I have been searching for a bit and cannot find this information. I know they are longer than Mustang units but how much longer is varying from post to post. What I would like to know is what is the exact measurement from center to center on both the upper and lower rear control arms? I am pretty sure that the lengths are all the same from 83-88 but if not please correct me.
Thanks,
Darren
Upper: 10 1/4"
Lower: 18 1/16"
That would be great man!
Darren
I'd have to dig up my notes from when we put them together @ KB's. The uppers are 1-1/8" longer than then Mustang one, I remember that much. The lowers were something like 3/8", but I'd need to double-check that.
We had stock arms side-by-side when we did them.
Chuck,
If you could do that and verify the dimension above it would be greatly appreciated. Global West Suspension may have something we would all be interested in but I need the dimensions on the upper C-C to make sure. They already make a lower specific to our cars but the upper is something Doug at GW wants to look at.
Darren
As mentioned, one of the GM applications has pretty much a direct swap for the uppers in regards to length.
I think that 10-1/4" listed above is correct. Will have to check later though.
Its not the upper control arm length he is too worried about but he wanted that confirmed. They make the GM A-body unit already. What he is looking at to see if it will fit our cars is the SP-47 bearing kit which second down here:
http://www.globalwest.net/1964-72_Chevelle,GTO,Olds_442,A-body_Rear_tubular_control_arms_and_braces..htm
Granted their stuff is more expensive than the CHE parts but it is another alternative. I have their full length subframe connectors and seat brackets on both my cars and really like them.
I also have the Griggs LCA's on my T-Bird but the do not offer the UCA's as they run the panhard bar or Watts and torque arm on their cars. I have full three inch exhaust and am not too sure I can snake the tail pipes through a panhard bar and tail pipes will not make it through a Watts. The other thing is I do not want dumps so this is why I am looking onto their UCA with the SP-47 bearing kit.
Darren
Well that's a totally different thing than overall length.
The SP-47 is just a matter of seeing if it fits the Ford rear housing bushing ears. They should have Ford rears sitting around that shop to compare.
As far as the "sleeve" width goes, the GM-A-Body stuff is the same as the Mustang uppers, so no mods would be needed to the spacers on the bearing.
I do realize that but he was not aware that GM A-body UCA's would work on our cars. He asked if I could get the C-C length so he could double check it. I was just helping the guy out. He is confirming the bushing and sleeve data on his end.
Darren
I'll look for the info when I get home, but like I said, IIRC the 10-1/4" is the number, or close enough to it if you're using an adjustable arm.
Very much appreciated! Is the information on the bushing/sleeve lengths posted here somewhere or is that just general knowledge?
Darren
It was checked a while back (years ago when the A-Body stuff came up).
2.4" comes to mind.
I run a spherical bearing similar to that on my rear end but I forgot where I bought it from. They work well though! No squeeking, binding or wheel hop ever. The handling is very predictable unlike other rubber and poly bushings.
Chuck,
I want to run their upper adjustable control arm. Doug emailed me back today and said that they make a kit that is the right length (I am assuming he is talking about the spacers on each side of the bearing in the UCA) and they will have to change the bearing. They are going to assign a part number of TBF-88 for the upper adjustible control arm. I shot him a link to this thread so hopefully that he can check the site out and see that there is a following with these cars. He is still checking into the rear end side bearing kit. Hopefully they can make it all work as I really think this will be the way I go to complement the Griggs lowers.
Andrew,
That is good to hear as it just looked like a really good design which would relieve the binding of bushings. This should really wake the rear up on the car and allow me to plant more of the 5.8L's power if the tires will take any more. May have to burn them up and upgrade to some Nitto 555's or the like.
I will post up on what Doug finds out on the bearing kit for the rear end side of the UCA's.
Darren
Well we are getting closer! Doug needed to know what the width measurement of the "ears" on the rear end. This would be where the upper control arm bushing mount on the rear end. My Coupe does not use the UCA's and I had removed the bushings. I went home at lunch today and jacked the car up to measure the width with the calipers and got anywhere from 0.935 to 0.945. Hopefully I will know something on the bearing kits that mount in the rear end early next week. I am definitely going to buy their UCA kit and hoping they can work out the bearing kit for the rear end.
Darren
So you need that measurement also?
I'll go get it in a bit, if nobody has chimed in by then..:D
This dimension is the same on both my 8.8 rears but they are both Mustang rear ends. I am pretty sure that it will be the same on the Thunderbird rears but if you want to grab a measurement just to be sure that would be great.
Darren
Small update for those interested. GW is working on the spherical bearing for the rear end side of the UCA. I talked to Doug this morning and they are going to mock up a housing as they need the bearing to be a zero interference fit. Its not going as fast as I had hoped but I understand that they are working on the new cars and developing suspensions for them and their larger GM following. He did say they would get it done so I am going to hold out for this setup. I am not in a huge rush but it would be nice to get them in before the exhaust goes back in as battling those 3" tail pipes is not a lot of fun.
Darren
Aerocoupe do you have pictures of that red t bird of yours
i saw a pi when u were installing the griggs k member and i need more lol
the cars look really good
I have a few but they are all with it on the lift. No really good side shots except this one from the '99 WFC cruise from Ennis, TX to Bowling Green, KY (you will have to excuse my coupe in this shot, my PC crashed a few years ago and I lost a lot of pictures in cluding the one of the Bird):
(http://i786.photobucket.com/albums/yy142/dbrune_83/83and93.jpg)
My buddy and I were in my car and the other two friends were in the car next to us taking pics.
Darren
niceeeeeeeeeee what is the color code? its really goin well with the black painted bumper trim
im diggin those tailpipes
on the other picture u had torq trusts? or similar rims
It is the factory color whatever that code is I don't know. I have always heard it called "deep canyon red".
Those are the old 16X7 and 16X8 Weld Drag Lites with Goodyear Eagle GSC's. They have been gone a while now. I bought 17X8 and 17X9 Bullitt replica wheels with Yokohama AVS 100's which they don't make anymore...bummer. I got the "SVO" center caps to put on them from Ebay of all places. They came with some fugly snake ones that had to go.
The tail pipes were painted with high heat pipe in that picture. The cat back is now HPC coated as will be the headers and X-pipe. I am waiting in line to have the headers built (1-7/8" primaries and 4" collectors) and then my buddy is going to knock out the 4" X-pipe. Drag all that up to OKC and have them coated.
Darren