Upper and lower control arm...
06-01-2013, 06:27 AM
#2
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: TX
Posts: 680
Aftermarket parts are almost always better than OEM, especially where suspension is concerned. For one thing, the OEM parts are non-adjustable. This means that if you lower your car you can no means of restoring the suspension's geometry (or pinion angle).
Further, the brackets used by the factory (like the UCA and the panhard bar brace) are merely stamped steel, and simply aren't as strong as plate steel brackets that are comprised of welded parts.
All that being said, if you drive your car normally, and don't lower it, you should be fine, because that's the kind of use the OEM parts are designed to support.
Now, if you DO lower your car more than 1.5 inches in the back, you're probably going to need to change out both the upper and lower control arms to adjustable arms.
The upper control arm is used to adjust pinion angle. The lower control arms, when combined with relocation brackets, are used to reduce/eliminate wheel hop.
When you start changing the suspension, you tend to induce NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness). There's really not much you can do about this other than turn your stereo up.
"Better" Mods
Before you start modding, you should establish what you want to use the car for, and what you want it to look like. After you've done that, write down the mods you need to make in the order you need to make them. Since this is probably going to be a street car, you can pretty much ignore watts links and $2500 front brake systems. (If you're trying to build a race car, weight reduction, and reliability are just as important as go-fast stuff.)
Adding window tint ($350), lowering (springs, shocks, caster/camber plates) ($900), and wheels/tires ($1500 minimum) will probably do the most for you right up front. After that, upgrading to GT front brakes would be a good idea and is relatively inexpensive if you use takeoff parts from Roush ($125 for a set of rotors and calipers). You'll need at least 18-inch wheels to use the standard GT front brakes.
At this point, you've spent about $3k (if you install the stuff yourself), and you've cot a car that takes a set better in corners, and stops a little better because of the larger GT front brakes. What you do after this depends on how far you want to take it, and what you're building the car for.
There are so many things you can do that it truly boggles the mind. We haven't even touched on exhaust, gears, CAIs, tuners, and actual go-fast mods yet.
The whole point of all of this is that "better" is completely dependent on the person who's doing the mods, and that's why it's so important to do research and plan your mods before spending any money. If you're short on cash, you can always check craigs list (or various mustang want-ads forums) for deals on used parts (brakes, exhaust, wheels/tires, etc), but approach used parts carefully. Some folks have NO IDEA what their parts will fit, and will list anything that "sounds right".
Once again - RESEARCH and due diligence are the keystones of making wise mod choices. Don't look at each mod as a stand-alone process, because it will affect the whole car, and future mods will be determined by what you do earlier. Make a plan and stick to it.
Further, the brackets used by the factory (like the UCA and the panhard bar brace) are merely stamped steel, and simply aren't as strong as plate steel brackets that are comprised of welded parts.
All that being said, if you drive your car normally, and don't lower it, you should be fine, because that's the kind of use the OEM parts are designed to support.
Now, if you DO lower your car more than 1.5 inches in the back, you're probably going to need to change out both the upper and lower control arms to adjustable arms.
The upper control arm is used to adjust pinion angle. The lower control arms, when combined with relocation brackets, are used to reduce/eliminate wheel hop.
When you start changing the suspension, you tend to induce NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness). There's really not much you can do about this other than turn your stereo up.
"Better" Mods
Before you start modding, you should establish what you want to use the car for, and what you want it to look like. After you've done that, write down the mods you need to make in the order you need to make them. Since this is probably going to be a street car, you can pretty much ignore watts links and $2500 front brake systems. (If you're trying to build a race car, weight reduction, and reliability are just as important as go-fast stuff.)
Adding window tint ($350), lowering (springs, shocks, caster/camber plates) ($900), and wheels/tires ($1500 minimum) will probably do the most for you right up front. After that, upgrading to GT front brakes would be a good idea and is relatively inexpensive if you use takeoff parts from Roush ($125 for a set of rotors and calipers). You'll need at least 18-inch wheels to use the standard GT front brakes.
At this point, you've spent about $3k (if you install the stuff yourself), and you've cot a car that takes a set better in corners, and stops a little better because of the larger GT front brakes. What you do after this depends on how far you want to take it, and what you're building the car for.
There are so many things you can do that it truly boggles the mind. We haven't even touched on exhaust, gears, CAIs, tuners, and actual go-fast mods yet.
The whole point of all of this is that "better" is completely dependent on the person who's doing the mods, and that's why it's so important to do research and plan your mods before spending any money. If you're short on cash, you can always check craigs list (or various mustang want-ads forums) for deals on used parts (brakes, exhaust, wheels/tires, etc), but approach used parts carefully. Some folks have NO IDEA what their parts will fit, and will list anything that "sounds right".
Once again - RESEARCH and due diligence are the keystones of making wise mod choices. Don't look at each mod as a stand-alone process, because it will affect the whole car, and future mods will be determined by what you do earlier. Make a plan and stick to it.
06-01-2013, 09:11 PM
#3
Aftermarket parts are almost always better than OEM, especially where suspension is concerned. For one thing, the OEM parts are non-adjustable. This means that if you lower your car you can no means of restoring the suspension's geometry (or pinion angle).
Further, the brackets used by the factory (like the UCA and the panhard bar brace) are merely stamped steel, and simply aren't as strong as plate steel brackets that are comprised of welded parts.
All that being said, if you drive your car normally, and don't lower it, you should be fine, because that's the kind of use the OEM parts are designed to support.
Now, if you DO lower your car more than 1.5 inches in the back, you're probably going to need to change out both the upper and lower control arms to adjustable arms.
The upper control arm is used to adjust pinion angle. The lower control arms, when combined with relocation brackets, are used to reduce/eliminate wheel hop.
When you start changing the suspension, you tend to induce NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness). There's really not much you can do about this other than turn your stereo up.
"Better" Mods
Before you start modding, you should establish what you want to use the car for, and what you want it to look like. After you've done that, write down the mods you need to make in the order you need to make them. Since this is probably going to be a street car, you can pretty much ignore watts links and $2500 front brake systems. (If you're trying to build a race car, weight reduction, and reliability are just as important as go-fast stuff.)
Adding window tint ($350), lowering (springs, shocks, caster/camber plates) ($900), and wheels/tires ($1500 minimum) will probably do the most for you right up front. After that, upgrading to GT front brakes would be a good idea and is relatively inexpensive if you use takeoff parts from Roush ($125 for a set of rotors and calipers). You'll need at least 18-inch wheels to use the standard GT front brakes.
At this point, you've spent about $3k (if you install the stuff yourself), and you've cot a car that takes a set better in corners, and stops a little better because of the larger GT front brakes. What you do after this depends on how far you want to take it, and what you're building the car for.
There are so many things you can do that it truly boggles the mind. We haven't even touched on exhaust, gears, CAIs, tuners, and actual go-fast mods yet.
The whole point of all of this is that "better" is completely dependent on the person who's doing the mods, and that's why it's so important to do research and plan your mods before spending any money. If you're short on cash, you can always check craigs list (or various mustang want-ads forums) for deals on used parts (brakes, exhaust, wheels/tires, etc), but approach used parts carefully. Some folks have NO IDEA what their parts will fit, and will list anything that "sounds right".
Once again - RESEARCH and due diligence are the keystones of making wise mod choices. Don't look at each mod as a stand-alone process, because it will affect the whole car, and future mods will be determined by what you do earlier. Make a plan and stick to it.
Further, the brackets used by the factory (like the UCA and the panhard bar brace) are merely stamped steel, and simply aren't as strong as plate steel brackets that are comprised of welded parts.
All that being said, if you drive your car normally, and don't lower it, you should be fine, because that's the kind of use the OEM parts are designed to support.
Now, if you DO lower your car more than 1.5 inches in the back, you're probably going to need to change out both the upper and lower control arms to adjustable arms.
The upper control arm is used to adjust pinion angle. The lower control arms, when combined with relocation brackets, are used to reduce/eliminate wheel hop.
When you start changing the suspension, you tend to induce NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness). There's really not much you can do about this other than turn your stereo up.
"Better" Mods
Before you start modding, you should establish what you want to use the car for, and what you want it to look like. After you've done that, write down the mods you need to make in the order you need to make them. Since this is probably going to be a street car, you can pretty much ignore watts links and $2500 front brake systems. (If you're trying to build a race car, weight reduction, and reliability are just as important as go-fast stuff.)
Adding window tint ($350), lowering (springs, shocks, caster/camber plates) ($900), and wheels/tires ($1500 minimum) will probably do the most for you right up front. After that, upgrading to GT front brakes would be a good idea and is relatively inexpensive if you use takeoff parts from Roush ($125 for a set of rotors and calipers). You'll need at least 18-inch wheels to use the standard GT front brakes.
At this point, you've spent about $3k (if you install the stuff yourself), and you've cot a car that takes a set better in corners, and stops a little better because of the larger GT front brakes. What you do after this depends on how far you want to take it, and what you're building the car for.
There are so many things you can do that it truly boggles the mind. We haven't even touched on exhaust, gears, CAIs, tuners, and actual go-fast mods yet.
The whole point of all of this is that "better" is completely dependent on the person who's doing the mods, and that's why it's so important to do research and plan your mods before spending any money. If you're short on cash, you can always check craigs list (or various mustang want-ads forums) for deals on used parts (brakes, exhaust, wheels/tires, etc), but approach used parts carefully. Some folks have NO IDEA what their parts will fit, and will list anything that "sounds right".
Once again - RESEARCH and due diligence are the keystones of making wise mod choices. Don't look at each mod as a stand-alone process, because it will affect the whole car, and future mods will be determined by what you do earlier. Make a plan and stick to it.
06-04-2013, 01:31 PM
#4
In my opinion, the stock control arms are horrible, and they should replaced asap! Especially with a manual transmission, which seems to wheel hop more.
Here's what I'm running on my car.
http://www.uprproducts.com/mustang-c...ackage-11.html
It has more traction in a straight line AND in the corners with these control arms.
Here's what I'm running on my car.
http://www.uprproducts.com/mustang-c...ackage-11.html
It has more traction in a straight line AND in the corners with these control arms.
06-04-2013, 05:11 PM
#5
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lynchburg, VA
Posts: 1,898
My dad (and I will be soon) is currently running UPR upper and lower control arms. He has yet to test the lowers, but he is currently the fastest n/a 3.7 mustang in the country (and further beyond for what we know).....
If you do decide to upgrade, I would definitely go with UPR. If you don't do a lot of racing at the strip, or in general, the suspension would not be the first place to spend mod-money.
If you do decide to upgrade, I would definitely go with UPR. If you don't do a lot of racing at the strip, or in general, the suspension would not be the first place to spend mod-money.
06-05-2013, 06:54 AM
#6
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: TX
Posts: 680
If your car can't handle the speed, there's no point in making it go faster.
06-05-2013, 04:31 PM
#8
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lynchburg, VA
Posts: 1,898
Suspension (and brakes) upgrades are just as valid on a street car as they are on a race car. Precision in steering and predictable cornering/stopping are always desirable, and any improvement over OEM is worthwhile.
If your car can't handle the speed, there's no point in making it go faster.
If your car can't handle the speed, there's no point in making it go faster.
06-06-2013, 05:59 AM
#9
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: TX
Posts: 680
I disagree. If it changes the way the car reacts to steering, acceleration, or deceleration inputs, it's a handling mod. Even relocating the battery to the trunk is a handling mod, and that has nothing at all to do with changing suspension components.
06-06-2013, 08:37 AM
#10
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Lynchburg, VA
Posts: 1,898
I was just answering the op's question, not trying to swap opinions. He asked about lca/uca. I have yet to hear of anyone start with these components to improve handling, street car or not.
While you are correct in every way technically, you're not exactly helping the op by conversing with me (not arguing) about whether or not the mod in question is a handling mod.
If the car is primarily street-driven with occasional rides through the twisties, a lca/uca replacement would not be the first place to start.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post