Bent UCA with 9" rear

[cekim]

Well, let's hear it for off-season teardown - found this gem tonight...

If you look at the bottom of the UCA bracket, you will see a rust spot where it hit the top of 9" housing and took off the powdercoat. Look at the adjustment jam nut and you will see that it and the post are bent down relative to the bracket that connects to the rear...

This is a 9" housing (moser) and a CHE adjustable UCA. The UCA angle gets FUBAR because the added height of the 9" housing relative to the 8.8 and even more so by the fact that this car is lowered a little...

This setup is going to require a little more thought

 

[05mustang_TT_charged]

wow, first i seen of this happening. what kind of power to the wheels you have? might need to raise the car a little

 

[silverpoison]

I recommend you to go with the METCO UCA. they are more solid than the other ones in the market.
http://metcomotorsports.com/!original_site/2005-mustang-upper-control-arm.html

 

[Kevin@PMP]

Call Chuck @ CHE I bet he would be interested in seeing your UCA.

 

[cekim]

wow, first i seen of this happening.

Don't forget its a 9" rear end - even at stock height the UCA is pointed up and the bumper (on the UCA) has nothing to hit (because the 9" housing is shallower - the "bumper" is actually over the exposed yoke and has no chance of hitting it). My bad for not checking clearance there, I was busy checking pinion angle and failed to check the clearance...

Not surprising that this has not been seen yet - to those with Currie/Moser rears, you might want to take a peek up there at the clearance...

I recommend you to go with the METCO UCA. they are more solid than the other ones in the market.
http://metcomotorsports.com/!original_site/2005-mustang-upper-control-arm.html

Well, until I find a way to get more clearance, solid won't matter - have to stop it from hitting the housing... I don't fault the CHE part at all. Not that changes to the part might not be possible which will retain its strength and provide more clearance, but I was obviously using the part in an app they had not planned for (as far as I know... )

Call Chuck @ CHE I bet he would be interested in seeing your UCA.

Sounds like a plan - as above, I am putting together parts here that were not designed to see each other, but they may want to make it work for future setups...

Also, going to look at what Currie does with UCAs - curious to see if they made any allowance for the angle of the UCA on their housing? Certainly possible, I can see a number of things you might do to the bracket to give some more clearance...

Even returning to stock height, I have reduced travel there, so going to ask around and see about going after the problem rather than the symptom.

Interesting and unscientific side note, at some point my "wheel hop" with the 9" went away.. I thought it was the pinion angle adjustments, but it would appear that this last little "tweak" was just the thing Glad I found it before it broke, that could have been unpleasant on the track with slicks...

 

[psfracer]

Wow thats wild. And yeah, that wouldn't have been pretty if that broke, thats for sure.

 

[JAFO]

I recommend you to go with the METCO UCA. they are more solid than the other ones in the market.
http://metcomotorsports.com/!original_site/2005-mustang-upper-control-arm.html

The Metco looks thinner in the area that bent then the CHE??

 

[08GOGT]

I would go with the BMR Adj UCA.. Its a friggin BEAST.. Much stronger then Metco and CHE's

 

[JAFO]

Well I guess you all know what I will be trying on mine

 

[scramblr]

Damn cekim, glad you caught that before it broke. As mentioned, it would not have been pretty if it snapped half way down the track.

I don't think any UCA designed as of this date will properly work with the 9" rear based on the pics above. Seems like eventually they will all start hitting and bending. Guessing it's now a matter of time before appropriate UCAs for the 9" rear start coming out.

Also, am I seeing the METCO one right? You have to turn the part that bolts to the UCA mount in order to adjust it? If so, that seems like a real PITA.

 

[RedFury]

Dang, I hate surprises. I suppose my Currie 9" rear will have the same problem. I am also lowered, and I use the CHE UCA. Currie sells a UCA

http://currieenterprises.com/cestore/ProductsRE.aspx?id=2745

for their 9" rear but it looks very similar to all the other designs out there. Except there may be a little less material in the area where yours hit the housing. Maybe it's enough to prevent contact.

Also, BMR sells a UCA mount with two mounting holes in it, one higher than the other. That should help the UCA geometry some. I'm going to crawl under the car tomorrow and take some measurements...

 

[94tbird]

ive had zero issues with my 9" and my CHE UCA. Pinion angle didn't even have to be adjusted going from the 8.8 to the 9" Clearance was not a problem

 

[cekim]

ive had zero issues with my 9" and my CHE UCA. Pinion angle didn't even have to be adjusted going from the 8.8 to the 9" Clearance was not a problem

Are you lowered? I have Eibach pro springs...

Though I had stock springs in there for a little while and the UCA angle (and clearance) is definitely not the same as stock even then.

 

[94tbird]

yes i am lowered 1.5" with FRPP springs

 

[cekim]

yes i am lowered 1.5" with FRPP springs

Your car still down at PMP?

Don't suppose I could trouble someone for a picture of the UCA?

The 9" housing isn't something I would expect to vary in height in that area between currie and moser, so my guess is that you still have very little clearance, but have managed not to hit it yet. I took out the anti-squats for FFW Ultra-stang. So, I am sure I had a good deal of squat as a result...

 

[94tbird]

i wll check with PMP for you. ill see if i got any pics for you. I haven't tried without the anti squats yet

 

[US-1]

I took out the anti-squats for FFW Ultra-stang.

Well put 'em back in. They were legal for all of 2007.

 

[cekim]

Well put 'em back in. They were legal for all of 2007.

Really? I had heard they were ok for 08, but I guess I missed the memo for 07...

 

[ZmanM3]

I wounder if you just don't know about the problem yet Ron. I'd deffently have it looked at.

 

[94tbird]

I wounder if you just don't know about the problem yet Ron. I'd deffently have it looked at.

we checked clearances when it was installed. all was good. unless something changed i have no problem. but if it did i think id notice noise or problems launching the car as the UCA is pretty important lol