Here you can find information regarding repairs to the Mustang rear end system. These repairs include the
rear control arms installation, the rear swaybar information and bolt torque specs,
the rear diff fluid change procedures, and the rear end watts system installation. All of these repairs and
procedures include in depth details on how to perform the replacement and or repair. They
also contain all the detailed torque specs needed for each bolt involved in the repair.
Rear Control Arm Installation
The rear control arm on a Mustang consists of 2 bars that connect the end of the rear axle to the frame
of the vehicle. These arms have 2 bolt
locations, the frame and the axle. Both of the arms torque specs for the bolt connecting to the frame of the
vehicle is 84 ft-lbs. The upper control arm when connecting to the axle is also 84 ft-lbs. The bolt that connects the lower control arm to the axle is the same
as the ones to the frame being 84 ft-lbs. Essentially all the rear end control arm bolts need to be torqued down to 84 ft-lbs regardless whether they tighten to the
axle side or the frame side.
Mustang Arm to Frame Torque Specs : 84 ft-lbs
Mustang Upper Arm to Axle Torque Specs : 84 ft-lbs
Mustang Lower Arm to Axle Torque Specs : 84 ft-lbs
Rear Swaybar Installation
The rear swaybar for this vehicle connects to the lower control arm and acts as an antiroll bar. It will need to
be tightened down to 33 ft-lbs on both ends of the bar.
Mustang Swaybar to Lower Arm Torque Specs : 33 ft-lbs
Mustang Swaybar to Frame Torque Specs : 33 ft-lbs
Rear Differential Fluid change
The first step in replacing your rear end differential fluid is to jack the rear end of the vehicle up into the
air. Be sure to use safety precautions so that
no injuries occur. With the vehicle in the air you will have clear access to the rear differential. If you want
to check the current fluid level you can remove the check level plug, if the level is full the fluid should be directly below the level of the plug.
If it is lower then your are currently low on fluid.
To replace the fluid inside the diff you must remove the plate and allow for the fluid inside to seep out. You can also remove
the diff drain plug and the fluid will seep out of the diff from there. Be
sure to have a container to catch the fluid.
Once the fluid stops flowing you can reinstall the plate by using some silicon sealant to help prevent leakage.
The bolts for the plate should be torqued to 30 ft-lbs.
The fluid drain plug will need to be tightened to 18 ft-lbs.
With the plate reinstalled you can now take your new fluid and fill the rear end up through the fill plug
hole which will be located on the upper end of the differential usually half way up. Once done reinstall the plug and torque it to 18 ft-lbs. If you
removed the diff cover be sure to check for any leaks.
Mustang Differential Fill Plug Torque Specs : 18 ft-lbs
Rear Shocks Installation
To replace the rear shocks on a Mustang you will need to remove two sets of bolts/nuts. The first being
the one located on the top of the shock.
This one can be accessed by the trunk by removing the inside carpet. Once this one has been
removed the next bolt is located on the bottom
of the vehicle. Once the bottom bolt has been removed the shock can be lowered out of the vehicle. The new part
can now be placed in the vehicle much the same
way that the old one has been removed. When tightening the bolts back up make sure to torque the top nut to 30
ft-lbs. The lower bolt on the shock must
be tightened to 66 ft-lbs.
