New-to-Me 2005 GT Deluxe

[TXNSTANG]

Howdy from Central Texas! Last Friday I just purchased a black 2005 GT Deluxe 5-speed with 135,000 miles on it from a coworker. The engine runs strong and has no leaks. It has a Cervini ram air hood connected to a Roush cold air intake. I'm the third owner. The original owner swapped in 3.73 gears and put some 18" wheels. My coworker and her husband take care of their cars, and conduct routine maintenance.

Age has taken its toll on the suspension, as it is in need of bushings, shocks, and struts. Driving down a bumpy road, everything in the front and rear suspension clunks and rattles (obviously, the bushings are probably nonexistent). I'll be replacing shocks and struts in the very near future. I'm sure I'll need new tie rods. Does anyone recommend replacing anything else that is common in the suspension components? While coilovers would be nice, my goal is just to try to get it back to a decent ride.

 

[GriffX]

The sway bar bushings in front up to 2010 are thin and can do a lot of rattling noise when worn. The 11+ are thicker and have the modern pressed-on style. That was one of my best modification to the suspension to get sway bars from the 2014, but to bolt them on you need to grind the holes in an oval shape (no big deal).

Nice car and Welcome!

 

[Dino Dino Bambino]

Howdy from Central Texas! Last Friday I just purchased a black 2005 GT Deluxe 5-speed with 135,000 miles on it from a coworker. The engine runs strong and has no leaks. It has a Cervini ram air hood connected to a Roush cold air intake. I'm the third owner. The original owner swapped in 3.73 gears and put some 18" wheels. My coworker and her husband take care of their cars, and conduct routine maintenance.

Age has taken its toll on the suspension, as it is in need of bushings, shocks, and struts. Driving down a bumpy road, everything in the front and rear suspension clunks and rattles (obviously, the bushings are probably nonexistent). I'll be replacing shocks and struts in the very near future. I'm sure I'll need new tie rods. Does anyone recommend replacing anything else that is common in the suspension components? While coilovers would be nice, my goal is just to try to get it back to a decent ride.View attachment 104342

Nice car!
You'll need to replace just about every suspension bushing (rear upper control arm, rear anti sway bar, rear panhard bar, rear differential bushing, front anti sway bar) with a polyurethane unit. Check out Energy Suspension and Prothane for bushing kits. Other items you'll need to replace are:

Rear shocks, rear lower control arms, front struts, front strut mounts (get GT500 units), coil spring isolators, outer tie rods, front sway bar end links, and front control arms.

You could refurbish the existing front control arms with new bushings and ball joints if they're in good condition and not rusted to save some cash. Same goes for the rear lower control arms.

 

[1 Alibi 2]

Welcome to the s197 forum,...............now you know..

 

[JC SSP]

Welcome from Florida. Nice car!

I suggest a complete suspension check before you start replacing any parts.

 

[Blue03Cobra]

Check out this tread, starting with my post on 11/9/24. My "new to me" 2008 needed the same. The front and rear swaybar bushings were less than $50, and the improvement was amazing. I also wanted stock-ish ride, so went with KYB gas struts/shocks (less than $500 total) and easy garage install(s).

What have you done to your mustang today?

I work in a small town, the kind that the streets roll up at 9pm and my job has me right in the middle of a residential community. It is a dead calm cold autumn night with all the stars out. So I reach in my pocket and accidently hit car alarm. Man do these have GOOD horns. WOW. No nearby...

www.s197forum.com

 

[Gladams]

Welcome to the club from Missouri.

 

[86GT351]

Front upper Strut Mounts, Lower Control Arms have Hydro Bushings that Collapse, Sway Bar links, etc.

 

[TXNSTANG]

Nice car!
You'll need to replace just about every suspension bushing (rear upper control arm, rear anti sway bar, rear panhard bar, rear differential bushing, front anti sway bar) with a polyurethane unit. Check out Energy Suspension and Prothane for bushing kits. Other items you'll need to replace are:

Rear shocks, rear lower control arms, front struts, front strut mounts (get GT500 units), coil spring isolators, outer tie rods, front sway bar end links, and front control arms.

You could refurbish the existing front control arms with new bushings and ball joints if they're in good condition and not rusted to save some cash. Same goes for the rear lower control arms.

Yeah, I figured as much with the suspension. I just ordered pretty much everything for the front end. Driving it today I noticed the rear end was whining. Looked underneath when I got home and the diff is leaking pretty bad. I'm sure the bearings are shot. Hopefully the gears are ok. I don't know who swapped the gears out for the 3.73s, but I would bet they weren't shimmed correctly. That's about the one thing I don't do is differential work. The rest of the suspension my son is going to learn how to do since he is taking auto tech in high school and his teacher said he will teach him how to do everything, so it's a win-win on that.

So, now to see how much my local shop is going to eat me up with labor for fixing the rear diff