BA/BF Falcon front Shocks/struts replacement DIY
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- čas přidán 7. 09. 2024
- This is how I replaced my BF Falcon shocks/struts DIY 👍 the setup and process is very similar for AU/BA/FG Falcons.
Tools I used/needed:
8-24mm sockets/spanners
Breaker bar/long pipe
Rubber mallet/hammer
Penetrant spray
Patience and time ⌚
I would say give yourself about 3 hours if it is your first time doing this job.
Please use this video as an overview only.
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Thanks for watching. Chat to you in the comments 😁
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Based in South Australia, but we do travel interstate from time to time so message or call anytime @ info@handyautocare.com.au
Great job mate did my own thanks for showing me how
Awesome news mate!
Very helpful. Thanks mate. ;)
Perfect! Glad to hear mate. Cheers!
Mate, fucken great video. Gonna look at replacing/upgrading my struts so that helps heaps. Your top ball joint went on easier than mine when I replaced my ball joints, I had to use the ball joint press to get mine back on far enough to get the bolt through. Your videos are brilliant mate, don't change a thing. You're helping a lot of people learning how to work on their cars for themselves.
Much much appreciated brother! Maybe I got lucky with mine. Yes this channel is my own excuse to do things I normally wouldn't make time for, so we're all learning together!
@@FordMercGuy if you ever end up needing to do ball joints, that's a video that is sorely needed for top and bottom. I had to watch several videos and do a fair amount of googling to figure mine out and how to use the ball joint press properly.
I agree mate! Currently one of the reasons I haven't taken it on DIY. Although got a mechanic last year to replace the lower ball joints for not alot of money. Saved the hassle I guess.
Thanks so much its help me so much God bless
Cheers brother, very glad to hear it! Awesome that my vid could help 👊👊
I'm about to do this tomorrow I love how the replacement parts are used got mine from a good wreckers I know so wish me luck everyone gotta fit new front bearing hubs aswell so I might do the strut shell I have the caliper and disc off make it abit easier maybe 😂
Hopefully for you bro!! Good luck
@11:13 you forgot to feed the ABS sensor cable back underneath the shock. It lives under there for protection. Hope you realised & rectified this before finishing up.
Good pick up mate, thankfully I did notice after watching the video back. Handy aspect of recording the work, and being able to double check aspects!
Great. Couldn't be bothered doing this job until I saw your video. Much easier to do it with clear instructions.
Legend mate, cheers for the feedback. Glad I could help! Insta: FordMercGuy if you have any questions as you go bro. Will try help if I can
Thanks for the video mate very helpful, I have spent a few hours on 1 already and it kicked my ass.
I had to recently do this job again on another falcon. Pain in the ass that's for sure!!
Covered every thing. Thanks
Cheers mate. Thanks for watching!
Great video and step by step. I did everything you did and wasn't that hard. I loved it when you gave your strut the middle finger after pulling the bottom end over the control arm!
Thanks mate I'm glad the video could have been some help for you and yes flipping the bird was much needed after all the frustration
@@FordMercGuy How did you do it without swearing and cursing? Or was that edited out lol?
Most was edited out! Certainly an easier way to do it.. This is not it! Just don't do if on a warm day like I did in this video. There's more swearing as a result hahah
your videos are really decent you show it all and explain it good! :)
Brother thanks so much I really appreciate it. That's it man I always look for videos to guide me for stuff on Falcons and certain videos back bit of info or don't show the stuff properly so I try work it out and then video it for the past that are missing on other videos for people to watch on my videos again bro thanks for taking the time to leave me a comment
@@FordMercGuy yeah exactly, i just fixed my front wheel bearing/hub from watching your video and was easy knowning from the steps you showed thanks heaps
👍👍
Cheers 👍👍
Just did my lower control arms today. Was quoted $750, I bought the replacements plus sway bar links for $200. Bit of a learning curve but got there in the end.
Realised my shocks need replacing too. Your vid is great, I will give that job a go with confidence now. Seems way easier than replacing the lower control arms.
Great stuff mate. Yeah not much to the shocks really!
Cheer's mate.. that was awesome 👍😎
Cheers mate, much appreciated! Thanks for watching 🙌
Awesome video heaps of extra info will be coming to this channel more often
No dramas mate that's awesome to hear
Hey yea it looks easy. I have done the rear diff twice in 2 bf's. When i removed the struts from a car I was wrecking it was easier because everything above it was already removed. I would like to see you do the left hand side too.
Left side had exact same procedure 👌
Top video mate, very well done. Thanks
Cheers so much mate!
Great video. No BS, just here's what to do. Cheers. Had mine for 15 years, figured it was time to get new shocks.
Cheers for taking the time to write a review mate 👊 yeah mate, no one has time for faff, straight to the point for my videos. I don't have time to shoot and edit faff anyway hahah
Nice mate, should be a great comfortable right compared to what you're used to!
Thanks mate, my wagoon is due for new shocks all round, I’m gunna lift it with new springs while I’m at it.
No dramas mate, yeahh good opportunity to seize while the struts are out indeed.
Absolutely helped, thankyou very much..
I'm super glad it helped you, cheers mate
Great video, very descriptive and helped heaps. Thanks! One thing ill add, if people have the same issue as i did which was a buggered shock extending way too much to get the fork up and over the lower control arm, undo the swaybar mount and the lower control arm will have a lot more downward movement. Id honestly do this everytime to get around the fiddly part of getting the fork over the arm. Hope this also helps! Cheers
Thanks mate, yes I'll have to try that myself as I've done this job twice now since and a pain getting the bottom fork in position. Doable but with lots of swearing and sweating
@@FordMercGuy I was doing this job by myself and ended up undoing the swaybar mount as old mate suggested. Certainly gave me enough room to remove the strut over the lower control arm.
That's it, knowledge of steps involved to save time and hassle certainly does do that!!
Great easy to follow instructions. Cheers mate.
Thanks for the feedback mate. Cheers!!
Absolutely fantastic vid mate, gonna have to do shock replacements on my FG so this video helped out greatly. Keep at it!
Cheers for the feedback mate I'm glad I could help out with your job ahead 👊👊
FG stands for Falcon Good....
Great video! Got the ute, done. Afterwards though I can now hear a continuous metal rub like noise while driving - any ideas? Something either brakes from manoeuvring them?
Cheers mate! Darn it that's a little bit annoying hey. Perhaps yes double-check that your caliper bolts are all tight and perhaps Jack up the wheel and spin the wheel by hand and see if you can replicate the noise. Hopefully it isn't your ball joint that is rubbing on the rotor double check that one asap
Very nice video bro. Did this all myself on my BF XR was a challenge of a thing lol. But great work bro.
Cheers mate! Yeah doing the job solo wolf is a challenge for sure! But we got there 👊👊
@@FordMercGuy right on bro. Haha. But glad you are doing these DIY's it helps learn bout the Falcon's inside out. Especially when its a B series Falcon haha. But yeah. Managed to get it done overall bro just like you haha
That's it man, we're all learning as we go with these Falcons. Initially I wanted to make a vid on power steering flush for ba falcon since there were no Vids already up. And then have tried to video as much as I can since!
As I was watching suddenly I realised this was shot on Meningie, good vid.
Small world mate! Cheers boss
You legend! Properly enjoyable to watch and I’ll give this job a go now.cheers
Cheers heaps mate, it was a hot January when I did this job! Avoid this job solo in hot weather is what I learnt hahah. Good luck mate, work slow and take your time!
Awesome vid! Keep them coming🙏🙏🙏🙏
Thanks amigo! Will try 😜
Great video. Best to get a breaker bar when you are planning to do suspension work. Extending your small ratchet can break its ratcheting mechanism as you exceed its max torque.
Thanks mate for taking the time to write a comment! Very true, it would put a strain on the Ratchet. Thankfully most have lifetime warranty but best save the world's materials if we can, right? 😜
Good camera work.
Cheers mate! Epic youtube account name on your end 👊👊
Do the rear shocks need a nut on the bolt...my Ford BA 2004 does not have any maybe mechanic forgot to put them on or are they not needed for the rear...me think yes they do what do you think...once again great to the point vid...Albury NSW
I'm not a mechanic but if the bolt can be wiggle dues sounds like a nut should be on there and thanks very much mate perhaps you can take your car to a mechanic and get their opinion
Well done
Cheers brother!
Do you have a video on the hand break pads just falling out when exposed in the rear or how to fix
Unfortunately not mate, Appologies. Haynes manual?
On ya bro thanks for this keep it up!
Cheers legend 👊👊
there is always a time when a random hobo would come in handy !
Hahahah that's the one mate 😜
Awesome thank you
You are so welcome and thank you very much for your comment add for watching!!
Very helpful thanks, I wish you would have shown the other side though haha :))
I'm glad I could help mate!
Well unfortunately I was low on time, it takes forever to film these things and another lot of forever to edit hahsh. But don't stress, both sides same process!
Did you see install a new shock bushing or just re bolt through the old one?
Hey mate used the old one.
Great video thanks
Thanks for watching mate!
Thanks for footage BAMerc.Got Monroe shocks on rear of my BA Futura sedan,but at over 200K on fronts they will need doing at some point even though still going well,so this footage will help.Going to watch this footage again in future,but didnt catch you say if you did,where you got the second hand deal springs and shocks from.I would personally wait longer to get new ones if i didnt have the spondoolies at the time.Been watching your clips for a while and your generally doing well,keep it up!
Thanks for the feedback mate glad I can help with this video for your future job. Being that this was a work car for Dad we didn't really require brand new shocks and this wrecker gave 3 months warranty on the shocks so it would suffice to get him by. main reason for me doing this job for dad was to raise the car as he was scrapping every where so he needed standard height springs. But agreed, I'd go new for my own car when going to this trouble.
@@FordMercGuy Good man getting it done for your dad.Thanks for the reply.
Cheers mate! No dramas!
If you're replacing the springs do you need to put on spring clamps before you lift the car up?
If replacing springs definitely use spring clamps before unbolting the strut top.
Verry niiice!
High 5⃣!!
Great video mate, cheers
Thanks alot mate, Cheers for watching!
@@FordMercGuy
You ever done the rear shocks on the wagon? I'm pretty sure it would be the same for the ute,
Not as of yet. Looks easy though. May give it a crack for a video one day
@@FordMercGuy done the rear shocks in my BA ute today, very easy job, no more noise from the rear, theres a rubber bush at the top of the shocks, my left hand side one was flogged out. Feels alot smoother on the road,
That's awesome mate thanks for letting me know and I'm sure others in the future reading this will find it helpful too
Good Video mate. Just been doing the same on a BA ute. No way could we get the lower arm to drop enough to get the strut out. Then took off the 2 nuts for the sway bar D rubber bracket and that made it a breeze. spent over an hour and a half on the first side, 20 minutes on the other side.
That's it. We learn as we go and get more proficient each time we do it 👌
legend mate. thankyou
Cheers mate!!
@@FordMercGuy old mate is dead right. Undid the sway bar brackets make it very straightforward.
Still have to do mine. I tried a year or so ago and couldn’t compress the springs. The Supercheap spring compressors can’t handle those springs and cracked. Took them back for a refund. I put the strut back in and forgot the ABS sensor like you did and had to pull the strut out again. I gave it the middle finger too and several choice words as well. Bought Gabriel struts on special and will take everything to a shop to get them to compress the springs in a press and assemble everything so I can just reinstall them myself.
Good thinkings amigo. I saw Stanley spring compressors at Bunnings for same dosh as supercheap Auto ones. Maybe that could work better for compressing springs. In any case sometimes saving hassle is worth the money. Crazy the sca ones cracked! Take care mate, have a great rest of the year!
@@FordMercGuy you too. Have a good one! 👍
Cheers brother! Keep in touch on instagram 👊
Thanks for the heads up. I think I'll be putting the spring compressor on first whilst it's still on the suspension which might make it easier to get the strut out.
Thanks for the vid! any suggestions on things to consider doing at the same time? i.e. upper control arm bushes?
Cheers mate. Well yeah could be a few things to replace while there. Depends on budget, tools and skill. Whatever you can change #PreventiveServicing is always good!
I'm pretty sure that the nut that holds the top wishbone ball joint to the upright is 18mm, not 19mm. It is on my BA Falcon, in any case.
This was Dad's BF model so perhaps they changed it between the BA and the BF
My mechanic charged me 100 labour for the rears and 140 for the struts I think I would rather pay that than do what you just did. Although I did get a quote from a suspension specialist and they came in at double what my local and trusted mechanic charged me.
I know the feeling, sometimes we gather that it's not worth the effort or time. In this case my patience/need to help dad/free time won and I've always wanted to give this job a go on a falcon and learn it. Good excuse to do a video to help people that may also need to save some dollars/want to learn new skills.
But that's right! Some places really do charge crazy amounts! I think your mechanic charged very very fairly for labour! 👌
Hey does the abs sensor get relocated from between shock bottom join and mounting lwr ctrl arm. ( originally shown) To the front or back of it afterwards ? (Where yours is reattached...)
Hey mate, I remember after reinstalling, I noticed the cable was loose where originally on my car the cable was run through the bottom of the shock. Something I didn't notice until after I'd installed the shock.
Thnx
Did you drive with one front shock absorber?
Hi mate no I got one as a donor from the wreckers
Great vid and thanks for sharing. Do you mind me asking you was the removal of the ABS sensor really required? Cheers
Thanks for the feedback mate, I removed ABS sensor just to be sure that I wouldn't accidentally break it or knock it and risk damaging it.
Thanks for the tutorial.
The inside of my rotor is grinding on the end of the tie arm.
Could this be a shock absorber problem
Hi mate that's no good. I'm no mechanic unfortunately so I can only guess.. Ball joints are known to go on these Falcons, could this be linked? Good luck mate
How hard is rear suspension to do?
I haven't done it personally so I can't comment unfortunately!
Which jacking point do you use under the car?
The thin metal that is the factory jack point sometimes can get damaged but that's the safest?
I tend to avoid it and use the chassis rail that runs under the middle of the car.
@@FordMercGuy Thanks for the reply
No problems mate
Is it just me, or do you sound similar to Karl Stefanovic?
Hahahah I'll have to brush up my memory of what he sounds like 😜
@@FordMercGuy every morning, "I wake up with Today "…on channel 9 , so I hear his voice a lot,lol… 😉
But Just like to commend you for your straightforward video, easy to follow…👍🏼
Are front shocks the same on
BA ute wagon and sedan
Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to talk from experience however I would imagine there is a lot of similarity perhaps spring Heights might be a little bit different in the Utes for XR6 Sedan Spring and shock might be slightly stifler
@@FordMercGuy thanks for your reply
No worries legend
Thanks for he vid! Question though, would using spring compressor tools help with the physical removal of the assembly? Im about to do this for my FPV.
Cheers mate 👍 well I imagine why not but I think it's making more work for yourself. The main issue I had was clearing the lower section of the tower from the area it bolts in. I wouldn't imagine springs compressed would make a difference in the top and bottom clearance of the top studs and the bottom bolt locations of the tower.
I was trying to use spring compressors without undoing the ball joint and it is impossible. I wish I had watched the video first as I would have one side finished already. Great, informative video.
Thanks very much mate I'm glad I could help with my video
Great vid, would the factory jack fit between the lower control arm and the body frame? If it does it might seem easier than standing on the break assembly to lower the control arm. This video will be a great help for when I need to do mine.
Cheers mate, It may fit? If you try it let us know how you go!
Glad my vid can help 👍
Hey mate do you know how to turn the service light off on my Ford falcon BA? Mechanic didn’t do it! (Beeps when go over 100k)
You mean the 100kmh speed warning mate?
How do I know if shocks at wreckers are in good condition? I want to go get some
You could take the springs off with spring compressors and the top mount and check the bounce back of the shocks to let you know if the shock is healthy or not. Otherwise.. Most wreckers might give a warranty on their parts. So if the shocks are crap, you can swap.
Did you need a wheel alignment afterwards?
Hi mate, this was on dads car and he hasn't mentioned anything since. But I wouldn't imagine much alignment would be different. But perhaps go with an alignment anyway if you haven't had one in a while. Or when next due.
Mate I'd recommend putting the stands under the sub frame not under the body there, they can damage it at best in that location and at worst, punch through the body. Else, decent vid mate.
Yeah these days I don't jack up from the jack points I jack from subframe but I like your thinking of not putting car weight on those small thin jack points on the stands. Thanks for the tip. We're all here to learn! Cheers mate
@@FordMercGuy I did the job myself, was filming for my own vid, but ended up having to scrap it. I was going to point people your way... but yeah vid didn't work out due to time constraints I had to can filming to get shit done.
It takes so much longer to film and work isn't it man I feel you! I found only viable way as I'm on free time constraints, is to film and later on voice over so atleast I can just setup camera and work! But thanks for the support man!
@@FordMercGuy Yeah the voiceover is certainly the better way for a quality product, but I never plan more then 2 mins ahead.
Yeah that's it, less need for cutting out stuff ups in speaking etc when talking live. But yeah voice over work means thinking about doing what you want to talk about later. Plenty of forward thinking needed yeah
Did you have any issues with wheel alignment afterwards?
Yes was Dad's car and Dad haven't mentioned anything. If there is changes to the alignment it would be minor however this could be a good excuse to get a alignment if you haven't had one done in a while
*this was dads
Hey man msgd u on insta
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