bigmackloud

My master plan is to do a panhard bar, torque arm, LCA setup for the rear of my Mustang. For the moment though, I want to start with the lower control arms. There are a lot of options out there and I'm just trying to figure out which features are most important for my application.

Usage: Primarily a DD street beast. Occasional usage at the drag strip and/or track.

Fixed length vs adjustable length?? Adjustable length seems like a benefit to be able to dial in pinion angle. How much does a change in pinion angle effect traction? Do most torque arm setups allow you to adjust pinion angle?

Ride height adjustability?? My Mustang has Steeda lowering springs and I can fit the tires I like (315/35/18) at the moment. Any other benefits come from being able to adjust rear ride height aside from fitting a different size tire??

Bushings vs spherical bearings?? The MM race LCA's are the only ones I've seen that have spherical bearings at both ends. Many others only use a spherical bearing at one end and a bushing at the other. How big of a consideration is that?

Sway bar mount: Since I would like to do more than go in a straight line with my Mustang I think it would be advantageous to keep my rear sway bar.

Thanks for the input.

Jazzer The Cat

Excellent start, my man


I like adjustable ones, but not for the reasons mentioned. The adjustablity of the LCA would benifit you in centering your axle as it can be pushed back a bit during the lowering process. If you go toque arm, you will fix your pinion angle and will not be an issue anyway. At this point, the UCA's become obsolete and need to be removed.

This is a good job for coil-overs. You will have wonderful control of hight as well as corner weighting if you go really hardcore I would think you will have some trouble running your current tire being lowered, you don't? I run a 30 series and have pretty much zero clearance left at about a 2" drop. You may have to go 17" wheel to stick with a 35 series tire.

HUGE, IMO

The spherical bushings, however, are only needed on one end and prefer it to be on the torque box end. The spherical (Heim joint) end will allow proper articulation of the axle and will eliminate 100% of the bind if you also go PHB/Torque-arm combo. This WILL increase NVH, but I consider it a fair trade for the way in which these items increase your corner response.

Well, now you throw me a loop All this time I was thinkin' you want to go for a nice twisty run, now I am all depressed.. where the hell do I keep my razor blades....??? ...huhumm.... nevermind, where were we???

The above items will be just fine for the 1/4, but are more benificial to the DD beast described in the first paragraph. I run a stock rear sway and do not need anything heavier.

Forgot to mention if you have sub-frame connectors? This is a MUST if you are going to do the above. I recommend some full-length MM ones and be welded in place.

HTH

Jazzer

bigmackloud

Thanks for the thorough reply. Exactly the type of response I was looking for.

Typo - 315/30/18 fit ok lowered.

Now I'm confused... the rear sway will be advantageous for cornering correct? That's why I mentioned the importance of the LCA's having the sway bar mount. I definitely want to be able to handle the twistys.

I do already have full length welded subframe connectors.

So... taking all of the above into consideration... UPR makes a set of adjustable length, fixed ride height LCAs with a spherical bearing at one end and a bushing at the other, and they retain the sway bar mount. $200.

Your thoughts?

IndustrialMechanic

Rear swaybar - yes, good for corner carving

I assume your looking at these: http://www.uprproducts.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=367

Not positive but I think they use solid polyurethane bushings...I would go for some with a 3-piece bushing if I was going that route. The MM arms I run have spherical bearing on axle end and 3-piece urethane on chassis side. The inner part of the bushing is harder to stabilize for fore and aft movement and the outer bushings are softer urethane to allow more articulation over a solid bushing. Less chance of chassis bind.
I would have got a spherical bearing on both ends but I picked these up cheap.

bigmackloud

yea, those are the ones I was looking at. The adjustable end looks like it has a spherical bearing but I could be wrong. Anyone know for sure? If I get a chance, I'll call and ask them tomorrow.

califas_1987

Great info guys! I motion it be added to tws1098's noob sticky

Jazzer The Cat

Bigmac... Good to hear that was a type-0 on your mentioned tire size

Yes.... I recommend the LCA's with a sway bar mount and the ones linked in IndustrialMechanic's post:


Thes are EXACTLY the ones to which I was referring, and recommend them for you. With the GR-40/SLA suspension I run, I have only the stock rear sway-bar and is perfectly fine (maybe I wasn't clear no that point, sorry).

As to the MM LCA's IndustrialMechanic mentioned (without any offence intended, of course ), I would NOT do that particular set as they are described. It is certainly important to have a spherical end on the LCA, but MUCH prefer it on the torque-box end of it. Even though the bushing end is a bit more flexable, the sway-bar will torque somewhat on the LCA's themselves with that design. I want my LCA's to ALWAYS be "square" with the axle as it is the one that is articulating. Hard to describe, but picture the axle articulating and see what would happen if the spherical end were on the axle and NOT on the torque-box. This movement would "fight" the sway bar as it mounts to the LCA's and think this is a bad thing. The sway bar is always going to move with the axle and want them on the same "plane". If the axle were to articulate (along with sway bar, of course) the actual mounting surface of sway bar as it meets the LCA would need to articulate as well so the sway bar bolts don't get strained. Am I making sense here? I am sure there is a MUCH better way to explain, but cannot find it at the moment

Let me know if you figure out what the hell I'm talkin' 'bout

Jazzer

IndustrialMechanic

None taken. Price was too good to pass up..