BraMas

So he is referring to the part that the Outer Tie rod connects to?

cliffyk

Yup, that is the steering arm. It's cast as an integral part of the spindle, but it's the steering arm nonetheless.

BraMas

ya I've always called that the knuckle becauase that part serves more than one function.I was over thinking again

cliffyk

Yeah, that's a common term for the assembly, on the earlier Mustangs and on many cars it is an assembly, as the steering arm bolts on to the spindle casting.

wishIcould

For some reason i'm not seeing any picture, but i found the car on craigslist a couple days before i left for a week so i haven't had a chance to actually see the car in person. I suppose what the seller calls a steering arm could be some random part in there. haha

cliffyk

Or, he could be referring to the steering arm--which is an actual part...

wishIcould

I'm guessing most likely that is what it is. but probably still a good idea to make sure.

jjandascog

This has been a fun post to follow but here ya go:

Mustangs have never had a steering arm, they have always had what is called a "Front Spindle Assembly" or shortened to "Front Spindle". The term steering arm does reffer to a seperate piece that bolts to the spindle or knuckle and is mostly used in large trucks, 18 wheelers, farm tractors and the such. On those vehicles there is a Steering Arm, Steering Knucle, and Front Spindle, three seperate parts bolted together.
In the ford parts cataluge there is no part called steering arm, in the ford manual there is also no such part, it is a front spindle.

Not that ot really maters anyway

BraMas

tomato, tomahto
And I thought I was over thinking this thread. way to take it to whole new level

cliffyk

I agree that there is no individual component called "steering arm", however the spindle "assembly", which although a single casting, does have a projection to which the tie rod connects. And which projection translates the linear and lateral motion of the tie rod into a rotary motion of the spindle about the strut and ball joint, so that the vehicle might be directed as desired--aka "steered".

Common engineering terminology that dates back to James Watt and beyond refers to such an appendage as an "arm", I doubt you could find an engineer that when pressed to apply a label to that part of the spindle casting would have any other term for it--hence it IS a steering arm.

As you have said it is not a separate part, I said that several times above, meaning of course that it will not appear as such in a parts catalog.

It remains however quite functionally and generally identified as the steering arm--and if it were bent I suspect any competent mechanic would report the damage as being a "bent steering arm".

No Mustang has ever had "rims" either, and there is no such listing in the parts catalog--but many, many people call the wheels, which do have "rims", (and hubs and discs/spokes) just that...