Some of you may remember me posting about this issue in the past... rattling convertible top linkage. One convertible top link on my brand new `03 vert was rattling, so I brought it back to Ford. Ford confirmed that a certain bushing within a "link" was "loose", and replaced it under warrantee. By design, I could see that this bushing would most likely wear out again soon. Sure enough, a few months later, and probably only raising and lowering the top about ten times, this same bushing is now a bit loose again and rattling. It is very annoying to me. My guess is that ALL Stang verts must have this problem. Perhaps most people just live with the rattling and are not bothered by it. I guess if you just crank the radio, you will have no problems. I personally am bothered by it. I like a car to be tight and quiet with minimum rattles and noises. My Stang is extremely quiet for a vert, other than for this one loose link which makes a racket. Anyway... I'd just like to know if there is anyone else out there who has observed this same problem on their late model stang vert, and if they have been able to do anything about it, and if not, do they CARE to do something about it? I am planning on making my own custom links that will replace Ford's brass ball bushing with a greasable rod-end type bushing... a bushing that can be either greased or replaced easily. This could be done by hacking off the end of the Ford link where the brass bushing is, then welding on a nut, and then a rod-end bushing can be screwed into the nut with a locknut to hold it. The bushing would be easily replaceable, but would most likely last 20 times longer than Ford's bushing anyway. If anyone is interested in this at all, let me know. I am thinking about buying a pair of brand new links (about $70 each from Ford according to my local dealer), and then doing the custom work to my "old" ones. (I'd like to have a new pair on hand in case I need to refer to the size and shape, plus if I wind up wrecking my old links, I want to have something on hand ready to put back into the car). Also, the stock link rods seem to be hollow. Another trick that could be implemented into the new custom links would be to fill them with lead, making them heavier and less likely to rattle around. Of course this is all a certain degree of work and expense, my guess is that most people would probably just choose to deal with the noise as opposed to spending several hundred $$$ for custom links. But... I know right now if someone offered me a pair of custom links to solve my noise problem, I'd pay a few hundred $$$ in a snap since it would save me a lot of time and hassle here. So... if others are interested by chance, maybe I'd make a small run of these custom links instead of just making two for myself. But, estimated cost.... say $150 for two new Ford links, then say $40 for two hi-quality rod-end bushings (just a guess), and then the welding... I don't weld, so I'd have to get someone to weld the nuts to the links.... not sure what that would run, but for now I'll just say $50 per pair. Anyway, so these custom links might run as much as $250 to make (not including any "profit"). Anyone interested? Any person out there good with metal working and welding could most likely make a link from scratch (would not be too hard, it's a simple hollow rod with a few simple bends, etc), and thus save $150 right off the bat by not having to buy Ford links. I could most likely fabricate a crude one myself out of some small diameter electrical conduit and a pipe bender.... hmmm.... hey, can a steel nut be welded to a piece of aluminum electrical conduit??? Well actually, aluminum might not be strong enough anyway... the stock link rods appear to be steel, and they are probably steel for a reason. Anyhow, if anyone has any ideas about any of this, let me know. Thanks. snipped-for-privacy@optonline.net
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20 years ago