How To Replace 05-14 Mustang Upper Diff Bushing

In this article, we will be going over a quick breakdown of removing and replacing the upper differential bushing covering all 2005-2014 Mustangs. Replacing the upper differential bushing in your S197 Mustang is needed from time to time. Years of wear and tear on your suspension can cause the factory rubber to deteriorate and eventually fail. This article will give you the step-by-step instructions of taking the old worn-out unit to either upgrade or go back in with a stock replacement.

For this article, we will be working on Jay's 2012 GT500. This car is nearing 200,000 miles, so it is past due to upgrade this bushing. We will be installing a new polyurethane bushing, but these same general steps can also be used for a factory rubber replacement. All of these options can be found at the bottom of this article. One quick tech tip we would like to mention will be freezing the new bushing. If you toss the bushing in the freezer overnight, this will cause the material to shrink up slightly and make the overall installation a little bit easier. Overall this one should take you a few hours to complete.

Tools Needed

• Lift or a jack and a set of jack stands
• Complete socket set including a 24mm ½” socket
• Breaker bar
• 1/2" impact
• Some assorted pry bars
• Drill
• Bit set
• Dye grinder with assorted wire wheels and flap wheel
• General cleaning supplies

Upper Differential Bushing Replacement Steps

1. To begin the installation, you will need to remove your factory upper control arm from the chassis. Check out our Rear Upper Control Arm Removal Article if you need to know the step-by-step procedure for this one.


2. We also chose to remove the Panhard bar and Panhard brace. This is not 100% necessary, but believe me, it will free up some extra workroom and make the overall install much more accessible. We cover the steps for removing both the Panhard Bar and Panhard Brace in our supporting articles.


3. After the upper control arm has been removed, lower the rear differential down to provide you ample workspace for the extra workroom.


4. Grab your drill and a 3/8" drill bit. Drill in multiple locations around the perimeter of the OEM rubber bushing. Try to get as close as you can to the outer metal shell to remove as much of the rubber as you can.


5. Once you have this drilled out, we will need to clean the factory metal shell at this time. We found that a standard drill or dye grinder-mounted flap wheel and wire brushes worked best. Take your time here, and do not damage the outer shell.


6. Now we can begin the installation process. This kit we are installing also included the factory upper control arm bushing. Make sure to inspect both of these and to ensure you are installing the correct one. It is pretty evident due to the size difference, as you can see here.


7. Lubricate the bushing using the proper grease provided in the box.


8. Apply a thin layer on all sides and make sure also to include the inner bolt sleeve.


9. Align the bushing with the flanged side facing the driver’s side of the shell. Lightly tap this in place until it fully seats within the metal shell.


10. Now you can take this time to lubricate the end cap then you can place it on the passenger side of the outer shell.


11. Once the bushing is in place, you can tap in the bushing bolt sleeve.


12. Now you can reinstall the upper control arm and any other associated parts you may have also removed. Check over your work, test drive the vehicle, and you are all done!

We hope that this article has helped you and you have a better understanding of how to remove the upper differential bushing for your S197 Mustang.