My upper control arms are flexing and bushings ripped...Good Uppers?

Pokageek · Jul 5, 2009

What are some good inexpensive uppers with poly bushings that DONT create noise. The last thing I need is more drive-ability and noise issues with my car. Also, what was the binding issues people were having that were so bad about the Uppers? Peeps were saying dont get uppers.

EDIT, what do uppers really do for you? Also I have a banging noise when I turn to the right and gear resonance. My shop thinks its the upper bushings so worn out that the metal is resonating the rear noise.

How about these?

uppers

earleys94gt · Jul 5, 2009

I'd say those Steeda one's would be just fine.

Steeda is one of, if not the best, company working with Ford to create performance parts that fit like stock, but perform better.

The only other one's I would suggest would be the Ford Racing pieces. They are pretty much like the stockers, but with better bushings I think??

I believe the binding issue you are speaking of pertains to aftermarket uppers not allowing the rear axle to rebound to its original position after it moves up or down. IIRC, a panhard bar can fix the issue pretty cost effectively.

Pokageek · Jul 5, 2009

Thanks for the feedback man.

R.J. · Jul 5, 2009

Maximum Motorsports recommends new stock uppers for any street driven 4 link combo. It's on their website.

Adam95GT · Jul 5, 2009

R.J. said:
Maximum Motorsports recommends new stock uppers for any street driven 4 link combo. It's on their website.

Exactly noone runs uppers

Pokageek · Jul 5, 2009

Adam95GT said:
Exactly noone runs uppers

Ummmmmmmm.. MM is dead wrong. That's exactly what I did lol. I put new stock uppers on it. My torque ripped them stock ones and them bushings a new one!

Now when I bear left at any turn, the rear resonance is so loud it can be distractingly heard by anyone outside and sounds like a junker. The stock bushings are all torn up.

earleys94gt · Jul 5, 2009

94 GT Vert, 414 c.i. rwhp 450+

Stockers won't work

Killercanary · Jul 5, 2009

Invest in a torque arm or a three link. Stiff bushings in the upper WILL cause binding. The upper and lower arms are different lengths and they are not parallel, so when the rear atriculates this unparallel unequal length setup binds, stiffer bushings make this worse.

Are you still running the panhard bar?

S351Saleen77 · Jul 6, 2009

On #58 I just put some J&M rear uppers and lowers. They have a 3 piece bushing. The center is like a ball and the outer 2 are cups so it pivots and does not bind! They are also a sponsor on Stangnet. You can also get them in Red powdercoat for the same price.
I have a Griggs HD torque arm with no uppers on one of my cars, and yeah it works great but not every one has the money for that.

On the lowers I got the ones with the spherical on the axle end and the 3 piece poly ball bushings on the chassis end.

Check out the link on the degrees of rotation how on a 2 piece poly bushing it would snap the bolt from binding but with the J&M is only applied 42 ft lbs of torque on the bolt. (They show this on the lower arm link, so I posted it first)

Here is shows the lower arms,
Rear Lower Control Arms

Here are the uppers
1979-2004 Mustang Street Upper Control Arm (patent pending poly-ball bushings)

"We built a fixture which simulated a factory control arm mounting and tested how much force was needed to make the control arm articulate (twist) in those mounts and the results where astounding.

Poly-Ball Bushings:

5 degrees of total rotation = 26.1 foot/pounds of torque

7.5 degrees of total rotation = 35.8 foot/pounds of torque

10 degrees of total rotation = 41.7 foot/pounds of torque

Standard 2 piece setup using only 85 durometer bushings:

5 degrees of total rotation = 124.7 foot/pounds of torque

7.5 degrees of total rotation = 156.4 foot/pounds of torque

10 degrees of total rotation = not measurable with fixture. The 1/2" grade 8 bolt twisted in half at 9.2 degrees which was 210 foot/pounds of torque.

"

Dino Dino Bambino · Jul 6, 2009

I have Maximum Motorsports lowers and just recently installed Edelbrock adjustable uppers. The lowers have spherical bearings at the axle end and urethane bushings at the chassis end while on the uppers it's the reverse. With all 4 control arms able to allow the rear axle to pivot, there's virtually no bind and the car sticks to the road like glue during hard cornering without lifting an inside wheel.

Pokageek · Jul 6, 2009

Killercanary said:
Invest in a torque arm or a three link. Stiff bushings in the upper WILL cause binding. The upper and lower arms are different lengths and they are not parallel, so when the rear atriculates this unparallel unequal length setup binds, stiffer bushings make this worse.

Are you still running the panhard bar?

No I sold the PB. Paul, I do not have dumby LCA's on the bottom, I have adj with spherical bearings. The uppers I am considering are also adjustable..I think with the bearings too.

"I have Maximum Motorsports lowers and just recently installed Edelbrock adjustable uppers. The lowers have spherical bearings at the axle end and urethane bushings at the chassis end while on the uppers it's the reverse. With all 4 control arms able to allow the rear axle to pivot, there's virtually no bind and the car sticks to the road like glue during hard cornering without lifting an inside wheel." Thanks Bullet.

S351Saleen77 great info.

Stopsign32v · Jul 6, 2009

Ford racing

S351Saleen77 · Jul 6, 2009

Yeah the main thing is to NOT use 2 piece poly bushings because of the bind, unless it's a drag only car and you are not cornering it. It's amazing how much bind they have... very hard on the torque box's.
The Maximum Motorsports lowers work great also they are not a 2 piece so they don't bind either, they just don't make uppers.

I put in new Ford bushings on the axle end for the uppers using a MM bushing replacement tool, Ford sells a kit with the 2 axle bushings and a bottle of friction modifier, it's cheaper than buying the 2 bushings seperate? Go figure? I also didn't want spherical bushings on the chassis side because I wanted a good ride and didn't want to take the chance of more harshness.

With the Bilstein HD's this thing rides awesome.

Here is a pic of what I put on, reusing the Saleen springs.

Pokageek · Jul 6, 2009

Nice. BTW new time bullet? "13.46@104.5" and an auto at that!

revhead347 · Jul 6, 2009

Those heavy duty uppers from Steeda are pretty good, that's what I run. All it is, is a stock control arm with a plate welded on the bottom. It would be easy to do yourself, but the reality is that the bushings alone cost as much as those control arms do. The one thing I did to make them a little stronger, is to weld washers around the bolt hole. This doubles the thickness of the metal, and keeps the holes from augering out, which is a common problem with stock as well as a lot of aftermarket control arms. If you choose to do this, you will need to go to Ford and get 2 control arm bolts for the front control arms. The stock rear bolts aren't long enough once you have the added thickness of the washers.

Kurt

Pokageek · Jul 6, 2009

revhead347 said:
Those heavy duty uppers from Steeda are pretty good, that's what I run. All it is, is a stock control arm with a plate welded on the bottom. It would be easy to do yourself, but the reality is that the bushings alone cost as much as those control arms do. The one thing I did to make them a little stronger, is to weld washers around the bolt hole. This doubles the thickness of the metal, and keeps the holes from augering out, which is a common problem with stock as well as a lot of aftermarket control arms. If you choose to do this, you will need to go to Ford and get 2 control arm bolts for the front control arms. The stock rear bolts aren't long enough once you have the added thickness of the washers.

Kurt

Good info Kurt. My main concern with those MM's is binding tho. My car is lowered AND has adj lowers on it - so that means the tradgectory is off. I think I am going with the adj uppers.

Daves94vert · Jul 6, 2009

I've been running my steedas for over 10 years with no probs.

Dino Dino Bambino · Jul 7, 2009

Pokageek said:
Nice. BTW new time bullet? "13.46@104.5" and an auto at that!

That's right and I kept overdrive off during the whole run. By the end of the 1/4 mile my tach was at 5500rpm and I was sh**ting bricks praying for my stock torque converter to stay together. That run was with my recently installed Edelbrock Performer intake and I also gained 15rwhp/7rwtq on the dyno compared to the stock intake. Previous time was 13.66@102.8.
Weight reduction of 111lb together with a replacement 4R70W, Transgo HD2, aluminium driveshaft, 3.73, MM LCA's, and Edelbrock UCA's helps some. I'm looking for a higher rpm stall torque converter as my next mod 'cause I feel the stock unit (2200rpm stall) is holding back the launch. I have good traction.

Pokageek · Jul 7, 2009

Bullitt95 said:
That's right and I kept overdrive off during the whole run. By the end of the 1/4 mile my tach was at 5500rpm and I was sh**ting bricks praying for my stock torque converter to stay together. That run was with my recently installed Edelbrock Performer intake and I also gained 15rwhp/7rwtq on the dyno compared to the stock intake. Previous time was 13.66@102.8.
Weight reduction of 111lb together with a replacement 4R70W, Transgo HD2, aluminium driveshaft, 3.73, MM LCA's, and Edelbrock UCA's helps some. I'm looking for a higher rpm stall torque converter as my next mod 'cause I feel the stock unit (2200rpm stall) is holding back the launch. I have good traction.

You could leave that car the way it is and be very happy. Don't get too caught up in HP #'s. What I like about your set up is the totally efficient use of power. There's people with 300rwhp and stick that can barely hit that.

Dino Dino Bambino · Jul 8, 2009

Pokageek said:
You could leave that car the way it is and be very happy. Don't get too caught up in HP #'s. What I like about your set up is the totally efficient use of power. There's people with 300rwhp and stick that can barely hit that.

Yeah, I think I'll just enjoy it as it is. I've gotten where I am at relatively modest cost and I'm very happy with the way the car handles as well as the straight line speed. I think I've reached the point of diminishing returns with any future mods like heads ($1200 + gaskets/seals + $250 for 24lb injectors + $300 tune) and torque converter ($400 + installation cost), my tranny is nearly new, the torque converter was reconditioned less than 2 years ago, and the engine was rebuilt at the same time (blew a head gasket when the t'stat stuck closed so I ported/milled the heads and had new rings/bearings installed).

My upper control arms are flexing and bushings ripped...Good Uppers?

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The car that set the bar.

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