Upper control arms

[WidgetTrac]

Brent, I assumed that the factory made the right UCA mount "non-adjustable" by just installing a plain round bolt & washers, so they could just set the left camber to match the right, then match the right caster to the left with the uca - but now i'm not sure. I'm getting ready to change lower ball joints and install cam kits on the uppers, and I just pulled off the plastic flaps and got a better look and the left & right look the same, so maybe you COULD just use the OEM hardware with a one-piece arm.

the kits I got supposedly allow +/- 2-1/4 degrees of camber adjustment (4-1/2 deg. range), which is why I picked them. Also they have 3/8" square drive holes in the cams in addition to the D-bolts, and are silver zinc plated so it should be easier to SEE them and work with them when setting alignment. For those reasons, the stock hardware will be reassigned to the chain gang, regardless of whether the right is adjustable...


...chain gang needs strong bolts too!


...and yes, I DO understand your reservations about replAcing the OEM chassis bolts- I don't know what specification they follow, but it seems like there is NOTHING in the world of bolts that's as beefy as the OEM nuts and bolts with the extra-heavy hex w/ integral washer! Good stuff!!!

You may want to look at the "cams only" kits - I ASSume they use the OEM bolts and, IIRC, the raybestos set allowed almost as much range as some of the other cams+bolts kits and had the plating & extra square drive holes.

 

[Gse Brent]

Check out the first page of this thread
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=258068&highlight=upper+control+arms

For some reason i can't post in it.

 

[Gse Brent]

Ok so i got all my pieces i need (at least i think i do) and im gonna attempt to do this job tomorrow. I got moog everything. I got left and right upper control arms (1 pc design for passenger side), lower ball joints, front sway bar frame bushings and caster/camber cam and bolt kit. So i think im good to go. One final question do i need moog k8674 caster/camber adjustment kit? And does moog k80065, do those metal washers replace the stock ones?

 

[Gse Brent]

Do i need this.......
http://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=MOOG-K8674

If i already have this.......
http://www.moog-suspension-parts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=MOOG-K80065

 

[MidnightRebel07]

If you have the Caster/ Camber kits for both sides then you don't need the other washers you linked to.

As for the "front sway bar frame bushings", are you talking about for the lower control arms? If so then you know that you have to remove the torsion bars to replace these, right? If their still good then you don't need to replace them right now, unless their dry rotted or worn don really bad then don't worry about them.

 

[Gse Brent]

no not the bushings for the lower control arms. Its a bar that goes from the sway bar to the frame.

Not the one circled but the one in the upper left hand corner. Just figured i'd replace it, trying to get rid of a squeek.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

The actual swaybar bushings shouldn't need replaced, you can simply loosen the bolts/ brackets and grease them to get rid of any squeeks.

 

[Gse Brent]

yea probably didnt need to be replaced but i ended up with all moog front end parts. I heard they might be coming out with lower control arms for the ST. Hope thats the case. Well im sure ill have questions and pictures tomorrow so hope everyone is around.

 

[swshawaii]

yea probably didnt need to be replaced but i ended up with all moog front end parts. I heard they might be coming out with lower control arms for the ST. Hope thats the case. Well im sure ill have questions and pictures tomorrow so hope everyone is around.

RockAuto has the Moog LCA's listed on the bottom of this link.
Not cheap, but being Moog the build quality should be excellent.

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1366680,parttype,10401

 

[Gse Brent]

Do i need to put these ford oem adjusting washers back in even if i bought the moog caster/camber bolt kit?

I didnt put these back in but do i need to?

This is the upper control arm installed with the moog caster/camber bolt kit.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

The oem's are replaced by the Moogs.

 

[Gse Brent]

Ok good cuz i didnt put them back in. Job wasn't as bad as i thought it was. Was worried about the lower ball joints without a press or special tool but got them out and back in just fine. The biggest PITA was the drivers side rear upper control arm bolt with the brake and fuel lines somewhat in the way but either way managed to finish the job. Alignment gets done tomorrow.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

Yeah, getting the stock bolts and washers out with the brake and fuel lines in the way were definetly a PITA, not as bad as it was when I did the same thing on Carol's '97 V8 AWD Mountaineer. Talk about no room to play with and a PITA.

 

[interscope8]

Oh boy oh boy. Can't wait to do this too! Lol. Might wait till after the body lift, looks like it'd make it a ton easier. All this talk of being cramped am what not...