Control arms

[I<3MySnAke]

Someone help me out here...

main difference between adjustable and non-adjustable rear lower control arms?

im looking to get the maxim motorsprts LCAs but wana see if its worth spending the extra cash on the adjustables or not?

[Saleen S330]

the adjustable helps move the pinion angle to help you stick better on launches, not sure about what else.

[JACKYL50]

the adjustable lowers are not really worth the extra cash, the adjustable uppers are worth the money to properly adjust the pinion angle especially after lowering the car

[dfroster]

Also allows you set a true zero angle and then adjust as need for racing. Go with the non-adjust if you don't plan to do a lot of road racing. If you put adjustable in you should set to zero, this is the adjustment that moves one side of the axle inward or out ward to help with traction, steering geo ect...not really for the street car. Steeda used to have a great tech page for this.

[I<3MySnAke]

alright well im just looking for a little extra grip for having some fun on the street. so i guess nonadjustables are good enough for me.

also thinkin about FRPP uppers.. heard anything good/bad about them?

[cuban3jumper]

Originally Posted by I<3MySnAke

alright well im just looking for a little extra grip for having some fun on the street. so i guess nonadjustables are good enough for me.

also thinkin about FRPP uppers.. heard anything good/bad about them?

FRPP uppers are your stock uppers but boxed for added strength. Check out mega bite jr's. Nice control arms too I've heard.

[r3dn3ck]

I'd stick with the stock uppers unless you plan on putting a sperical bearing at the axle end of the UCA's. If you put in aftermarket arms that have poly-urethane bushings at both ends on the uppers you'll get bad bind. done it.

Leave the factory uppers or get a set of the boxed uppers and leave the stock rubber bushing at the axle end unless you want to slap the sperical in. Steeda and I think MM sell axle-end sphericals for UCA's. Get the non-adjustable LCA's with heims at the axle end and poly at the chassis end. You should probably get a Panhard bar. MM's unit is THA' BOMB. Have it welded in and enjoy. If you slap a coil over kit in the rear, it'll make reassembly a lot easier and you'll get better handling out of it.

[I<3MySnAke]

u think it would be better to go with a coil over kit first?

and then when i get the funds to go with the LCA's or the panhand bar?

[r3dn3ck]

yes. 100% yes.

What many miss in the coil over benefit stack is that the strut/shock and the spring being in the same place means that they are affected by identical forces and you have to make fewer comprimises to get a sufficient wheel rate for your application. Simply, if you put the 800lb spring 4" from the fulcrum of a pivot and you put the strut/shock 10" from the fulcrum, then the forces acting on them are vastly different and it's tough to get enough damping without being over sprung. As the travel distance increases, the force curves diverge at ever increasing rates until, at the extremes you have a spring rate which is totally unsuited to being combined with the dampner being used and vice versa.

just changing to coil over and not changing your effective wheel rate or ride height will allow your car to handle bumps easier and more controllably. Aside from all that, you lose mad weight from the car when you bounce the heavy 15lb each big coils for 5lb each over strut coils.

Once you have that done, you're 70% done with a badazz suspension. Control arms and bushings and PHB's are all going to really show their stuff simply because you have a better suspension system to start with via the CO conversion. The coil over is also usually the expensive part but it's the most significant improvement you can make to the stock system. You can always slap on a set of control arms, hell that's only a half hour job when you've got coil overs. After that you can decide on a PHB and Torque arm or just a PHB. The torque arm will increase rear grip A WHOLE LOT, so you'll want a much stiffer rear sway bar so it'll loosen up a bit. otherwise you'll tend to get push.

EDIT: And don't cheap out on the coil over. Maximum motorsports kit and CC plates and you'll never have to consider the "what-if-it-don't-work" factor.

[I<3MySnAke]

how hard is the rear coil over kit to install?

you kno of any sites with a nice how-to?

[r3dn3ck]

Super simple. Read the directions that come with the MM kit. They're quite detailed and even have useful pictures.

[I<3MySnAke]

am i going to have a problem if i only install the rear coil over kit and not the front as well?

im not trying to be cheap but i just dont have the funds right now for both and im thinking i should just wait and save until i have enough for the front and the rear. (im just a little anxious to get working on my stang again )

[r3dn3ck]

not a problem at all. You'll change the handling a good bit though, so take some time and re-learn how your car handles. Do the front if and when you want. I know how it is doing it a piece at a time. Just make sure you buy the best parts you can the whole time and you'll never have any real problems.

[I<3MySnAke]

alright sounds good. thnks a lot for all the helpful info

[r3dn3ck]

no prob. The whole rear CO install should take about and hour and a half. PHB's take a while to do correctly via bolt in, or just a half hour if you weld them in.