TCP Coilover Advisory

mdjay

Premium Sponsor
Dec 9, 2003
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Las Vegas, NV
We were recently informed of a potential failure from Total Control Product's Front Coilover System. Although it's not an absolutely critical situation, the potential for failure does exist and should be addressed as soon as possible.

If you are not aware, Total Control Products went out of business early this year. Chris Aston's Chassis Works has purchased the rights to produce the suspension line with the association of the TCP name. However, since they did not produce the product themselves, and they are redesigning the system, they feel they have no responsibility toward fixing the inherent problem with the previous design.

The area of concern is the upper shock mount of the system. As it turns out, under high stress, the potential exists for the carriage bolts to push through the aging metal on shock towers from the bottom. The possibility of hitting a large pothole, or the like, and pushing these carriage bolts through could cause you to loose control of your car.

There are ways to address this issue on your own. If you have the means, please do so asap. We have machined out a permanent fix for the problem ourselves. 1/4" thick steel rings that can be mounted on the underside of the shock tower to "sandwich" the shock tower between the upper mount and our new ring. This will address any weaknesses in their design by adding a significant amount of strength to this area of concern. This is done without having to re-align your car.

Please either PM me or email [email protected] if this is an area of concern for you.
 
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HistoricMustang said:
I continue to suggest that you do research on aftermarket parts that are important to your safety. Ford puts tons of money and hour upon hour of testing into the parts used on their cars (as do the other car manufacturers). The government requires it.

HistoricMustang
www.----------.com

Safety standards of 1965 were a lot different than those of today. :rolleyes:
 
Trust me, I could have said a lot more. Instead I will just exit the thread.

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com

dowson1.gif
 
So, it doesn't seem that the issue is the product itself, but rather the lack of stability to the upper shock tower region. How does the product in question put anymore stress on it than a stock situation?
 
Ring replicates the surface of the stock coil spring top, nice fix... get this in a magazine or two since there are a lot of TCP customers that do not use the Web for this info I'm sure.
 
mdjay said:
The stock spring rests around the entire upper shock tower, not the carriage bolts. Our ring will put the stress in this area the same as stock...




My firewall braces use 2 of the 3 bolts. Does it rip through them as well?
 
From another site:


"A number of folks I have talked to have popped out the spring seat on the inside of shock tower and mounted the upper perch there. thereby taking the carriage bolts out of tension and solving the potential problem. "


Chris Barton
 
Cbarton said:
From another site:


"A number of folks I have talked to have popped out the spring seat on the inside of shock tower and mounted the upper perch there. thereby taking the carriage bolts out of tension and solving the potential problem. "


Chris Barton

This may be the case but this sounds like it will raise the car a little bit, and a potential alignment would be in order...

We're not saying this is the only solution. Just the best one we have come up with...
 
In my six years of working with the TCP product line, I have not seen a failure of the upper mount but agree that the previous design when not torqued to proper specifications could lead to potential problems. The '67-'73 mounts use a carriage bolt seated in a slot which is the primary area of concern. '64-'66 mounts use a through bolt so there is a completed hole and therefore is more structurally sound. A support ring/plate can be fitted to either application but the '67 and later vehicles require the upper coil spring seat to be removed.

Jay's point of not moving the mount below the shock tower is correct. This will increase the ride height a minimum of 3/8" and may cause minor changes to the static camber setting.

We are offering a kit that includes zinc plated support rings, a spot weld removal bit and mounting hardware to replace the carriage bolts. These are components from our revised coil-over kit and will be available for shipping before the end of the month. Just waiting on the bits to come in next week. The part number is TCP COLVF-06. Not sure if posting prices is proper forum etiquette so call Chassisworks for price info. 800-722-2269

It's a very straight-forward procedure; unbolt shock, drill out spot welds, install mount and support ring, install shock. Installation Guide (PDF 118k)

coilover_seat_removal.jpg


coilover_support_ring.jpg


Lino
TCP
 
Well that concept looks strikingly familiar. I am glad Chassisworks finally stepped up to the plate. The shoulder shrugging was getting tiring. Personally, I'm not one for holding my breath so I did it myself.
 
The bit we are supplying removes the entire surface of the spot weld, unlike a broach type bit that cuts around the outside. This leaves a 3/8" hole in the spring seat and a scored area on the actual shock tower. The parts can easily be realigned and tack/plug welded back into place.

It would be difficult to drill the holes through the seat and have everything line up correctly. Removing the seat is a quicker, easier, more consistent solution. With an electric drill it only takes about 5-10 minutes for each side.
 
Kudos to Jay/Mustang Depot for their proactive efforts in addressing this issue. I purchased a coilover kit from Mustang Depot last year and in addition to the best pricing I could find, their customer service and promptness was as good as I’ve found.

I was very surprised when I received a letter from Mustang Depot outlining the problem and their own-engineered solution. How many other retailers have you done business with that have put forth the efforts Mustang Depot has?