Front Suspension Nut

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audioresearch
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Front Suspension Nut

Post by audioresearch »

My questions concern another Ford car besides the Lincoln, but the answer to the questions I'm sure would also be helpful to Lincoln owners who encounter the same problem, so I hope it is ok to ask this question here.

The nut at the end of the front sway bar of my wife's 1983 Mercury LN7 fell off on the road somewhere and is lost and I need another one to replace it.

The Ford master parts manual states the nut is Ford part N801311-S (AM-12-P).

Is the "AM-12-P" some sort of alternate number to describe the part? Is it a number that is more general than just a Ford part number such as perhaps some numbering system that would be recognized by machinists, mechanical engineers, hardware stores, or whatever?

Someone on Ebay is selling a box of NOS Ford nuts N801311-S101 (AM-12-P). Any idea if the N801311-S101 is the same as N801311-S? Does the "AM-12-P" descriptor means it is the same as the nut I need since the nut I need is also described by "AM-12-P)?

Do you have any idea where I can buy the nut I need just in case the ones for sale on Ebay are no longer available or are not the same nut?

Thanks very, very much for any help.
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Steve K
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Re: Front Suspension Nut

Post by Steve K »

The Ford Parts Catalog online shows the bolts and washers for your application available but the nuts no longer available.

Doing a quick google search finds them a few places. Here's one in addition to the ebay listing you mentioned.

https://www.sicssale.top/other-parts-c- ... -11628.htm

Been a long time but I believe there is the part number as shown along with some nomenlature descriptors referencing the type of thread, metric or otherwise, material used, etc. That may be the case with the AM 12 P suffix to the part number as that portion shows up on quite a variety of nuts on the major "fasteners" websitesn - but don't quote me. I know there are some "nut" experts about the forum who can add some clarity.

20 bucks for 10 nuts is 2 bucks a shot. Not the most horrible price for OEM parts. If only more visible and necessary OEM parts could be found that cheap, we'd all be pretty happy. Free shipping too.
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TonyC
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Re: Front Suspension Nut

Post by TonyC »

Yow--that royally sucks. :smt010

If the nuts cannot be had anymore from Ford (and rest assured, a dealer will laugh you off the grounds if you mention the orphan make), I recommend an involved research to get a replacement. That research will involve measuring the rod that the nut threaded onto--its overall width (which will be the inner diameter of the missing nut), and the thread pattern. To do the latter will require a thread-measuring gauge. Since the car in question is an '83, chances are that the nut may be metric, so you'll need a gauge that can measure metric fasteners. Once you have those specs, you can try to match up a nut at Lowe's, or Home Depot, or Ace, or True Value, or any general-hardware store that sells fasteners in bulk.

But that is all in order, of course, if the nuts you see on E-Bay are no-go--either because they were sold or they end up not being the right size. Considering what you indicated, I'd say take a chance with the listing first.

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Dan Szwarc
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Re: Front Suspension Nut

Post by Dan Szwarc »

audioresearch wrote:Someone on Ebay is selling a box of NOS Ford nuts N801311-S101 (AM-12-P). Any idea if the N801311-S101 is the same as N801311-S? Does the "AM-12-P" descriptor means it is the same as the nut I need since the nut I need is also described by "AM-12-P)?
I can tell you that the N801311-S101 is the same nut as the N801311-S. Why? Because I know what the finish codes mean because of AMK.
AMK Finish Codes
AMK Finish Codes
Because the S means it is a plain, unplated, untreated nut and the S101 means it has a "special" coating, either stainless, with lock-tite, etc.
This nut is black oxide with a thread-locker as you can see in the pic below.
Ford Nuts from eBay
Ford Nuts from eBay
But you don't need to buy these expensive NOS nuts. You just need to know the size and thread pitch. These are self-locking nuts or locking nuts. You can buy a thread locking nut and use permatex thread-locker blue so it doesn't come off like yours did. Just make sure you buy the metal ones that look deformed from the top and not the ones with the nylon insert.
Examples of locking nuts
Examples of locking nuts
nuts_lock.jpg (22.06 KiB) Viewed 1330 times
My tip is this, get yourself some nuts of similar size and figure out the thread pitch (either coarse or fine) or try to measure the threads using an appropriate thread gage, etc. then go to your local ACE hardware or expert hardware store that has lock nuts and purchase a few. If you have to, remove one from the other side and measure that one, just be sure to replace it or put it back on with thread locker.
audioresearch
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Re: Front Suspension Nut

Post by audioresearch »

Thanks to all who replied. Excellent information, exactly what I needed!!
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Re: Front Suspension Nut

Post by audioresearch »

I had previously researched which sway bar was the right one for my car using the Ford master parts catalog and determined that the diameter of my sway bar is supposed to be 0.94 inches.

Just from knowing that fact, can the thread diameter of the matching nut be calculated or looked up? If so, anyone know what it is either in inches or millimeters (I have a suspicion
from posts I've read on other forums that it may be 16mm, but am not positive)?
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Re: Front Suspension Nut

Post by Dan Szwarc »

I can try to look up the nut and get the dimensions if you can tell me the part number for the sway bar or provide a picture of where the nut is on the car. If you purchased the MPCs, you can do this also since they go to 1989.
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Re: Front Suspension Nut

Post by audioresearch »

parts.book.page.1.jpg
Yes, I do have the 80-89 mpc in computer files. Here is a screenshot of the page showing the sway bar. My Mercury LN7 has the standard suspension and therefore I believe the part number for my front sway bar should E43Z-5482-D.
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Dan Szwarc
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Re: Front Suspension Nut

Post by Dan Szwarc »

Well, damn there are no diagrams in the 80-89 MPCs! How the heck am I supposed to find the parts!

(I have to admit, I have never looked at the 80-89 MPCs since I have never owned a Lincoln newer than 1977. Disappointing.)

I'm afraid you are back at determining the thread dimensions and pitch on your own.
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Re: Front Suspension Nut

Post by tomo »

Here is a link to the 2002 version of the Ford Standard and Utility Parts catalog. The exact P/N is not shown and I did not find what the AM-P12 means, but my guess is that it is the pitch of the M16 coarse thread nut.

https://www.scribd.com/doc/93224569/Sta ... ts-Catalog
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Dan Szwarc
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Re: Front Suspension Nut

Post by Dan Szwarc »

The AM-P12 or AM-12P is the locator code. It's like a bin number and probably part of the inventory system. It's meaningless to us plebeians.

I found the expanded list of S codes for finishes.
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Re: Front Suspension Nut

Post by Dan Szwarc »

Ok. I found the stabilizer bar and the nut in the MPC. It was in a third file. No indication of thread size.
2903E6BD-3DD8-4600-AD90-F5380209CF9A.jpeg
The red is the nut. The green is the bar.


Moving this thread to “Miscellaneous Automitive Discussion” since it is not lincoln related.
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