even if one of these broke, with so little compression I am using, it's not like they are going to go flying anywhere. For someone wanting to do this at at home, just go down to your local parts house and rent a set.

 

[JoeyD]

Wanted to comment on inexpensive spring compressors a few here have been talking about. In 2007 when I got one of my F-150's I needed strut springs compressors for the front as I was lifting the truck with lift springs to level it out with the rear. I went to Autozone and bought the inexpensive dual strut spring type compressors. I don't remember exactly how much they were but don't think it was over $30 (today they are around $40). It has been almost 20 years and I cannot tell you how many times I have used them. Just since '21 with the Mach-E's I counted a minimum of 16 sets I have installed on my 3 and quite a few other owners. With my GT500, Focus RS and 3 other F-150's it is well over 20.

I have no reservation using these spring compressors. In order to take the springs out of the strut on the Mach-E I barely have to compress the spring one inch. Even if one of these broke, with so little compression I am using, it's not like they are going to go flying anywhere. For someone wanting to do this at at home, just go down to your local parts house and rent a set.

Yes! Those look to be the same as the ones I've had for many years. I don't think I've used mine as much as you have but at least ten times or maybe more.

 

[azerik]

Ans the same ones they'll loan you.

 

[nicholsjon]

Mark, Question about Rally springs, rear damping, and bump stops.

I'm about to swap out my Eibach springs to Rally springs, and I have Koni rear shocks set to +1.5 turns. I spaced my Eibach springs (front and rear) up to stock ride height, so I never shortened my bump stops.

With Rally springs: I assume we stay with stock length bump stops. What about the rear damping? Are the stock rear shocks fine, or should I stick with Koni's and adjust rebound damping?

Thanks!

 

[markboris]

Hey Jon, stick with the bump stops you have and it would be best to go back to the stock shocks. The Rally springs don't need a shock that is as firm as the Koni's. Plus the Koni's have very firm mounting bushings which transmit some harshness into the body. You will have a slightly smoother, quieter ride with the OEM shocks. Sorry you had to go through the Koni mod first but I am sure it helped out quite a bit.

 

[nicholsjon]

Hey Jon, stick with the bump stops you have and it would be best to go back to the stock shocks. The Rally springs don't need a shock that is as firm as the Koni's. Plus the Koni's have very firm mounting bushings which transmit some harshness into the body. You will have a slightly smoother, quieter ride with the OEM shocks. Sorry you had to go through the Koni mod first but I am sure it helped out quite a bit.

Yes - the improvements with Eibach springs and Koni rear shocks were worth it over the stock ride! I will likely put them up for sale for a reasonable price if anyone might be interested (with spacers in case anyone wants the stock ride height on EXT RWD).

 

[azerik]

Can confirm my front stock struts were destroyed by 55k

Pushed in by hand, and it wouldn't come back out. The other took about 30 min to extend.

I'm complete. 5 mile rip around the block and I'm impressed and quite happy with it. Will have more to say when my hand and lung recover.
(Also the part numbers I posted above, had the LCj9 numbers on the box as well so it's come down to 1 strut for FWD and AWD.

 

[mdubv10]

Mark- I'm planning on doing the rally spring/sway bar swap on my 21 GT (non-PE). Also considering getting a new wheel/tire combo to fill the extra inch of space created. Loving the look of your 21's, any idea what size tire would work? 265/45r21? Also wondering how much I can reduce offset on the wheels? Thanks man!

 

[markboris]

Mark- I'm planning on doing the rally spring/sway bar swap on my 21 GT (non-PE). Also considering getting a new wheel/tire combo to fill the extra inch of space created. Loving the look of your 21's, any idea what size tire would work? 265/45r21? Also wondering how much I can reduce offset on the wheels? Thanks man!

Hey Mike, first off, your car will be lifted about 1 1/2" because you have a GT. Non-GT's it's been between a 3/4"-1" lift.

As far as wheels and tires go, you can only go up to a 1" taller tire as the front will not fit any larger otherwise the tire tread will rub against the bottom of the spring perch on the strut. OEM diameter is 28.7" so 29.7 is the tallest you can go. That said, this size will only take up 1/2" of the extra space the the rally springs lift the car.

You don't need to go with 21" wheels/tires to get that size or for them to fit properly. You can easily do it with the 20" size. If you were to stick with your OEM wheels, you can only run one particular size that would fit and be 1" taller, 245/50R20. They are the same width as your OEM tires, just taller. That would be the cheapest route however there aren't a lot of tire choices in that size. If you are wanting to change out the wheels completely for different tires, you can go with custom 20" or 21" and then I need to get more in depth with you on this.

 

[jksu]

for folks in Los Angeles, a plug for American Tire Center, 5206 Hollywood Blvd, who did my springs and eibach sway bars install (and tires for all my family's cars).

maybe i got the buddy discount but it was under $600 labor for the sway bar, springs, and alignment. and that's with separate visits due to doing sway bars first, rear springs 2nd, and finally front springs due to tasca's shipping error. i brought my own green grease but they already had it so i just returned mine to amazon.

not as awesome as @markboris. who'd probably also hook you up with cool forscan and other mods, but i appreciate american tire's patience with my parts fiasco and only charging me once it was all done. great family run place.

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