Control Arms
- Thread starter ognalysis
- Start date
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)
MasterofDisaster
Senior Member
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.
Much easier doing what the manual suggests.
Oh thank God, they said it out loud.
I figured you could, since I've seen others, but it's wild to me that they even designed it that way.
"Torque to blah blah ft lbs, but also we made it so it's impossible to put a socket in."
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).
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
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.
Having had both side by side, the new style is much beefier...and heavier.Sorry to be the hereticthe 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?).
The aftermarket companies seem to be the ones invested in their 05-10 arm stampings and still produce them.
The Motorcraft arms should have the low friction ballpoint and higher durometer bushing. No guarantee the aftermarket will do that in their arms.
A call to LMR should get an answer.
I just went thru Rockautos listings...
For 05-09, regardless of GT or GT500, all arms are shown to fit both. Doesn't matter which arm. But the revised arm is only shown as Motorcraft. (Look at the part numbers, those are manufacturer, not Rockauto numbers. So you can compare to other sites)
For 10-14, same thing except the part number changes and that the aftermarket supplies the heavier revised arm for them, too.
If you look at the listing for 2010 Mustangs, they show a lot more arms available, but that is just because of the 8-03-08 change. Makes it a little easier to compare early and late part numbers without jumping back and forth on RA.
Oddly, they forgot to show the Motorcraft 10-14 revised arm!
So it appears the aftermarket does not supply the revised, later arm for 05-09 at all.
For 05-09, regardless of GT or GT500, all arms are shown to fit both. Doesn't matter which arm. But the revised arm is only shown as Motorcraft. (Look at the part numbers, those are manufacturer, not Rockauto numbers. So you can compare to other sites)
For 10-14, same thing except the part number changes and that the aftermarket supplies the heavier revised arm for them, too.
If you look at the listing for 2010 Mustangs, they show a lot more arms available, but that is just because of the 8-03-08 change. Makes it a little easier to compare early and late part numbers without jumping back and forth on RA.
Oddly, they forgot to show the Motorcraft 10-14 revised arm!
So it appears the aftermarket does not supply the revised, later arm for 05-09 at all.
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Tasca is another good place to cross reference apllication and part numbers. Including new parts superseding old parts and the numbers related to that.
Old arm was MCF 2240, new is MCF2365.
Ford has a couple of different numbers for the same part. One is for the part itself, the other is for the application. So we have two different parts with different numbers for the same application. In the old days, you had casting numbers and engineering numbers. Like all 351 cleveland 4v righthand exhaust manifolds had the same number cast into them. But they could be machined differently for regular 351 cleveland 4v or the BOSS 351. You have to measure that outlet to tell which is which to know if it's worth $200 or $1200.
You can still find pics and listings of the old arm/number on the internet. Even though the arm has changed and some sites have not updated their pics to reflect that, it is still a possibility that a vendor/seller does actually have the old arm still on the shelf.
https://www.tascaparts.com/oem-parts/ford-lower-control-arm-4r3z3078b?c=Zz1zdXNwZW5zaW9uJnM9ZnJvbnQtc3VzcGVuc2lvbiZsPTE2Jm49QXNzZW1ibGllcyBQYWdlJmE9Zm9yZCZvPW11c3RhbmcmeT0yMDA2JnQ9Z3QmZT00LTZsLXY4LWdhcw==
Old arm was MCF 2240, new is MCF2365.
Ford has a couple of different numbers for the same part. One is for the part itself, the other is for the application. So we have two different parts with different numbers for the same application. In the old days, you had casting numbers and engineering numbers. Like all 351 cleveland 4v righthand exhaust manifolds had the same number cast into them. But they could be machined differently for regular 351 cleveland 4v or the BOSS 351. You have to measure that outlet to tell which is which to know if it's worth $200 or $1200.
You can still find pics and listings of the old arm/number on the internet. Even though the arm has changed and some sites have not updated their pics to reflect that, it is still a possibility that a vendor/seller does actually have the old arm still on the shelf.
https://www.tascaparts.com/oem-parts/ford-lower-control-arm-4r3z3078b?c=Zz1zdXNwZW5zaW9uJnM9ZnJvbnQtc3VzcGVuc2lvbiZsPTE2Jm49QXNzZW1ibGllcyBQYWdlJmE9Zm9yZCZvPW11c3RhbmcmeT0yMDA2JnQ9Z3QmZT00LTZsLXY4LWdhcw==
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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.....
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I agree the revised arms look (and, according to others, are) beefier.
I try to stick with OE parts when I can, unless there's consensus that aftermarket is just better/as good & cheaper.
I've emailed LMR, and will post my findings. If I don't get a response, I'll try calling them and see if someone can send pictures of the part itself.
I try to stick with OE parts when I can, unless there's consensus that aftermarket is just better/as good & cheaper.
I've emailed LMR, and will post my findings. If I don't get a response, I'll try calling them and see if someone can send pictures of the part itself.
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.
Technically the GT version fits in the Shelby and vice versa. This part number jungle is hard to follow.
Yep. It just gets worse over the years as multiple part numbers are superceded by a single part number. As long as the superseding part is at least as strong as the GT500 item, it's not a function issue.
But in 20 years the concourse restoration guys will be hunting down the NOS first type GT500 arms at stupid prices.
But in 20 years the concourse restoration guys will be hunting down the NOS first type GT500 arms at stupid prices.
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