Roller upper and lower tubular control arms

[Shaun]

You need some Roundup weed killer ..... :dumas

Bloody grass. I can grow it on my driveway but can't grow it on my lawn...

 

[Shaun]

Looks like it's hitting the outer shocktower cover like mine did.

Here's how I fixed it. I welded a plate over the cut and added a new bump stop.

No rubbing. That was just me trying to peel off the logo.

 

[Shaun]

Bloody grass. I can grow it on my driveway but can't grow it on my lawn...

That may be required with wider tires but there is so much room outboard now I think it'll be ok.

The spring cover and bumpstop will go away when I put a coilover on it anyway :danc...

 

[Shaun]

Car was really hooking up well on Sunday. Look, its trying to peel the tires off the rim!

 

[Opentracker]

That looks like fun ..... I like the AC scoop for the driver :kaid

 

[Shaun]

That looks like fun ..... I like the AC scoop for the driver :kaid

It gets pretty hot in there what with my fat suit on and the wonderful MI humidty!

 

[tjc1965]

Hey Shaun

Love what you've got here, thanks for the effort. I'm bringing my beast back to the track ('65 coupe), looking for the most rubber I can get under it to be competitive in my class with the later model cars. I've decided I'm never going vintage racing, so I'll be running 13" disk/Cobra brakes all around rather than the trans-am approach. I'll be buying 17" rims to make it work.

Most of the later model Mustangs in our club are running 17" x 9" wide, with 245/45-17 rubber. I'd love to be able to run this same tire/rim, as we're always swapping tires/parts/rides back and forth, and having the same rim/tire as 6 other guys sure helps when you're in need of a tire or two to finish a session...

I see you've got the size, but 8" rims. Any chance the 9" will go, or is it just too close or into the UBJ?

Thanks Tom

 

[Shaun]

Thanks for the positive feedback. The arms will be for sale January 2010. I'm pretty excited.

My 17x8 has 4.75" of backspacing and the inside is pretty close to the UBJ:

There is loads of room outboard though with a 225/45/17 tire:

A 17x9 looks worth trying... A modern wheel with its large backspacing will enable you to fine tune the exact backspacing you need with different sized spacers. I'm not a real fan of spacers so if you can find, or have made, a wheel with the right backspacing go for it.

 

[NOR_68Cougar]

The major plus point will come once I finalise the coil over shock system. I've been working with Bilstein for some time on custom valved shocks. I already have a few valvings for the regular spring perch shock and plan on using the same valving for the coil over system. Nobody else offers custom valved shocks with their coil overs

So, if you already have these new uppers/lowers would one be able to "upgrade" to the coilovers once they are available?

 

[Shaun]

The major plus point will come once I finalise the coil over shock system. I've been working with Bilstein for some time on custom valved shocks. I already have a few valvings for the regular spring perch shock and plan on using the same valving for the coil over system. Nobody else offers custom valved shocks with their coil overs

So, if you already have these new uppers/lowers would one be able to "upgrade" to the coilovers once they are available?

The only difference between the uppers for the coil over will be the removal of the spring perch brackets. If you already own the set with the brackets you can cut them off (to make room for the coil over) or buy a new upper frame (re-use the shaft, bearings and hardware) with the spring perch brackets removed.

 

[buening]

Any update on the coilover setup? It appears the available arms are only for the spring perch. As a structural engineer, suspension technology is something I'd like to learn more about. I find it quite interesting! If I could only find the spare time :sad

Has the overall thickness of the upper arm changed much compared to stock at the balljoint area? A person could run an 18x9 front rim and may clear the ball joint if the overall thickness is reduced at the balljoint area. It's hard to tell in your pic how much larger diameter rim would be needed to clear the upper arm. It'd have to clear the upper arm at full steering lock as well, but appears the overall width of the upper arm is less than the factory arm. Just some random thoughts for the above poster.

There is a thread over on Stangnet about a coilover conversion using AFCO special order coilovers mounted to the upper arms. I seem to think just the coilover conversion was about $1000 and that is at cost. It's definitely a sweet setup but I'd rather see it mounted to the lower arm like the TCP and likely your kit.

 

[Shaun]

Any update on the coilover setup? It appears the available arms are only for the spring perch. As a structural engineer, suspension technology is something I'd like to learn more about. I find it quite interesting! If I could only find the spare time :sad

Has the overall thickness of the upper arm changed much compared to stock at the balljoint area? A person could run an 18x9 front rim and may clear the ball joint if the overall thickness is reduced at the balljoint area. It's hard to tell in your pic how much larger diameter rim would be needed to clear the upper arm. It'd have to clear the upper arm at full steering lock as well, but appears the overall width of the upper arm is less than the factory arm. Just some random thoughts for the above poster.

There is a thread over on Stangnet about a coilover conversion using AFCO special order coilovers mounted to the upper arms. I seem to think just the coilover conversion was about $1000 and that is at cost. It's definitely a sweet setup but I'd rather see it mounted to the lower arm like the TCP and likely your kit.

Not sure if a 18" wheel will clear the upper BJ, haven't tried a wheel that big.

We'll be using a custom valved Bilstein coilover mounted to the LCA with the upper mounted under the stock spring seat with the loads placed where the stock coil spring rides. Longer shock gives better motion ratio and finer granularity. Shock dynoing, valving, packaging going on this winter, valving, re-valving, changing spring rates & testing this year. We'll have pictures along the way and it'll be for sale when its ready.

The plan is to offer the same UCA & LCA but the UCA will not have spring perch tabs. For those that use our UCA with spring perch tabs for a conventional arrangement, but then want to upgrade to coilover, you can cut off the tabs or change over the arms to the coilover arms without tabs. This will offer an upgrade path without having to blow loads of cash buying parts twice.

Please let me know if you have any other questions and thanks for the interest!

 

[TB350]

Hi Shaun, great stuff your doing here! Quick question though, in the first pic you posted on page one, it appears that you lowered the UCA and moved it forward versus the traditional down and back. Optical illusion? Off my rocker? or top secret new suspension tech? LOL!

Off topic; What part of the U.K are you from? I spent nearly 7 awesome years in Pembrokeshire (S.W Wales) back in the late 70's early 80's (got my "O" levels) Beautiful country! Kip

 

[Shaun]

Hi Shaun, great stuff your doing here! Quick question though, in the first pic you posted on page one, it appears that you lowered the UCA and moved it forward versus the traditional down and back. Optical illusion? Off my rocker? or top secret new suspension tech? LOL!

Those holes are the regular Shelby drop holes for a 65-66

Off topic; What part of the U.K are you from? I spent nearly 7 awesome years in Pembrokeshire (S.W Wales) back in the late 70's early 80's (got my "O" levels) Beautiful country! Kip

Born in Peterborough, Cambridgeshire then the family moved to Hertfordshire (just north of London) when I was 9. Moved down the road to California in 1999!