2003 svt lower control arm bolt question

[Dean2]

Geezer - So, besides a little loss of ride height, old springs don't really lose any of their "springiness"?

I've been wondering about that. I bought the SVT kit for my SVT. I did the front end, but haven't gotten to the rear yet. The car looks a lot better without the rear end so high and, more importantly, I haven't been looking forward to replacing the springs themselves. If I won't lose anything by just replacing the shocks, I'd sure prefer to go that route.

The difference in ride/feel with the new front struts was incredible. It's like a whole new car and only half done.

[Geezer]

Coil springs are not considered a wear item. They generally last the life of the car but could be required to be replaced if abused (e.g. off roaded a lot), if damaged (a big hit that causes them to bind), or allowed to rust, which could weaken them but more likely they end up snapping. Cheap aftermarket springs are often made of poorly tempered steel (improper metallurgy) which commonly results in sagging. Most car manufacturers put decently made springs on their cars although Ford did have a bad batch on some very early non SVT Foci which resulted in a service campaign.

[TommyTooHi]

Originally Posted by Geezer

And yes, the M-18000-zx3 is the stock SVT shock/strut replacement kit. I truly believe the SVT shocks are the best bang for the buck available for an SVT or non-SVT Focus. In fact it's a screaming deal for four quality shocks/struts delivered to your door for under 200.00

yup, I'll second that - having done pig's ear/silk purse upgrades in the past, the value/quality/engineering is freaking unbelievably cheap!!!

I need to do mine, as soon as possible!

-T_T

[MrJake4933]

I have the same problm. I am trying to remove my rear springs so i can put lowering springs on. but the LCA bolts are corroded on the inside and are stuck. We have already broke one and the spring compressor from advance auto wouldnt fit on the spring. Where could i get two new control arms and bolts? Is there anything i can do to avoid breaking the other one and get the spring out?

[my_beautious_ZX3]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

Seized LCA hardware is a frequent topic of discussion here. Don't know how much SVT LCA's differ from a ZX3, but here's a thread I made last fall to document the problems I ran into. Specifics are at the bottom of the page.

http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/showthread.php?t=297299

Good luck!