I am thinking about getting BBK's upper and lower control arms because I found them for cheap. I wanted to know if it would be ok/safe to run bbk's upper control arms with their urethane bushing on the chassis end with stock rubber bushings on the axle end? This will be for a 1994 cobra with stock engine, 3.73 gears and lowering springs.
Upper Control Arms...
- Thread starter sk8inrj1
- Start date
94Pro-5.0
Well-Known Member
everyone, and i really mean everyonbe says not to use aftermarket uppers, becasue they create inwanted binding, casuing stress to your torque boxes and floor pan. if you got a good deal on the arms, put on the lowers, sell the uppers, and buy FRPP uppers from ford, they are cheap. I have lakewood lowers and frpp uppers and my car has no binding. soon i plan to get steeda weight jackers though 
If you use the uppers you want to make sure that you weld up the torque boxes. They are just spot welded from the factory. I would also recommend you getting torque box reinforcements. Basically they are just steel plates that get welded into the torque box area. Will keep you from ripping torque boxes out.
I have heard and seen too many pictures of folks with stock motors and they put upper control arms and 2 launches on the strip and they rip out the torque box. Just not something that is worthwhile unless you are serious about racing.
Dalamar said:ya, cheap parts never pay off when you push it.
a correctly engineered suspension part should never bind.
Have you read the sticky in this forum - check it out and post up your input.
Yeah I have read the sticky. That's too much info for me. All I care about is going straight! :rollinglaugh: :rollinglaugh: :rollinglaugh:
Quoted from MM's site.....
"We performed extensive testing of rear upper control arm bushing materials during the development of our Panhard Bar. When retaining the original four-link suspension, the best compromise between resistance to suspension bind, best control of axle position, best ride quality, and least potential damage to the chassis, is to retain rubber bushings in the rear upper control arms. This is especially important when adding a Panhard Bar. The compliance of a rubber-bushed upper control arm is required when a Panhard bar is added to the Mustang four-link suspension."
"We performed extensive testing of rear upper control arm bushing materials during the development of our Panhard Bar. When retaining the original four-link suspension, the best compromise between resistance to suspension bind, best control of axle position, best ride quality, and least potential damage to the chassis, is to retain rubber bushings in the rear upper control arms. This is especially important when adding a Panhard Bar. The compliance of a rubber-bushed upper control arm is required when a Panhard bar is added to the Mustang four-link suspension."
Because it's a Cheap fix to the sloppy factory 4-link arms & bushings - but only good for going straight.
They cause bind because the 4-link suspension also moves in an arc as it moves up and down.
it's an old, flaw'd design from ford, and all mustangs have it up to 05, except the irs.
They cause bind because the 4-link suspension also moves in an arc as it moves up and down.
it's an old, flaw'd design from ford, and all mustangs have it up to 05, except the irs.
ANY aftermarket UCA is going to stress the torque boxes. They are just spot welded. You can strengthen them some by welding them up and then welding in torque box reinforcements. Unless you are going to be doing any serious or regular drag racing aftermarket UCA's are kind of pointless.
I've never seen that on the uppers.
It's kindof a twisting action, and I know MM has tested this and reocmmends the stock or ffrp arms for that reason.
there's more info on it on Mm's site and teh Mirros link in the sticky in this forum.
What's best is MM's LCA, BC their busings are better, and arms strong, then adding an external stabalizer, like a panhard or whatts.
or going to the 3-link, like I did.
but for most street drivers, LCA's and other upgrades are good enough. depends on how far you wanna go.
It's kindof a twisting action, and I know MM has tested this and reocmmends the stock or ffrp arms for that reason.
there's more info on it on Mm's site and teh Mirros link in the sticky in this forum.
What's best is MM's LCA, BC their busings are better, and arms strong, then adding an external stabalizer, like a panhard or whatts.
or going to the 3-link, like I did.
but for most street drivers, LCA's and other upgrades are good enough. depends on how far you wanna go.
