Decided to make this thread for a few reasons. one is for those that might be needing to pull up information about LCAs in the future... two because there seems to always been some questions on them.. and finally i had a question on one aspect that would be nice to have answered. going to start out with some information and move on to the various LCAs, then hit my questions at the bottom. remember, part of this is going to be for future reference for those needing LCA info, so this will be updated a good bit.
Lower control arms: when working on your suspension one of the most often suggested pieces to replace are the lower control arms for the rear suspension of the mustang GT. A lot of people suggest these, but it seems only a few of them really know what they do, and why they are a good choice. I will outline the basic usage of the lower control arms and what makes them a good choice, as well as what options you have available to you.
In the stock 4 link rear suspension of the mustang GT the lower control arms serve 1 main function and 1 supporting function. The LCA (lower control arm) main function is to thrust the car forward when the rear axle is under load. When you accellerate the rear axle is trying to move forward. the LCA is attached to the axle on one end and then attached to the body of the mustang on the other end. the LCA transfers the motion of the axle trying to move foraward to the body of the mustang, thus pushing you along. the secondary function of the LCA is to assist in keeping the rear axle centered when going into a turn, effectivly preventing it from moving side to side.
why get an aftermarket LCA? The stock LCAs on the mustang GT are a stamped sheet metal construction with rubber bushings on both ends. the stamped metal is prone to flexing under stress, and the rubber bushings on each end are made to provide ride comfort so they have a lot of play in them when they are put under stress. The flexing of the unit, and deflection of the rubber bushings cause several problems: You lose traction as the LCa is in the process of flexing the steel and bushings, you side to side movement of the axle is minorly helped, and at high power they can both blow out the stock bushings as well as warp/bend the stock LCa. Aftermarket LCAs address all these issues, but they do it in various ways.
Aftermarket LCAs are made of welded metal tubing for the main body. they can be made out of square or round tubing, and some recient ones that are made out of CNC machined billitt. the Strength of the aftermarket LCAs are much greater than that of the stamped steel of the stock units. Aside from the construction, the bushings on the LCAs are different. the configurations are very dependant on the manufacturer of the LCA in question, but here are some common types of bushings:
-Urethane bushing: the urethane bushing is a composit meterial that is usually done in a "3 piece bushing" configuration. this is done with 3 individual pieces of urethane a sphere and two cylindrical pieces that mate together with the sphere in the center. this provides slight movement and rotation, enough so you reduce suspension binding, but the urethane is much more sturdy then rubber and reduces the slop of the weak slop bushings. 3 piece bushings are done either at both ends, or only at the body end of the LCA.
-delrin bushings: delrin is a composit polimer like urethane, but it acts more like an aluminum piece. it does not give way or move. this creates a stronger bond to the suspension and gives a greater responce, however the tradeoff is that the delrin pieces are very rough riding and easily transmit road noise. these pieces are associated in the same locations as the urethane, but typically only used in race applications.
-spherical bushings: spherical bushings are an all metal construction that have a spherical bearing (a bearing that allows 360* rotation) inside of them. their big draw is allowing the axle to move as it needs to, but it holds the axle firm because of the controled movement of the all metal design. these are the best bushings in my personal opinion, and the bushing of choice for the road racing crowd. they are either done only on the axle end of the LCA or on both ends of the LCA. the spherical bushing is typically paired with either a urethane or a delrin bushing at the body end of the LCA.
Now that you understand how they are made, lets see what is right for you, and the available options. LCAs do their job, but also support other things. the stock LCA have 2 mounting points on them, 1 is the spring perch, and the second is the swaybar mount. Aftermarket LCAs have various configurations that can include any combination of the above mentioned bushings, as well as the options of a spring perch or swaybar mounting holes. a word of note, you will have to get a LCA that has both a spring perch and swaybar mount unless you have coilovers (then you can remove the spring perch) or you have an axle mounting swaybar, or choose to remove the swaybar all together (not recommended to remove the swaybar unless you have an axle based swaybar like the Maximum motorsports adjustable swaybar).
for those that are into drag racing, you can get any of the above combinations to suite your needs. the most often prefered is an LCa with urethane body mount bushing, and a spherical axle mount bushing. most people use their mustang on the street as well, so this is a very solid choice. for those of you that drag only, you might want to consider delrin bushings, or a delrin and spherical combination. for Drag racers you also have the option of a "weight jacker" system that allows you to raise and lower the height of the rear of the car to obtain an ideal launch. these items will cost more, but do the job very well when you are down to getting the hole shot and all the traction available.
for those that are more into corner carving you have the option of the urethane body mount and spherical axle mount, just like the drag guys (its a nice all purpose setup), or stepping up to the spherical mount on the body end as well. doing this will allow full articulation of the axle and thus keeping the car planted in hard turns. for those that are going full bore on the suspension for pure handeling you probably want a LCA like the maximum motorsports LCA. it offers spherical bearing on both ends, and does not have a spring perch, nor does it have a swaybar mount. this keeps the LCa as light as possible. it also allows you to chance the length of the LCA to exactly square the axle to the body for optimum performance. why would you want it adjustable? Do you really think Ford's tollerances for manufacturing ensured it was 100% strait for every mustang that came through? I know i will end up with a set
for the street guys that just want a little bit more traction you can get either combination of the above setups... it really just depends on how much you are willing to give up, both money and ride comfort.
Now that you have some knowledge of the items, lets see who sells what you want. The big names in the suspension systems are Maximum motorsports, Griggs racing, and steeda. the big 3 dominate teh suspension market for the mustang, but they are not the only ones. Evolution motorsports, and a few more (others will be added later), are micro companies that take care of a lot of niche needs as well as giving different options of LCa configurations andd designs.
one note on purchasing. just because one LCA looks like another does not mean its the same thing. a lot of LCAs look like the MAximum and steeda LCAs, but they use thin tubing or lower quality steel that do not hold up to driving as well as the origionals. some do, most do not... so buy with caution if you are not getting the genuine article.
I will leave my lil guide here for now, i will edit as people give suggestions, more questions, and corrections for mistakes i have made (i am sure i have made some)
one question i have that have not been able to figure is the benefit of spherical ends at both sides... i know its better, but have not been able to find definitive reasons as to why. i just dont see why it would work better then urethane/spherical combo. you already have full movement at one end, wouldnt the movement at the body end not be needd?
Torinalth
Lower control arms: when working on your suspension one of the most often suggested pieces to replace are the lower control arms for the rear suspension of the mustang GT. A lot of people suggest these, but it seems only a few of them really know what they do, and why they are a good choice. I will outline the basic usage of the lower control arms and what makes them a good choice, as well as what options you have available to you.
In the stock 4 link rear suspension of the mustang GT the lower control arms serve 1 main function and 1 supporting function. The LCA (lower control arm) main function is to thrust the car forward when the rear axle is under load. When you accellerate the rear axle is trying to move forward. the LCA is attached to the axle on one end and then attached to the body of the mustang on the other end. the LCA transfers the motion of the axle trying to move foraward to the body of the mustang, thus pushing you along. the secondary function of the LCA is to assist in keeping the rear axle centered when going into a turn, effectivly preventing it from moving side to side.
why get an aftermarket LCA? The stock LCAs on the mustang GT are a stamped sheet metal construction with rubber bushings on both ends. the stamped metal is prone to flexing under stress, and the rubber bushings on each end are made to provide ride comfort so they have a lot of play in them when they are put under stress. The flexing of the unit, and deflection of the rubber bushings cause several problems: You lose traction as the LCa is in the process of flexing the steel and bushings, you side to side movement of the axle is minorly helped, and at high power they can both blow out the stock bushings as well as warp/bend the stock LCa. Aftermarket LCAs address all these issues, but they do it in various ways.
Aftermarket LCAs are made of welded metal tubing for the main body. they can be made out of square or round tubing, and some recient ones that are made out of CNC machined billitt. the Strength of the aftermarket LCAs are much greater than that of the stamped steel of the stock units. Aside from the construction, the bushings on the LCAs are different. the configurations are very dependant on the manufacturer of the LCA in question, but here are some common types of bushings:
-Urethane bushing: the urethane bushing is a composit meterial that is usually done in a "3 piece bushing" configuration. this is done with 3 individual pieces of urethane a sphere and two cylindrical pieces that mate together with the sphere in the center. this provides slight movement and rotation, enough so you reduce suspension binding, but the urethane is much more sturdy then rubber and reduces the slop of the weak slop bushings. 3 piece bushings are done either at both ends, or only at the body end of the LCA.
-delrin bushings: delrin is a composit polimer like urethane, but it acts more like an aluminum piece. it does not give way or move. this creates a stronger bond to the suspension and gives a greater responce, however the tradeoff is that the delrin pieces are very rough riding and easily transmit road noise. these pieces are associated in the same locations as the urethane, but typically only used in race applications.
-spherical bushings: spherical bushings are an all metal construction that have a spherical bearing (a bearing that allows 360* rotation) inside of them. their big draw is allowing the axle to move as it needs to, but it holds the axle firm because of the controled movement of the all metal design. these are the best bushings in my personal opinion, and the bushing of choice for the road racing crowd. they are either done only on the axle end of the LCA or on both ends of the LCA. the spherical bushing is typically paired with either a urethane or a delrin bushing at the body end of the LCA.
Now that you understand how they are made, lets see what is right for you, and the available options. LCAs do their job, but also support other things. the stock LCA have 2 mounting points on them, 1 is the spring perch, and the second is the swaybar mount. Aftermarket LCAs have various configurations that can include any combination of the above mentioned bushings, as well as the options of a spring perch or swaybar mounting holes. a word of note, you will have to get a LCA that has both a spring perch and swaybar mount unless you have coilovers (then you can remove the spring perch) or you have an axle mounting swaybar, or choose to remove the swaybar all together (not recommended to remove the swaybar unless you have an axle based swaybar like the Maximum motorsports adjustable swaybar).
for those that are into drag racing, you can get any of the above combinations to suite your needs. the most often prefered is an LCa with urethane body mount bushing, and a spherical axle mount bushing. most people use their mustang on the street as well, so this is a very solid choice. for those of you that drag only, you might want to consider delrin bushings, or a delrin and spherical combination. for Drag racers you also have the option of a "weight jacker" system that allows you to raise and lower the height of the rear of the car to obtain an ideal launch. these items will cost more, but do the job very well when you are down to getting the hole shot and all the traction available.
for those that are more into corner carving you have the option of the urethane body mount and spherical axle mount, just like the drag guys (its a nice all purpose setup), or stepping up to the spherical mount on the body end as well. doing this will allow full articulation of the axle and thus keeping the car planted in hard turns. for those that are going full bore on the suspension for pure handeling you probably want a LCA like the maximum motorsports LCA. it offers spherical bearing on both ends, and does not have a spring perch, nor does it have a swaybar mount. this keeps the LCa as light as possible. it also allows you to chance the length of the LCA to exactly square the axle to the body for optimum performance. why would you want it adjustable? Do you really think Ford's tollerances for manufacturing ensured it was 100% strait for every mustang that came through? I know i will end up with a set
for the street guys that just want a little bit more traction you can get either combination of the above setups... it really just depends on how much you are willing to give up, both money and ride comfort.
Now that you have some knowledge of the items, lets see who sells what you want. The big names in the suspension systems are Maximum motorsports, Griggs racing, and steeda. the big 3 dominate teh suspension market for the mustang, but they are not the only ones. Evolution motorsports, and a few more (others will be added later), are micro companies that take care of a lot of niche needs as well as giving different options of LCa configurations andd designs.
one note on purchasing. just because one LCA looks like another does not mean its the same thing. a lot of LCAs look like the MAximum and steeda LCAs, but they use thin tubing or lower quality steel that do not hold up to driving as well as the origionals. some do, most do not... so buy with caution if you are not getting the genuine article.
I will leave my lil guide here for now, i will edit as people give suggestions, more questions, and corrections for mistakes i have made (i am sure i have made some)
one question i have that have not been able to figure is the benefit of spherical ends at both sides... i know its better, but have not been able to find definitive reasons as to why. i just dont see why it would work better then urethane/spherical combo. you already have full movement at one end, wouldnt the movement at the body end not be needd?
Torinalth
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