BMR Tech 2
Kelly's Replacement Lackey
Some of the most common questions that I get at BMR each day are related to upper control arms, upper control arm mounts, and the various mounting points on each arm. I also see a lot of false information spread about the differences and the compatibility of the arms. While the arms and mounts are very similar, they are not quite the same and mixing them can be cause trouble.
There are several differences between the 05-10 and the 11-14 UCA and UCA mount. The UCA for the 05-10 is 8.5" long, while the UCA for the 11-14 is 9.5" long. The overall length of the mount and arm assembly is the same, but the 11-14 mount had to have the cross bolt moved back 1" to compensate for the longer arm. Ford decided to go with this longer upper control arm because it will result in a more stable rear end, reducing axle movement during suspension travel. The longer your control arm, the more gradual the suspension movement is.
You can see the difference in the factory UCA and UCA mount when they are put next to each other. The 11-14 arm and mount are on top in both pictures.
When assembled and laid side-by-side, you can see that overall length for each assembly is the same. Notice how the arm mounting point is set further back on the 11-14 mount vs the 05-10 mount.
Upgrading to the 11-14 upper control arm is a very simple upgrade. The only parts you need are the 11-14 arm (BMR part number UTCA030, UTCA032, UTCA033), 11-14 mount (BMR part number UCM002), and 11-14 forward bolt (OEM part number W714389-S439). 05-10 UCA/mount should NEVER be mixed with 11-14 UCA/mount. The 11-14 hardware is much larger (18mm) than the 05-10 (14mm). Along with the hardware changes, the mounting point on the bracket will cause your pinion angle to pitch up or down dramatically.
05-10 bolt on the left, 11-14 on the right.
05-10 bolt in 11-14 UCA
On the top you can see the assembly is longer with the 11-14 arm in the 05-10 mount. This will pitch your axle up, throwing your pinion angle off. The bolt is also too small, so that will result in improper torque and clunking from the UCA. The bottom picture shows an 05-10 arm in an 11-14 mount, which results in an assembly that is 1" too short. The small bolt also doesn't properly fit in the 11-14 mount.
When it comes to building a car, everyone is on a budget. They don't want to buy unnecessary parts when an OEM part can be reused. Most people are apprehensive about buying a mount to go along with their new control arm when they think they can reuse the OEM mount. When I first started modding my suspension, I thought the same thing. As it turns out, the mounting holes on the OEM mounts are much larger than they need to be. This is done to make assembly at the factory easier. The bolt clamps down on the mount, and serrated edges built into the sleeve of the stock UCA lock the arm in place. When reusing the factory mount, the bolt slop and lack of serrations on aftermarket UCAs leads to annoying clunks. To avoid excess noise, you'll want to pick up the matching UCA mount.
Stock mount with 18mm bolt vs BMR mount with the same bolt. Notice how much tighter the BMR tolerances are.
OEM 05-10 mount with 14mm bolt vs BMR mount with the same bolt. Again, notice how tight the BMR tolerances are vs the OEM.
The serrations are a little hard to see, but if you look on the inner sleeve you should be able to make out small ridges.
Another benefit to getting a BMR UCA mount is that it comes with different mounting positions. These allow you to tweak your instant center length and anti-squat percentage. Generally this is done with LCA relocation brackets, but the UCA bracket allows for more aggressive settings with relocation brackets, or adding more anti-squat without relocation brackets. The uppermost hole is actually mounted higher than the OEM hole, allowing for better geometry on a lowered Mustang.
There are several differences between the 05-10 and the 11-14 UCA and UCA mount. The UCA for the 05-10 is 8.5" long, while the UCA for the 11-14 is 9.5" long. The overall length of the mount and arm assembly is the same, but the 11-14 mount had to have the cross bolt moved back 1" to compensate for the longer arm. Ford decided to go with this longer upper control arm because it will result in a more stable rear end, reducing axle movement during suspension travel. The longer your control arm, the more gradual the suspension movement is.
You can see the difference in the factory UCA and UCA mount when they are put next to each other. The 11-14 arm and mount are on top in both pictures.
When assembled and laid side-by-side, you can see that overall length for each assembly is the same. Notice how the arm mounting point is set further back on the 11-14 mount vs the 05-10 mount.
Upgrading to the 11-14 upper control arm is a very simple upgrade. The only parts you need are the 11-14 arm (BMR part number UTCA030, UTCA032, UTCA033), 11-14 mount (BMR part number UCM002), and 11-14 forward bolt (OEM part number W714389-S439). 05-10 UCA/mount should NEVER be mixed with 11-14 UCA/mount. The 11-14 hardware is much larger (18mm) than the 05-10 (14mm). Along with the hardware changes, the mounting point on the bracket will cause your pinion angle to pitch up or down dramatically.
05-10 bolt on the left, 11-14 on the right.
05-10 bolt in 11-14 UCA
On the top you can see the assembly is longer with the 11-14 arm in the 05-10 mount. This will pitch your axle up, throwing your pinion angle off. The bolt is also too small, so that will result in improper torque and clunking from the UCA. The bottom picture shows an 05-10 arm in an 11-14 mount, which results in an assembly that is 1" too short. The small bolt also doesn't properly fit in the 11-14 mount.
When it comes to building a car, everyone is on a budget. They don't want to buy unnecessary parts when an OEM part can be reused. Most people are apprehensive about buying a mount to go along with their new control arm when they think they can reuse the OEM mount. When I first started modding my suspension, I thought the same thing. As it turns out, the mounting holes on the OEM mounts are much larger than they need to be. This is done to make assembly at the factory easier. The bolt clamps down on the mount, and serrated edges built into the sleeve of the stock UCA lock the arm in place. When reusing the factory mount, the bolt slop and lack of serrations on aftermarket UCAs leads to annoying clunks. To avoid excess noise, you'll want to pick up the matching UCA mount.
Stock mount with 18mm bolt vs BMR mount with the same bolt. Notice how much tighter the BMR tolerances are.
OEM 05-10 mount with 14mm bolt vs BMR mount with the same bolt. Again, notice how tight the BMR tolerances are vs the OEM.
The serrations are a little hard to see, but if you look on the inner sleeve you should be able to make out small ridges.
Another benefit to getting a BMR UCA mount is that it comes with different mounting positions. These allow you to tweak your instant center length and anti-squat percentage. Generally this is done with LCA relocation brackets, but the UCA bracket allows for more aggressive settings with relocation brackets, or adding more anti-squat without relocation brackets. The uppermost hole is actually mounted higher than the OEM hole, allowing for better geometry on a lowered Mustang.
