Parts for your 2003 Ford Falcon-Strut mounts

2003 Ford Falcon strut-mounts: are they used, and what should owners know?

For the 2003 Ford Falcon (BA series), strut-mounts aren’t used. This model doesn’t run a MacPherson strut front end, so there’s no strut top mount or strut-top bearing like you’d find on many small and mid-size cars.

Technical sources back this up: the Ford BA Falcon Workshop Manual (Section 204-01 Front Suspension) specifies a double-wishbone (short-long arm) front suspension with a separate shock absorber and coil spring, not a structural strut. Gregory’s/Max Ellery BA–BF repair manuals and Autodata/Repco technical suspension specs also describe the front as double wishbone and the rear sedan layout as Control Blade IRS with separate spring and damper. Ute models use a live rear axle with separate shocks. None of these layouts use strut-mounts.

Why no strut-mounts? In a MacPherson setup, the strut carries vehicle weight and locates the hub, so a strut-top mount and bearing are essential. The BA Falcon’s double-wishbone front end locates the hub with upper and lower control arms, the shock absorber only damps movement, so it bolts in with rubber bushes/insulators rather than a strut bearing. Likewise, the Control Blade IRS or live-axle rear uses separate shocks with simple upper and lower mounts.

What owners should focus on instead:

• Front shock absorber upper mounts/insulators and lower bushes
• Upper and lower control arm bushes, ball joints, and front sway bar links/bushes
• Rear shock mounts and bushes, rear control arm bushes on IRS cars, leaf spring bushes on utes

Tell-tale signs something needs attention include clunks over bumps, steering shimmy, tramlining, uneven tyre wear, or a crashing/metallic knock from a blown shock bush. During regular servicing or a WOF/rego check, a tech should inspect shock mounts for perishing or play, check control arm bushes for splits or oil-soak, and verify ball joints and sway bar links aren’t loose. If ride quality feels floaty or the car bottoms out, consider fresh shocks and new mounting bushes. An alignment after front-end work is a smart move to keep the Falcon tracking straight and your tyres happy.

• Does a 2003 BA Falcon have strut-mounts?
  No. It uses a double-wishbone front end with separate shocks and a Control Blade IRS or live rear axle, so there are no strut top mounts or bearings.
• What replaces the function of a strut-mount on a BA Falcon?
  Upper and lower control arms locate the hub, and the steering pivots on ball joints. The shock uses rubber mounts/insulators rather than a strut bearing.
• Can coilover struts be fitted?
  Some aftermarket kits convert to a coilover-style damper. Fitment should be engineered, legal for road use in your state, and followed by a professional alignment.