Suspension Foxbody ride height change after installing new control arms

[Mhalc1]

Peace and Blessings all. I just got to installing some Global West RLCA and a set of stock uppers with newer rubber bushings. I did not replace the axle bushings. After installing the control arms I torqued the bolts down without loading the suspension and put it on the ground and saw the ride height was looking stock. I realized I was supposed to torque the bolts with the suspension under load so I got back under the car loosened my control arm bolts, my shock to axel bolts and my quad shock to axel bolts. I then jacked up my axle just until the rear started to lift off the jack stands, re torqued the bolts and put my wheels back on and dropped the car to the ground. My ride height is still looking stock. My sway br is also a little lower with these control arms, but I dont think this will be a big deal.

I have SVE Lowering springs which before the control arms had my back end much lower around 24.5" from ground with 205 55 16 tires
my ride height after changing the rlca's in about 26.5"
I also recently installed MM CC plates, QA1 coilovers and Koni DA with JDI bumpsteer kit and new sway bar end links u front. I adjusted my front ride height to match the reaer which was around 24.5" at the time. The car has 0 miles on it after all of these mods, I have only driven it around the block.

Does anybody have any ideas as to why my ride height is so high... the springs have been on my car for around a year and are broken in... do I also need to break in the control arms. has anybody else experienced this? thanks in advanced.

After Control Arm Install and re torque with suspension under load
front with 225 50 16
sway bar position

 

[Mustang5L5]

Did you loosen the bolts to the point that the inner sleeves in the bushings were loose and could pivot properly?

I assume the global west arms have 3 peice poly bushings? If so, these do not need to be torqued at ride height because the inner sleeve is not captured by the poly bushing and is free to rotate. Really the concern is the upper arms because the rubber bushings are impregnated around the sleeves. Those need to be torqued at height.

Usually what I do is install all the bolts just snug enough to prevent rattles, but loose enough that the inner pivots can move. I drive the car around the block up over bumps and such to articulate the suspension. Then i'll torque at ride height.


Other things to check. Do you have the rear spring pigtails in the correct orientation. If oyu look at the springs from the rear, both pigtails should be pointed to the driver's side.

 

[Mhalc1]

Thanks for the reply... I will check the orientation of the springs pigtails as soon as I can get back under the car, i know i pointed them in the same direction as each other but not sure where they are pointing. I loosened the bolts enough so that i was able to move the nut by hand... I may try loosening them again and going for a ride around the corner, i have a parking lot with speedbumps just up the street.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Just for the sake of checking, you can loosen the bolts and leave them loose and do a few short rides. When you get out, the ride height shoyld be where it wants to be even before you retorque. That way you can adjust springs and such, all before torquing it down.

Usually what i do to torque the rear is jack the rear up and put the axle tubes on jackstands so the weight is on the springs. Then i can get under there and torque.

 

[AeroCoupe]

If you bought the LCA's from Global West recently then they have spherical aircraft bearings on the frame side and a Del-A-Lum bushing on the rear end side so they can be torqued up at any height or loading. If it was difficult to get the UCA's over the rear end bushings or inserted into the body mounts then you are already fighting a battle. You should really replace the ones on the rear end if they are original or you do not know their age. The upper bushings taka a beating.

Other than that Mike summed it up very well. If you continue to have issues call GW as they are super helpful. I run their subframe connectors on both of my cars and their UCA's on the T-Bird.

 

[Mhalc1]

Yes the Global West RLCA's have a spherical and a del a lum bushing... I have been focusing on my uca's.... I have spoken with Global West in the past and they were very helpful, I wanted to make sure it was the RLCA before I spoke with them. my UCA's went into the torque boxes very easy but getting them into the axle was pretty difficult, especially the right one.

All in all I will give Globel West a call and will keep attempting to get the suspension settled and retorque. I appreciate the replies....

 

[2000xp8]

I'll give my advice, but you may like it.
Put the correct tires on the car before screwing with anything else. Even if you got it to sit where it looks right, it will still be wrong.
There is no point in messing with the height when you have 2 different tires, both wrong.
24.5 in the rear is crazy low, not sure it matters if that is what is was before. 2.25 lower than stock to be precise, and unless those rear springs are better than the average sve product, you will probably damage car, throw out your back or lose a filling.
For examplee, my car is lowered, but not on an extreme level, it has 275/35/18 tires, H&R TQ arm springs and i measured it to be about 25.75.
I think you are just spinning your wheels without the tires or at least tires the height you are going to run.

 

[Mhalc1]

I'll give my advice, but you may like it.

I appreciate the advice... and what you say makes perfect sense... my ride with the SVE springs has been pretty harsh, and I wouldn't mind raising the car a little so your advice is actually inspiring. I do plan on getting the car aligned and new tires after everything is said and done. I figured it made more sense to install the suspension components I had been compiling before doing so. As of now the rear end sits higher than it should even with the smaller tires in the back. My thinking is that my axle is bound causing my ride height issue, I would rather get it sitting where it should (unbound) even with the 205's before driving it too much.

 

[2000xp8]

I'd lose the sve rear springs get some H&R rear springs from maximum motorsports (they are available separately for the rear). Not sure what front spring rate your purchased, but the H&R springs ride seriously better than off the shelf crap (crap i have owned multiple times).

Install the tires you are going to run ( i'm guessing you don't actually plan on running either of those tires you currently have.)
Then i would install the springs, put the axle tubes on jackstands and completely remove and reinstall the axle side bolts of the uppers one at a time.
I'd leave them loose for a short drive as mike suggested, then come home, put it back on jackstands (axles tubes again) and torque them down.
Then set the front of the car slightly lower than the back and see what you think.
If you are worried about getting the bolts back in, stick a pick or screw driver in the opposite side to line them up.

Regardless of whether or not the back sits right, you just can't adjust anything without the tires you are going to run. It's a complete waste of time.
I know, i have wasted a lot of time. How the front sits also affects the height of the back. So does how the front sits left vs right. Last time i adjusted mine (not long ago), it was game of fine turns of the coil overs lock nuts (or whatever they are called), each turn on one side slightly messed with the three others, especially opposite corners.

For tires, i'd consider something in the 25.5 range of height, use the 1010tire calculator to see what they are.

 

[Mhalc1]

Solid, I will look into H&R springs for the rear... This is not the first time I've read good things about H&R springs. I picked up the SVE springs for too cheap to pass up on craigslist and have not enjoyed the ride ever since I have had them... I have #350 spring rate up front... I do have another pair of 225 40 16 but do not have a full set of the same size tires until I purchase my new tires.

I did call Global West and spoke with Doug... he told me it is highly unlikely that the Global West lowers are the reason for this, but he did mention they make there axle side mounts slightly longer and it may be binding after torquing it down.... he recommended loosening the arm to axle bolt and re torquing under load.

I did not get a chance to get under the car last weekend but plan on doing so this coming weekend. @2000xp8 is there any reason I should only focus on the axle side bolts and not loosen both sides before going for a ride.

 

[2000xp8]

It would most likely to do the body side too, i just worry more about the axle side since those bushings are on the car and they can get beat up or installed improperly.

That a pretty stiff set of front springs, are you road course racing?

 

[Mhalc1]

I am not road racing but I do like my car more on the stiff side as I take it in the canyons often. My coilovers are also paired with Koni Yellow DA, which I recently learned called for a stiffer spring. I have driven the car around the corner and over a few speed bumps with the coilovers installed and can already tell the front is much smoother than my SVE and Koni Yellow SA I had in the front before.

I will loosen both sides this weekend to be on the safe side.

 

[Mhalc1]

Update for those following... I was able to get under the car over the weekend... I had some extra wheels and tires... I rotated my front 225/50/16 to the back and put some 225/45/16 on the front... I take the 205's off the car. while under the car I repositioned my spring orientation as Mike suggested, I noticed on my driver side spring I had used the incorrect spring isolator... I had an isolator for a front spring, so as you can imagine it was not seating correctly. I switched to the correct isolator and loosened my UCA to axle, UCA to frame and LCA to axle bolts. I went on a ride up the block and into a parking lot.. I went over a few speed bumps to hopefully help the suspension settle. I came back to my driveway and torqued the bolts down with the axle loaded with jack stands under each side. I put the wheels back on and lowered the car and my rear is still sitting higher around the same, although now my driver side is slightly lower by about 3/8". After torquing them down I took the car on the freeway and drove it around at speed to hopefully have the suspension settle... still no success.

I am wondering if my shocks or quad shocks could be binding my axle? Do I need to pull the UCA's completely off and start over...

 

[Mustang5L5]

Shocks and quads should not affect ride height. You can confirm by simply rolling under the rear of the car and unbolting the bottom of the shock and pull it away from housing. Height shouldn’t change.

 

[Mhalc1]

Shocks and quads should not affect ride height. You can confirm by simply rolling under the rear of the car and unbolting the bottom of the shock and pull it away from housing. Height shouldn’t change.

Thanks... as you can see I'm getting close to being desperate. I may try this over the weekend just to rule it out. I am running out of ideas, and this doesn't seem like a common problem.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Take some pics of the suspension components. Maybe something will stick out to us

 

[AeroCoupe]

Assuming you still have the old LCA's so put a straight edge from the bolt holes on the front and rear mounting locations. From there measure up to the top of the pad where the spring sits. Do this on the Global West units as well. I would seriously doubt there is any difference but its worth a look to rule it out.

 

[Mhalc1]

@AeroCoupe Hey that's worth a try, and it is something I can do during the week.

 

[Noobz347]

I am wondering if my shocks or quad shocks could be binding my axle? Do I need to pull the UCA's completely off and start over...

Perhaps not the shocks but I think a suspension bind is possible.

It looks like you have the right folks already in this thread to help. Interested in seeing what the "WTF" ends up being.

 

[2000xp8]

I'm still in the camp of not bothering with this without the right tires. Both of those are still incorrect sizes, with coil overs you are still going to need to adjust them again, so however it sits is going to be wrong anyway.
I'm also wondering if expectations are too high. I wouldn't consider 3/8 off on one side to be all that bad. These cars were all banged up and beaten many without subframe connectors.