front subframe question

90turbo1

Registered User
so while inspecting my recent sc purhase I noticed that the mount for the strut rod (tension rod) onthe pass side is bent back and looks like the previous owner smacked it on a curb or something. i could adjust it to make alingment come in maybee but..

i can get a subframe from a reg 3.8 or 5.0 t bird are they all the same?

thanks for looking
 
yes the mn 12's are all the same you are better off swapping it.....
had the same issue a few years ago in a friend's sc, we swapped the sub-frame out... Motor mounts too....

paul:D
 
if you go through all that please please gets new motor mounts while you have the engine out. you will (get self in butt) if you dont and then they mess up on you.
 
Inspect the new one before you buy it. Seems alot of these are smacked and bent. My original is bent, bought a used one & although clean as could be, was also bent. Took just the K-frame to a local body shop & they made it perfect for $80.
 
yeah that does seem like a not well thought out design to hang it down that low to get hit on everything. but oh well ford made a metric crap load of the thunderbirds and cougars... so parts should be plentiful. i have a few adds for parting out tbirds on craigslist that I am going to jump on and pull them.

on a side note, are urathane bushings a good upgrade for the tbird.

thanks
 
so purchased my subframe this moring. at local pull and save there were several near perfect 90 up cougars and 92 up t birds. No Sc's found though.

every car had a motor in it still so removing the subframe was intersting. used a motor support bar (borrowed from work) and lifted the motor up around the front water pump, undid mounts and dropped the subframe on ground. i then set motor back down on stack of old rims laying around and dissasembled the subframe.

26 bucks later, I know have a perfect non bent subframe from a 1990 cougar with 3.8 in it.

i do see there are some subtle little differencs in the subframes though. on the sc there was an oil cooler for power steering, and there is no hole or bolt for attaching the lines the same way the sc did. (nothing major there) and the motor mounts on the drivers side is only attached with one bolt through the mount not the extra bolt that the sc has.
 
Just a heads up .. the subframes are slightly different on the later models, 93+ I believe but I am not 100% sure, the passenger side motor mount bolt hole is off by about an inch, so as long as you have a pre 93 vehicle for that 90 subframe you should be good.

- Dan
 
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