+1, the reading will never be accurate again...that is why God invented breaker bars and penetrating liquid (ya that sounds wrong, but correct)

 

Sheeet, I've been mainly using mine as a big rachet wrench. Nothing major but it does help when I need a little extra leverage. Probably will mess it up though.

 

Not probably, it WILL mess it up, they are not designed to break bolts loose. You can either keep using it like that and keep buying them or you can "invest" in a cheap breaker bar and only buy the one torque wrench.

 

A breaker bar is just a pipe that goes over your rachet? I figure with the torque wrench though, I am not torquing it anymore than the strength it would need to tighten the lug nuts, since I haven't adjusted the pressure... It should be alright? I'm not putting 200 ft. pounds of torque on it or anything to undo bolts. It mainly helps a little with leverage because I have a smaller rachet wrench that is ok but can be hard to undo tighter bolts because of it's size. Anyways, the torque wrench was only $10 on sale at Harbor Freight. I just like being able to torque my lugs and having the option of torquing things to spec, although I find I never end up using the torque specs lol. I guess I just like having the option. They say a mechanic should have three sizes of torque wrenches but I just bought the bigger 1/2" mainly for the suspension.

 

No that's a cheater pipe. A breaker bar is a bar with an end on it that a socket can attach to, but its not a socket wrench, and they tend to be longer than a wrench. Even using a normal socket wrench to break bolts free will wear them out faster, although I only use a breaker bar when I can't get it free with a socket wrench. I never use my torque wrench to break bolts loose though.

 

I'm sorry this was so hard. I tried to convey it was a total biotch of a procedure. Any other car on the planet with MacPherson struts is easier. The front lower mount design is nuts. Shame on the Ford Mondeo design team.

 

Yeah I still don't understand why they just didn't have it bolt onto the hub like most cars. I used a pulley puller to push the strut out of the hubs. Its such a pain in the *** to get them in and out though. Btw for the rear springs, you should be able to use the spring compressor to compress the springs and pull them out without unbolting any control arms. If you do have to unbolt an arm unbolt the lower rear arm the springs sits on at the hub, put the jack under the arm though then lower the jack, and the arm, after you get the bolt out. Lower it slowly. The rear shocks are cake to get in and out. 3 bolts each.

 

Ok cool. I will try to tackle that this weekend.

 

I think I'm going to just get the rear shocks and springs in, replace the front lower control arms, and go from there. See if I have any more rattling issues at that point and get it aligned. Some of the bushings in the back could probably be replaced now but first step is getting the springs and shocks in. After that I have time to replace the bushings as I go, even if it's in a year. This project is getting expensive.