Adjustable LCA's

[Klunky]

Right now my car is lowered a bit with C/C plates, subframe connectors and soon will have torque box reinforcment plates. By the time the local track opens, the car should have around 300rwhp and I already have some slicks for it.
I'm thinking I need to do some more stuff to the rear suspension to get it to hook up better, but I don't have the cash to do everything. Is it OK and would it help alot to just do the lower control arms now...and then the uppers in a few months? Or do I really need to do them as a set?

 

[Rick 91GT]

You can do them seperate but I find it easier to tackle the entire suspension at one time. You want to to the TQ box supports and lower arms at the same time....

What brand arms did you have in mind? The JD's double adj uppers are hard to beat, nice pieces.

 

[Klunky]

You can do them seperate but I find it easier to tackle the entire suspension at one time. You want to to the TQ box supports and lower arms at the same time....

What brand arms did you have in mind? The JD's double adj uppers are hard to beat, nice pieces.

Hey man...what I was hoping to do was bolt in some lowers and do your torque box supports at the same time. I just really don't think I'm going to have the cash for uppers.
I don't have any brands in mind yet...I'm a rookie when it comes to car suspensions. I can tell you anything in the world about solid axle 4x4 trucks and how to lift them, but I'm very new to the Mustang world of suspension stuff.
All I know is, I don't want to have to do the job twice. What I mean is, if I get some non-adjustable arms now...maybe in a year I'll want the adjustable ones. I'd just like to do it right the first time so I don't have to think about swapping them out again...that's why I was thinking adjustable right off the bat.
When you say JD's...are you talking about JD's Performance? I think I bought my TB from them.
I'm going to have the power for 11's...now I just need the suspension. What do you recommend??? Thanks again for all the help.

 

[Rick 91GT]

Yes JD's Performance, Perks Performance reps for them he may be able to save you a little money (link in my sig). Check out his site you'll see all the companies he deals with. Tell Bill I sent ya..

I ran those adj and they are great, only reason I switched is I am going to run a totally different style set-up from a builder I am working with on my Drag Radial car, it will help get his name out and should really make my car hook.

As for the lowers I like almost any of them, UPR, Metco, HPM, Wolfe, Steeda, etc...

I'm like you, buy once and save yourself some money in the long run. Don't forget to add new bushings in the rear end side for the uppers when you swap them, I personally like the HPM poly bushings and never had any binding issues, or you can spend some more money and get the sphericals.

Now lets talk 4 x 4... I have a 96 F-150 with a 4" Sky Jacker suspension lift and a 2" body lift, 35" tires. It currently has Sky Jacjer soft ride shocks but I can tell they are getting old and weak, any suggestions on what I should put on? I don't so any hardcore four wheelin except some fun in the snow, it has to ride decent and I trailer my car with it also.

Thanks,

Rick

 

[Klunky]

Now lets talk 4 x 4... I have a 96 F-150 with a 4" Sky Jacker suspension lift and a 2" body lift, 35" tires. It currently has Sky Jacjer soft ride shocks but I can tell they are getting old and weak, any suggestions on what I should put on? I don't so any hardcore four wheelin except some fun in the snow, it has to ride decent and I trailer my car with it also.

I ran Rancho 5000's on my Jeep and ProComp ES3000's on my current '73 K5 Blazer. Both were good all-around shocks and would probably suit you fine. One thing you might look into is adjustable shocks since you tow. Set them nice and tight for when you tow and leave it soft for regular street driving.

I ended up going a little overboard with the K5 suspension.
--Steering box brace
--2.5 inch spring lift front
--.25 inch shacle lift front
--2 inch drop pitman arm
--Swaybar correction/disconnect kit
--All (zerk fittings) greasable eyelet bushings front & rear
--4 inch shackle flip rear
--4 inch extended brake lines
--Custom driveshafts front & rear
--$2k in axle mods
--Tons of other stuff I can't remember

 

[Klunky]

Hey Rick,
Are these the uppers you are talking about? Seems like a good price to me.
http://www.jdsperformance.com/index.asp?initemuid=583&fcmd=item&inmake=all

 

[Rick 91GT]

Those are a little more of a street style arm with 3 piece poly on the body side, or the Granatelli upper he sells has the heim joint which is more drag oriented.

 

[Klunky]

Those are a little more of a street style arm with 3 piece poly on the body side, or the Granatelli upper he sells has the heim joint which is more drag oriented.

That might be more what I need though...a street style arm. I want my car to kick butt at the track; but the majority of the time, it will be on the street. It's NOT a daily driver though...just whenever I feel like it...once or twice a week when the weather is nice. So if I end up with something that makes my car a little rougher or louder, I won't really care if it means awesome 60' times.

 

[stangbear427]

Just for clarification, you were asking about adjustable lowers- but there are two different kinds. There are the adjustable lengths, and adjustable ride heights. Which are you asking about? Since you're offline now and I'll be gone later tonight, I'll sum it up since nobody did yet:
Most drag racers prefer the adjustable height lowers because it gives them more freedom to run bigger dia slicks at the track. Most road racers prefer the adjustable length lowers to square the rear to the car, correct pinion angles, and achieve optimum settings for handling; this is probably stuff you shouldn't be messing with, I'd advise avoiding them. Now, adjustable uppers usually only have the length adjustment, which is for correcting the pinion angle of the driveshaft on the rear. On a lowered car, this is a good thing. If the quarter mile is your bag, I would definately recommend adjustable uppers, but it isn't imparative that you do it now. The adjustable lowers are nice if you change tire sizes a lot, but otherwise your cheapest way out is to just get fixed point lowers for now. Either way you should notice an improvement in how you hook with the addition of just the lowers. The uppers later will stiffen it up some more, and help with wheelhop if you suffer from that. Usually it's best to do uppers and lowers at the same time, mainly to be sure that everything will work together. As long as you get the same brand for each you should be OK though- there isn't supposed to be any variance but sometimes there is a little brand to brand discrepency. Most of all it's easier to just do it all while your in there- but more money. As far as doing it once and doing it right- just make sure whatever brand you get has a three peice bushing (or better, spherical bearings or heim joints) or you will run into binding issues. I run lowers with spherical bearings on both ends in my street car, daily driver- no complaints. Some say it's an overkill, but I won't say it's bothersome. If you go with the heim joints you probably won't regret it. Good luck!

 

[Klunky]

Hey stangbear...thanks for all the advice. You were right though...the adjustable lowers that I'm interested in are for ride height. I run different size street tires than my slicks, so it would be great to be able to adjust that rear height. I could care less about road courses...1/4 mile is the only kind of racing I do.
I'll probably just bite the bullet and work some more overtime...do adustable uppers and lowers all at once and be done with it. And install the stuff the same time as Rick's torque box plates.

 

[Rick 91GT]

What lowers are you looking at? Metco, MM, JD's/Grantelli, and Pro3i are the only height adjustable arms I know of.

 

[speed1972]

What are heim joints? I don't know what those are. i know the spherical bearings... and stock of course but what are the others?

 

[stangbear427]

A heim joint basically allows the arms to articulate freely instead of resorting to rubber or polyurethane bushings, which allow deflection under load. A suspension that articulates freely without bind or deflection will always provide the best grip by keeping the tires from unloading, which causes tire spin and wheel hop. Heim joints give the same end result as spherical bearings- and same harshness and noise, some people say. I personnally haven't noticed any additional noise or harshness with mine, but I hear the uppers are worse- and I don't use upper control arms at all so I wouldn't know.