Mustang Monthly Homepage Mustang Monthly
Mustang Monthly

How To Relocate Upper Control Arms



Upper Control Arms Drill
Since our car already has the Blue Moon arms, our main task at Marlo's was to remove the upper arms and drill the relocation holes in the shock towers. Though a fairly basic task for a fully equipped suspension shop, it takes a few hours to remove the arms, drill the holes, put it all back together again, and align the front end. We began by removing the tower dust shields, as shown here. One person holds the nuts in place underhood while the bolts are removed from inside the fenderwell.		 Upper Control Arms Control Arms
Blue Moon's Control Freak upper control arms (center) incorporate the negative-wedge ball-joint angle into the arm. This means you can drill the holes in the shock tower and install the arms. Also shown is a set of Blue Moon's lower-front control arms. The installation of those was shown in our Nov. '05 issue.		 Upper Control Arms Wedge Kit
If you retain your car's stock upper control arms, they can be relocated. You'll need to install a negative-wedge kit, as shown here. This setup includes new ball joints and hardware, templates to properly locate the holes, and the wedge spacers themselves (center, near top). The spacers install between the ball joints and the arm to keep the ball joint from binding and possibly breaking once the arm is lowered in the shock tower. It also optimizes the camber curve. This kit is made by Pro Motorsports Engineering and is available at Marlo's Frame.
Upper Control Arms Unbolt
The shocks must be removed. Unbolt the three nuts at the top of the tower...		 Upper Control Arms Remove Bracket
...and remove the shock and its mounting bracket. Two nuts need to be removed on the bottom of the shock where it attaches to the spring perch.		 Upper Control Arms Springs
Since our car had shorter-than-stock springs in place, the springs were removed without a compressor. Marlo's compresses the spring by lifting on the lower control arm, then installs these clamps. When the jack is lowered, the clamps keep the spring compressed for safe removal. If your car has stock springs, you'll need a compressor.
Upper Control Arms Remove Nut
With the spring out, remove the nut that holds the upper arm to the spindle. Note here that the brake caliper and rotor have been removed for easier access to the suspension parts.		 Upper Control Arms Joint Spreader
A couple of small hits with a ball-joint spreader shocks the pieces apart, and the arm is easily separated from the spindle.		 Upper Control Arms Unbolt Tower
Next, the arm is removed by unbolting it from the shock tower. A helper needs to hold the nuts in place from underhood while the bolts are turned from inside the fender.
Prev  | 1  | 2  | 3  | Next
Discuss in Our Forums
Get Adobe Flash player
FREE, no-hassle price quotes on the new Mustang you’ve been looking for.

Related Photos

Upper Control Arms Old Holes Upper Control Arms Control Arms Upper Control Arms Wedge Kit
Upper Control Arms Drill

Related Articles

 
SVT Owners Association - Back On Track
After Three Years Of Uncertainty, The SVT Owners Association Has Been Reorganized Under The Leadership Of New Director Marcie Cipriani... more
 
1965 Ford Mustang GT350R Shelby & 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302 - Pony Tales
Exclusive Ford Mustang Stories, featuring a 1965 Ford Mustang GT350R Shelby, 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 302, and much More!... more
 
Atlantic Blue 1998 Ford Mustang Saleen Cobra - Only You...
Exclusive Atlantic Blue 1998 Ford Mustang Saleen Cobra, featuring a 4.6L DOHC Cobra V-8 engine, BFGoodrich Comp T/As, and More!... more
 
Electric Red '93 Sedan - Sanitary Sedan
We couldn't pass it up and, quite frankly, if we had, we might have been bludgeoned within an inch of our lives by nightfall. Three years in a row, the Electric Red '93 sedan of Tony and Jossie... more
 
Shorty Headers, Strut Brace And More - Late-Model Corral
Getting Ahead (er)I have an '89 GT and I just bought new equal-length shorty headers. Do you have any tips about removing and installing them, particularly the right side? Should I remove the... more
 
'73 Mach 1 Centerforce Clutch Setup - How-To
Hard clutch pedal. You groan every time you see a traffic light and your left leg looks like you've been working out with Ahnald and the boys at World Gym. You're constantly wondering why the clutch... more
 
1969 Shelby GT350 - Shelby Fever
"Ownership is not necessary . . . "... more
 
1966 Ford Mustang Convertible - Drive Time
Despite all the clichs about Southern California-sipping designer water, yakking on a cell phone in traffic, consuming chips and guacamole over margaritas, and signing on the freeway using a single... more
 
Supercharged 2003 Ford Mustang Roush 380R - R Is For Rip-Roaring
Roush's New 380R Ups The Ante For Supercharged Mustang Performance... more
 
1970 Ford Mustang Grabber Fastback Boss 302 - Grabber Blue Persuasion
John Wilgus' Trick Is Convincing People His '70 Grabber Fastback Is Not A Boss... more

 

Get Adobe Flash player

Car Research Guide