Oh thank God, they said it out loud.I installed the GT500 LCA in fall 22, and I'm very happy with them. I'm only writing to note that when you install the rear flag bolts, "To ease installation, the position of the lower control arm nut and flag bolt can be reversed to allow installation of the nut from underneath the vehicle." Manual page 204-01-2.
Much easier doing what the manual suggests.
That's what I'm wanting to understand.Did they had a design change? I bought a set FRacing control arms in 2010 (?) and they look like these. And they also did not have these latches for the heat shields (which I also do not have on my 2007)
Here are the revised and reinforced Motorcraft arms on Rockauto under 2006 Mustang 4.6. You can compare to the GT500 listing (5.4).That's what I'm wanting to understand.
The ones linked at Blue Oval look more like the 10-14 arms (heat shield tabs and welded spine).
I just like buying from LMR, so ultimately I'm just trying to figure out if the revised version is all that's left being made, or if the older design is still out there.Here are the revised and reinforced Motorcraft arms on Rockauto under 2006 Mustang 4.6. You can compare to the GT500 listing (5.4).
Not a bad price, really. $130 and $148 depending on which side.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/ford,2006,mustang,4.6l+v8,1432173,suspension,control+arm,10401
Having had both side by side, the new style is much beefier...and heavier.Sorry to be the heretic the new style looks cheaper made, a curved I-beam with weld on parts compared to the larger stamped old style. But I maybe wrong.....
My suspicion is that Ford may have stopped making/buying the older style arm. Maybe they are just buying/selling the later arm since it works for all 05-14 Mustangs and install either early or late ballpoint and stamp them with a number reflecting that (hence the 7R number on the obviously heavier arm in the pic posted earlier in the thread. What number is on the arms listed as 10-14?).I just like buying from LMR, so ultimately I'm just trying to figure out if the revised version is all that's left being made, or if the older design is still out there.
Based on everything I've seen, and other sources from YT, I definitely want the curved, reinforced arms.
What's confusing is that both revisions have the exact same model number, but also the new revision is (sometimes) marketed as stock Motorcraft and not FRPP for a GT500.
If I didn't know better, I'd ask why everything has to be so ambiguous.
Thanks! But, all other vendors replace the control arms with aluminum parts to reduce weight, strange....Having had both side by side, the new style is much beefier...and heavier.
The stel is probably cheaper, but in some ways better. It is less brittle than aluminum and will tend to bend rather than shearing or shattering like aluminum can.Thanks! But, all other vendors replace the control arms with aluminum parts to reduce weight, strange....
So Ford decided that increased stiffness is the more weight worth, Hmmmm.....
PS: When I select Shelby GT500 on the Tasca site there is no control arm listed for it.....
Technically the GT version fits in the Shelby and vice versa. This part number jungle is hard to follow.The stel is probably cheaper, but in some ways better. It is less brittle than aluminum and will tend to bend rather than shearing or shattering like aluminum can.
I see that when '07 GT500 is selected the original arm is shown as discontinued. On the GT page I linked it does still say GT500 in the text.
Probably just a data entry quirk.