This kit is a direct replacement for the three 'steering gear mounts' or 'insulators' (C3SA-3C716-A). These were installed on 1962-1968 Lincoln Continentals (used on vehicles built after July 13th 1961). The kit includes three solid steel donuts and three grade 8 bolts. The bolts are sourced from a reputable US supplier. The original lock washers and thick metal washers can be re-used. The three new bolts included in the kit are necessary because the three old ones will be too short. The old bolts thread into the mounts which in turn thread into the steering gear box. The new bolts will simply go through the solid steel donuts and thread directly into the steering gear box. $75 shipped within the Continental US (USPS) Combined shipping available Check out eBay seller 50-c for the listings http://www.ebay.com/usr/50-c I prefer using eBay because it takes a lot less time and effort to ship the kit to you. €75 shipped within the EU (without Track&Trace) Other shipping options and combined shipping available I use PayPal. Contact me at: continentalcarparts@outlook.com Specialist parts suppliers sell sets of rebuilt steering gear insulators between $135 and $195. I put together a replacement kit for myself and a friend but had enough material for a few extra. Why use solid steel donuts instead of (rebuilt) original mounts? The original mounts fit between the frame rails and steering gear box. Being rubber-impregnated they were intended to isolate vibration and road feel. Not only did they fail to provide an improvement to the luxury feel of the car, they turned out to be a design flaw - and even a liability. They were discontinued in 1969 as Ford found that the rubber would degrade*, causing the steering gear box to twist at odd angles that other steering components weren't designed to tolerate. This causes premature wear in the Pitman arm, idler arm, centre drag link and steering coupler - resulting in a car that wanders over the road and has loose steering. When the mounts become even more loose, the steering shaft can rub against the shift tube, physically moving the shift lever as the wheel is turning. This is a dangerous situation. The combination of excessive movement of the steering gear box and the force exerted on it, can even cause the bolts to snap off. This is an even more dangerous situation. Original steering gear insulator (not included in the kit) * Standard EU shipping without Track&Trace. Shipping with Track&Trace is €7.50 extra. Delivery in the US as indicated in the US Postal Service (USPS) system is deemed to be undisputed receipt by the buyer. The kit may be returned within 30 days at cost of the buyer. Purchase price is refunded upon receiving the item in time, complete, unused and undamaged (no finish worn off of the threads of the bolts, tools not mangled the hardware).
This is what my old original steering gear mounts looked like. Note that the mount on the right had almost no rubber left on it:
I replaced mine a few weeks ago and the kit worked out great. No more movement of the steering gear & the road feel is the same.
Quick tip for 1962, 1963 and 1964 owners: when I installed my replacement kit I reused the original lock washers and thick metal washers. I added a second metal washer to one (or maybe two) bolts to make sure it didn't bottom out in the steering gear box. The steering gear box is cast-iron, not steel. If a bolt bottoms out/is overtightened, the steering gear box may crack.
The Jalopy Journal
