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Introduction:
Since
this isn't my first Mustang and also not the first one I've drag raced I
know what happens to stock rubber bushings and urethane bushings that come
in most aftermarket control arms...they break. With that in mind I went
with UPR's Xtreme Duty Pro Series adjustable upper and lower control arms.
The XD series comes with larger xtreme duty heim joints and 9/16"
grade 8 hardware.
The
following install is done on a 2004 Mustang Mach 1 that had aftermarket
lower control arms and sway bar. Although their are some minor differences
between some of the earlier years of the Mustang the install is the
same.
Lower
Control Arm Install:
- Start by blocking the front wheels and jacking
up the rear of the car.
- Support the back of the car with two jack stands
either by the subframe in front of the control arm mounting point or
by the back of the subframe connectors if so installed (see figure
4).
- After the car is resting on the jack stands
check the wheel chocks to make sure they are secure.
- Remove the (4) 12mm bolts holding the rear sway
bar to the control arms (see figure 5).
- If you have the stock lower control arms on you
may have a bracket held on with 10mm bolts holding the e-brake cable
out of the way of the tire remove this.
- Next raise up the rear end a few inches to take
some of the tension off of the shocks.
- Unbolt the bottom of both shocks by removing the
3/4" nuts/bolts (see figure 6).
- Remove the 15mm bolt holding the bottom of the
quad shock (if still installed) and repeat on other side (see
figure 7).
- Lower the jack down and allow the rear end to
extend down so you have enough play to remove the coil springs (see
figure 8).
- If the springs don't come out easy enough then
you jack up the opposite side of the axle that you are working on to
give you a little more room. Loosening of the upper control arms may
be needed to give enough play in order to remove the springs.
- Remove the 21mm nut holding the rear of the
lower control arm in (18mm bolt) (see figure 9).
- Remove the 21mm nut holding the front of the
lower control arm in (18mm bolt) (see figure 10). Depending on
your exhaust set up it may be necessary to drop your catback. I gained
enough room by remove the two 10mm bolts holding the exhaust hanger
from the floor.
- Pull the bolts out and remove the control arm.
- Repeat last three steps on the other side.
- Stock and most aftermarket non-adjustable
control arms are 17 1/2" center to center. For my initial set up
I set the adjustable lowers to the same length as the stock arms (see
figure 11, 12).
- Remove the heim joint and check to make sure it
has anti-seize on it. I tend to put an little extra on.
- The stock lower control arm bolt holes may have
to be drilled out to 9/16" to fit the larger hardware (see
figure 13).
- Place a liberal amount of the provided prothane
grease on grooves of the aluminum rear bushing (see figure 14).
- Put the bushing into the rear of the control arm
and wipe off an excess grease, repeat on other control arm.
- This is purely preference but I place a small
amount of grease on the shaft of the control arm bolts since it can be
a source of noise due to metal to metal contact (see figure 15).
- Line up the front of the control arm in place
with the supplied metal bushings and slide the bolt from the frame
side and put the nut on from the other side and leave it hand
tight.
- Line up the back of the control arm this may
require jacking up the rear end to get the bolt hole to line up and
put the supplied bolt in and put the nut on. When tightening this
nut/bolt up do not crank it down just make sure it is snug but do not
for the metal ears from the rear end crush the rear of the control arm
or the bushing it should have the freedom to pivot.
- Tighten the bolt/nut holding the front of the
control arm in.
- Make sure the jam nut is tightened so it won't
lose adjustment.
- Repeat last four steps on other
side.
Upper Control Arm Install:
- Remove the 18mm nut and 18mm bolt holding the
front and rear of the upper control arm (see figure 16).
- Repeat step on opposite side. Skip next section
of not installing new bushings in the rear end housing.
Spherical Bushing Install:
There are multiple ways to attack this
install. One option is an air chisel, another is to torch the bushing out.
I choose to the manual way by using a drill, hammer/chisel since that is
what I had to work with.
- Using a drill bit (I used 5/16" but most
any size will do) drill holes in the bushing to break it apart (see
figure 17).
- Take a hammer and chisel to push the center
steel bushing out (see figure 18).
- Remove as much of the rubber part of the bushing
as you can leaving the outer metal housing still pressed into the rear
end.
- The outside of the bushing housing has a flat
lip on it, take vise grips and bend it inwards, do this all around the
housing.
- Using the hammer and chisel bend in a spot on
the metal bushing while pushing the bushing sleeve inwards. It will
come lose and push through the back side.
- Check the surface for any burs from the
hammering and file down if needed.
- Put the new spherical bushing in the housing
threaded end first. It's an interference fit and will have to be
pressed in.
- Place a piece of wood on the outside of the
bushing housing and hammer it in being careful not to hit the aluminum
bushing. (see figure 19) (to make this job easier place the
bushing in the freezer an hour before hand to shrink it and make it
easier to hammer in).
- Place a drop of loctite on the ring and thread
it on to the back of the spherical bushing.
- Repeat these steps on the opposite side. When
finished you should have a pile of scrap looking something like this (see
figure 20).
Upper Control Arm Install
(cont):
- Before installing the upper control arms double
check to make sure the threaded portion of the heim joint and the
turnbuckle (hexagon shaped piece) have anti-seize on them.
- As with the lowers I set the double adjustable
control arms initially to the same length of the stock ones, which was
9 1/4".
- Put the long metal sleeve through the heim joint
and the two shorter bushings on each side then place the front of the
control arm (body side) in place and secure with provided
hardware.
- Repeat step on other side.
- Place the long metal sleeve provided with the
spherical bushing through the center with the two shorter ones on each
side. (Do not mix these up with the bushings for
the control arms they are different).
- Using the jack raise the rear end up in order to
line up the other side of the upper control arms.
- Doing one side at a time install the provided
grade 8 hardware to secure it.
- With both sides in place go back and tighten
both ends (see figure 21).
- This can be done now or later when you set your
pinion angle but tighten the jam nuts on both ends of the upper
control arms (see figure 22).
Wrap Up:
- Reinstall the rear springs on both sides.
- Jack up the rear end and re-attached the shocks
using the 3/4" bolts and nuts.
- Line up the quad shock and reinstall the 15mm
bolt, repeat on other side.
- Reattach the catback if you dropped it earlier
for more clearance.
- Make sure your e-brake cable is out of the way
of the rear tire by either relocating the bracket or zip ties.
- You can now set your pinion angle using the
double adjustable uppers.
For
any questions regarding this tech article please visit our forums at www.modularrevolution.com/forums/forums.php
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Written
by: Bill Putnam Product
Manufacturer: UPR Products Difficulty
Level:  Time:
3.5 - 4.0 Hours (1 hour less if not doing the spherical bushings). Tools:
Jack stands, floor jack, drill, drill bit, (9/16, 7/8, 13/16,
3/4 wrenches), 9/16 deep socket, (3/4, 7/8, 13/16, 21mm, 18mm,
15mm, 10mm, 12mm socket), 3/8" drive ratchet, hammer, vise grips,
chisel. Parts:
UPR Pro Series XD double adjustable upper control arms (see figure 2),
UPR Pro Series XD adjustable lower control arms (see figure 1), UPR XD
8.8 spherical bushings (see figure 3), bushing grease (UPR supplied) |
