Upper control arm shaft replacement

[Pastel Blue]

.......

 

[mustang7173]

Pastel Blue,

The o-rings should go on the shaft and slide to the bolt holes. They are suppose to help retain the grease in the bushings.

mustang7173

 

[Pastel Blue]

That's what I thought, not sure how they will contain the grease... but moving forward. Thanks

 

[judge]

The last set I did, the orings went in a grove inside the nut first. Then screwed onto the shaft. The orings were not visible when complete.

 

[Pastel Blue]

Tried that Judge initially... They were much to big to even attempt to squeeze them in. As luck would have it, NPD sent me two supposedly the same shafts. The packaging and their product # looked the same, but the shafts had some differences. The seal, was new and imo, improved and actually covered over the top of the shaft, much better design. The other seal was the o-ring variety. Time will not allow me to send them back and get two matching, as I need to get these on the car so it can get rolling for paint finishing.

Just a heads up for others contemplating this job, get the one's with the seal that actually fits over the end of the shaft, encapsulating it.

 

[mustang7173]

Pastel Blue,

I did the shaft kit one time and it came apart on me. Not sure what I did wrong. It is possible for to just get new arms? I ask this due to possible fatigue of the metal in the upper control arms.

Checkout these upper control arms from http://opentrackerracing.com. They completely rebuild the shafts and weld a tab to keep the bushings from moving. I have a set on my 1973 Coupe along with the roller perches.

http://opentrackerracing.com/product/street-performance-upper-control-arms-1967-1973-mustang/

judge, thanks for the correct position of the o-rings!!

mustang7173

 

[Pastel Blue]

I am not sure how they will come apart if they are properly torqued down? I know in my case, the arms themselves are in perfect shape, no worries about fatigue. The shaft arm bushings, once centred are torqued to spec (25-35), greased properly etc. Obviously, the install to the shock towers to spec as well. maybe the units you bought were prone to failure regardless of a proper install or not.

 

[mustang7173]

Pastel Blue,

I think maybe I did not use a torque wrench on them at the time I installed them!. Anyway, keep us posted on your progress!

Thanks

mustang7173

 

[Pastel Blue]

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[Bill73Ragtop]

Make a note to check the end caps after a period of time. I rebuild mine back in the mid-90's since the car was low mileage and aside from surface rust, everything (aside from dried out seals and bushings) was in good shape. Fast forward to 10 years or so while I was changing out the front coils and found movement in the upper arm. Turns out (pun intended) the end caps had worked their way out and were only holding on by a few threads.

Since then I've learned quite a few folks tack weld the cap to hold it in place once they complete the rebuild. I would also recommend using a chisel to line mark the location of the cap on the shaft threads as well as painting a thin line of paint to easily observe changes. These days I always use a fine brush and mark essential cap and bolt locations so I can easily check for anything that has changed while doing periodical inspections.

 

[Pastel Blue]

Good advice! I did mark them for future reference. the car will not be driven extensively, but I also like to keep an eye on my mechanicals over time. I am hesitant to tack weld in case changes have to be made. It does come down to good maintenance and keeping an eye one the 'ole girl...

 

[tony-muscle]

This thread is handy since I am at the point where I need to decide if I want to either replace the bushing kit or the whole arm. So I have couple questions:

-When I look at bushing kits they have them for OEM arms and for replacement arms. Then, how do I know if I have the OEM arms? I guess I need to get under there and try to find a Ford part.

-If I decide to replace them, the price range for this things is huge. The Scott Drake and Dynacorns are in the $50-$70 range while the other more "sophisticated" brands are in the $200+ range.

As you can see, I don't know what to do. If I keep the old ones I would like to replace the bushings and the ball joint.

 

[Stanglover]

This thread is handy since I am at the point where I need to decide if I want to either replace the bushing kit or the whole arm. So I have couple questions:

-When I look at bushing kits they have them for OEM arms and for replacement arms. Then, how do I know if I have the OEM arms? I guess I need to get under there and try to find a Ford part.

-If I decide to replace them, the price range for this things is huge. The Scott Drake and Dynacorns are in the $50-$70 range while the other more "sophisticated" brands are in the $200+ range.

As you can see, I don't know what to do. If I keep the old ones I would like to replace the bushings and the ball joint.

Throwing in my 2 cents worth again! I just recently did my entire front suspension. My original thought was to rebuild my original upper arms. As my 71 Mach 1 was pretty much untouched when I got it, it was fairly safe to assume they were the original factory parts. I was unable to find Ford numbers anywhere, but they could have been easily missed even after a good scrubbing. To me, these are just replacement parts. The lowers certainly are as the lower ball joint is not replaceable, or at least I was not able to locate any replacement lower ball joints, so I figure they are just sold as a complete replacement item. Reproductions are cheap, good and far less hassle so why bother if they don't count in the "Numbers Matching" scheme of things. I suppose the purist concours type might think it worth the time and added expense, but for a weekend driver, not so much.

 

[tony-muscle]

I am not concerned about numbers matching. I just don't want to buy replacement parts that will break a year down the road. In my case I am leaning towards complete replacement since I am already doing that for most suspension/steering/brake components.

I am reading about the Scott Drakes and Dynacorn with mix reviews. Are these reliable and as strong as the OEM?

What about the Open Track Racing ones suggested here? anyone else using these? The OTR's are a little more, but not that expensive. Are they worth it?

This thread is handy since I am at the point where I need to decide if I want to either replace the bushing kit or the whole arm. So I have couple questions:

-When I look at bushing kits they have them for OEM arms and for replacement arms. Then, how do I know if I have the OEM arms? I guess I need to get under there and try to find a Ford part.

-If I decide to replace them, the price range for this things is huge. The Scott Drake and Dynacorns are in the $50-$70 range while the other more "sophisticated" brands are in the $200+ range.

As you can see, I don't know what to do. If I keep the old ones I would like to replace the bushings and the ball joint.

Throwing in my 2 cents worth again! I just recently did my entire front suspension. My original thought was to rebuild my original upper arms. As my 71 Mach 1 was pretty much untouched when I got it, it was fairly safe to assume they were the original factory parts. I was unable to find Ford numbers anywhere, but they could have been easily missed even after a good scrubbing. To me, these are just replacement parts. The lowers certainly are as the lower ball joint is not replaceable, or at least I was not able to locate any replacement lower ball joints, so I figure they are just sold as a complete replacement item. Reproductions are cheap, good and far less hassle so why bother if they don't count in the "Numbers Matching" scheme of things. I suppose the purist concours type might think it worth the time and added expense, but for a weekend driver, not so much.

 

[Pastel Blue]

This thread is handy since I am at the point where I need to decide if I want to either replace the bushing kit or the whole arm. So I have couple questions:

-When I look at bushing kits they have them for OEM arms and for replacement arms. Then, how do I know if I have the OEM arms? I guess I need to get under there and try to find a Ford part.

-If I decide to replace them, the price range for this things is huge. The Scott Drake and Dynacorns are in the $50-$70 range while the other more "sophisticated" brands are in the $200+ range.

As you can see, I don't know what to do. If I keep the old ones I would like to replace the bushings and the ball joint.

Throwing in my 2 cents worth again! I just recently did my entire front suspension. My original thought was to rebuild my original upper arms. As my 71 Mach 1 was pretty much untouched when I got it, it was fairly safe to assume they were the original factory parts. I was unable to find Ford numbers anywhere, but they could have been easily missed even after a good scrubbing. To me, these are just replacement parts. The lowers certainly are as the lower ball joint is not replaceable, or at least I was not able to locate any replacement lower ball joints, so I figure they are just sold as a complete replacement item. Reproductions are cheap, good and far less hassle so why bother if they don't count in the "Numbers Matching" scheme of things. I suppose the purist concours type might think it worth the time and added expense, but for a weekend driver, not so much.

I reused my control arms as original is important to me where I can maintain them as such. It is much easier just to buy a replacement control arm, upper or lower if you are not concerned with originality. You can replace the ball joints on lower control arms, but they are difficult to locate. there is a lot of work with the upper control arms if you are going to reuse them.

 

[Stanglover]

This thread is handy since I am at the point where I need to decide if I want to either replace the bushing kit or the whole arm. So I have couple questions:

-When I look at bushing kits they have them for OEM arms and for replacement arms. Then, how do I know if I have the OEM arms? I guess I need to get under there and try to find a Ford part.

-If I decide to replace them, the price range for this things is huge. The Scott Drake and Dynacorns are in the $50-$70 range while the other more "sophisticated" brands are in the $200+ range.

As you can see, I don't know what to do. If I keep the old ones I would like to replace the bushings and the ball joint.

Throwing in my 2 cents worth again! I just recently did my entire front suspension. My original thought was to rebuild my original upper arms. As my 71 Mach 1 was pretty much untouched when I got it, it was fairly safe to assume they were the original factory parts. I was unable to find Ford numbers anywhere, but they could have been easily missed even after a good scrubbing. To me, these are just replacement parts. The lowers certainly are as the lower ball joint is not replaceable, or at least I was not able to locate any replacement lower ball joints, so I figure they are just sold as a complete replacement item. Reproductions are cheap, good and far less hassle so why bother if they don't count in the "Numbers Matching" scheme of things. I suppose the purist concours type might think it worth the time and added expense, but for a weekend driver, not so much.

I reused my control arms as original is important to me where I can maintain them as such. It is much easier just to buy a replacement control arm, upper or lower if you are not concerned with originality. You can replace the ball joints on lower control arms, but they are difficult to locate. there is a lot of work with the upper control arms if you are going to reuse them.

Well now, I guess time will tell if the Scott Drake ones I used are as good as original. They certainly look the part, same gauge steel and no problem fitting them. Yes I am concerned with quality and should a person wish to rebuild the originals, more power to him. It's a choice after all and we have to make decisions based on information presented.

 

[Pastel Blue]

Not sure where you are going with this? Apples and oranges here, original vs aftermarket and yes, to each his own. If someone is doing a concourse restoration like I am, then they will look to reuse original parts where possible, hence, rebuilding my original control arms. For daily drivers, Some of the aftermarket stuff is good, do your research and make the best decision for your situation.

 

[Stanglover]

Not sure where you are going with this? Apples and oranges here, original vs aftermarket and yes, to each his own. If someone is doing a concourse restoration like I am, then they will look to reuse original parts where possible, hence, rebuilding my original control arms. For daily drivers, Some of the aftermarket stuff is good, do your research and make the best decision for your situation.

I guess I must have missed that you are doing a concourse restoration. In that case I would agree, repair and use as much as possible even if it just for your satisfaction knowing it is still all original.

In my case, although my car is still mostly original in so much as it is a numbers car, I needed upgrade much of it for safety and drivability. Beside I don't have the cash to go that route. Concourse gets expensive. Good luck with it, I'm sure it will be awesome when done.

Geoff.

 

[tony-muscle]

Since I may be going the complete replacement route I would have a pair of Moog ball joints available for sale if anyone is interested.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MOG-K8142

Also, another question, does anyone knows what is the deal with these UCAs that have a dual tone paint on them?