springs and uppercontrol arm shaft

4ford · Jan 10, 2012

Is there an easy way to remove the springs from a 66 mustang. and what is the right way to install the uppercontrol arm shaft.... I get noise from mine but if i loosen the caps a small amount it goes away. I think the arm is not centered??? I do have the iteral spring comp. but is there a better way???
Thank you 4 ford

65Rob · Jan 11, 2012

4ford said:
Is there an easy way to remove the springs from a 66 mustang. and what is the right way to install the uppercontrol arm shaft.... I get noise from mine but if i loosen the caps a small amount it goes away. I think the arm is not centered??? I do have the iteral spring comp. but is there a better way???
Thank you 4 ford

I asked the same question about the spring removal a while back, here's a link to the thread. I started with the internal finger type and ended up using the external type but it was sketchy as hell so I bought the type GT2+2 showed. I haven't used it yet, I'm in a full blown restoration so I haven't made it over to that side yet but it looks like the ticket. He mentioned you may be able to rent one, not likely where I am but you may have better luck.

http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/threads/spring-removal.849299/

BuckeyeDemon · Jan 11, 2012

i adjusted those nuts to allow for free movement, then welded the nuts to the upper control arm so they wouldn't come loose.

4ford · Jan 12, 2012

BuckeyeDemon said:
i adjusted those nuts to allow for free movement, then welded the nuts to the upper control arm so they wouldn't come loose.

well are they able to move ? I thought they should be locked up and the shaft would or should be centered in them???

BuckeyeDemon · Jan 12, 2012

4ford said:
well are they able to move ? I thought they should be locked up and the shaft would or should be centered in them???

what able to move? the nuts aren't going to move because i welded them. but i welded them in a position where there wasn't any binding in the shaft when moving the arm up and down. i believe this is a common modification.

you can see the welds in this picture. same thing on the nut on the other side.

2+2GT · Jan 13, 2012

Ford not only specifies that the shaft must be centered in the arm, but also specifies a dimension between the ends to assure that the caps have not been over or under tightened. I typically put a couple of welds on them too, I have seen what happens when they come loose. Rare, but scary.

4ford · Jan 15, 2012

BuckeyeDemon said:
what able to move? the nuts aren't going to move because i welded them. but i welded them in a position where there wasn't any binding in the shaft when moving the arm up and down. i believe this is a common modification.

you can see the welds in this picture. same thing on the nut on the other side.

I see that... So the shaft is free and centerd in the Caps... I also see what looks to be the spring seats have bearings. is this an good up grade have you found? I thought taking the springs out with the car on the ground. First take out out the shocks and top mount put in the inturnal spring comp and tighten up the compressor then jack up the car some of the work will be done do you agree?

BuckeyeDemon · Jan 15, 2012

4ford said:
I also see what looks to be the spring seats have bearings. is this an good up grade have you found?

i made those using a bearing kit. i personally struggle with believing they will make a noticeable improvement in performance. i'll never know if they make a performance difference either since i've never driven the car before or after the change.

many swear they work, but i sometimes wonder if it's because they paid $200 for them (or whatever they cost).

4ford said:
I thought taking the springs out with the car on the ground. First take out out the shocks and top mount put in the inturnal spring comp and tighten up the compressor then jack up the car some of the work will be done do you agree?

definitely undo the shocks with the suspension loaded.

2+2GT · Jan 16, 2012

I like to install front shock with the wheels on the ground. This allows using a socket wrench on the bottom nuts, vs. struggling for access with wrenches.

I wonder about the usefulness of the rollers on a device that only rotates a few degrees from fully compressed to fully extended. Perhaps the lack of the rubber insulator changes the "road feel" of the suspension.

horseballz · Jan 18, 2012

A small trick that many use is to justify the control arm on the shaft to the rear 1/16"-1/8" by threading the shaft forward 1/2-1 full turn. What this accomplishes is to give you a bit more positive caster while minimizing the difference of shimming on the front and rear mounting bolts. One rule of thumb indication of whether you should justify 1/2 turn or full turn would be the current difference in the thickness of shimming between the front and rear mounting bolts. IE: If the front is shimmed only a tiny bit more than the rear, go with 1/2 turn and if there is a big difference, go with a full turn. Of course if your car currently drives/handles poorly, you wouldn't want to use the current settings as a reference and it will be more of a trial/error type of thing. You still want to make sure you have the factory spec for end to end dimension. Here are 3 write ups you should read:

http://home.bresnan.net/~dazed/suspension101

http://dazed.home.bresnan.net/bump

http://dazed.home.bresnan.net/drop

This one explains the roller perch:

http://dazed.home.bresnan.net/opentracker

I Hope This All Helps You Out,
Gene

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