I've got a 2005 Ford Focus with about 205,000 miles on it. It's got the Duratec 2.0 with a MTX75 manual transmission. It's on the original clutch which still feels great but I'm anticipating replacement at some point.
It's a transaxle setup. Steering, suspension, and drivetrain components have all worn and lowered the ride quality. I replaced all the motor mounts last year which made a drastic improvement but it still doesn't feel as tidy and responsive as it did 15 years ago.
When I get in there and replace the clutch I'm going to inspect and overhaul the entire front end.
My question is: what components should I be looking most closely at to restore ride quality? If my budget gets tight, what components will deliver the most bang for the buck?
Thanks! Appreciate any advice.
a 17yo car with over 200k ... I wouldn't be worried about ride quality at all. I'd be happy it's still running and stick as little money into it as possible.
The first thing to tackle is the suspension. OEM struts and OEM shocks- do not buy ones made in China. If you want to have smooth driving, that's the first step.
