Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results?

Topic: Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results? (Read 8585 times) previous topic - next topic

Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results?

Reply #15 – March 28, 2017, 07:44:58 PM

Holy smokes, my head hurts after Aerocoupe's geometry lesson! ...although I have to admit that science is probably better than my method of buying parts and hoping it fits. I went out and checked, and as I can pretty easily fit my hand between the tire and strut, I would say I have at least an inch gap. If your measurements are correct, that means I should be golden! I didn't even think about the strut being an issue, as the strut, spindle and control arm are all off of a mustang, I guess I just figured a mustang rim would fit with all that - although the one thing I didn't consider is the angle of the strut, as the cougar strut towers may be in a different spot than the mustang - does anyone know if that's the case?

Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results?

Reply #16 – March 29, 2017, 11:26:53 AM

If you have an inch between the tire and the strut you should be good to go. I didn't get into the weeds on the math but I was trying to get everyone to think about how one change impacts multiple things within the geometry of the suspension.

Remember when you install the lower control arms to torque the bolts with the suspension loaded and the car level.

Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results?

Reply #17 – March 31, 2017, 10:48:58 AM

Quote from: Aerocoupe;460071

So lets get some base wheel measurements so we can start talking geometry. The factory 15" x 7" 10 holes for the Birds and Cougars had a 5" backspacing with a 25mm offset and the 87-88 16"x 7" TC Snowflakes had a 5.25" backspace with a 31.7mm offset. Now I have no idea what the stock size tire was on the ten holes but I do know that the Snowflakes came factor with 225/60/16's Goodyear VR Gatorbacks. Also wanted to clear up that there were only three years of the Cobra R and they were in 93, 95, and 2000 of which the OP's wheels are styled after the 1995 Cobra R.

The stock tire size for the 10-holes was 225/60-15.

Many years ago I purchased a OE set of 10-holes from a 1986 Mercury Capri 5.0L (same as a Mustang GT) that a friend of mine had bought new. He immediately put a set of aftermarket wheels on it and had these stored in his garage.

The Mustang/Capri 10-hole wheels measured exactly the same as my original XR-7 10-hole wheels.

Over the years I have acspoogeulated and measured various wheels and started a spreadsheet of them.

Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results?

Reply #18 – March 31, 2017, 12:00:40 PM

I have three different casting numbers on my two sets of ten holes. I wonder if they are all the same.

Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results?

Reply #19 – May 03, 2017, 09:45:38 PM

Just wanted to post an update on the control arm swap project. It's all done now, and it's one of the few projects that came out just as I had imagined! It brought the front wheels and tires into the fenders nicely, and completely eliminated the fender rub I was experiencing over bumps and heavy braking. As everyone else was saying, this project can't be done without the Caster/Camber plates - thank goodness Maximum Motorsports makes them for our cars! Along with the new SN95 struts and springs, the car handles much better now, as well. Highly recommended!

Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results?

Reply #20 – May 04, 2017, 06:17:54 AM

Looks good.. Did you swap in 87-93 GT control arms? In having similar issues after my swap, so I may try this as well. Have you noticed any issues yet? Great looking car by the way.... Ray.

Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results?

Reply #21 – May 04, 2017, 06:59:33 AM

Get a rack from a salvage yard off a Fox Mustang and use those tubes or someone on here might have a junker laying on the shop floor they can pull them off of.

I have reman units in both cars and have only had an issue once.

Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results?

Reply #22 – May 04, 2017, 07:16:32 AM

Looks good!!! Thanks for the update.

John

Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results?

Reply #23 – May 04, 2017, 06:36:07 PM

Quote from: ISTLCRUZ;460599

Looks good.. Did you swap in 87-93 GT control arms? In having similar issues after my swap, so I may try this as well. Have you noticed any issues yet? Great looking car by the way.... Ray.

Thanks, guys! Yes, Ray, the control arms were off a '90 Mustang GT - I believe any of the V8 Mustang control arms will fit from those years and get the same result. I purchased used control arms and replaced the bushings and ball joints - if I had it to do over again, I would have purchased new control arms that already have these installed, as the bushings and ball joints were a MAJOR PAIN to install into the control arms. I have noticed NO issues thus far. I was worried that there would be issues with turning radius/tire rub on the inner fender, but I haven't experienced either! The only thing that you could possibly consider an issue, would be that the alignment guy wasn't able to get the caster/camber exactly back to stock specs, even with the caster/camber plates. (The wheels are more straight up/down than the stock camber.) That said, it's pretty close, and the car drives straight and feels like it handles better than ever (it helps that I just got new springs and struts). My wife also drove it to work the other day with no complaints.

Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results?

Reply #24 – May 04, 2017, 06:41:37 PM

P.S. - I believe there are some posts around here about the fact that SN95 control arms may also work on our cars. I believe the advantage to the SN95 control arms are that they give extra clearance for larger brakes, and they have a better ball joint design. I didn't discover this until I had already done the 11" brake conversion from the stock 10" front brakes - otherwise I may have gone that route.

Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results?

Reply #25 – May 08, 2017, 09:49:54 AM

The SN95 control arm may be narrower to clear large diameter wheels when turning lock to lock but I haven't seen anything with regards to larger brakes and I really don't see how they would affect that. The ball joint design in them is a low friction unit and it is much shorter than the Fox ball joint so you cannot use this style of ball joint with the Fox spindle.

What happens when the guys are converting to the SN95 five lug brake design in a Fox car is an SN95 ball joint is pressed into the Fox Control arm. So with that a Fox ball joint will press into an SN95 control arm and it has been done multiple times.

Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results?

Reply #26 – September 22, 2017, 10:50:14 AM

I used 2003-04 Cobra control arms, I had to machine the Fox 11" spindle cuz I wanted to stick with 4-lug front/rear (so 20th rims could be bolted on if needed.) I thought I posted pictures of me machining the spindles somewhere.

Found it:

I have 2001 Bullitt springs (or is it 03/04 Mach 1?) front and rear - lowered the car nicely and give adequate handling without a sway bar (never put back on - drag racing it.) Note the rears are wicked short - I have adjustable spring perches.

The control arms are great. I used American Racing Rebel wheels which are discontinued.

Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results?

Reply #27 – November 08, 2017, 07:49:37 AM

Kewlcoug, have you noticed any problems so far with this swap? After some drive time...

Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results?

Reply #28 – November 09, 2017, 04:20:38 PM

Quote from: Cougar5.0;462868

I used 2003-04 Cobra control arms, I had to machine the Fox 11" spindle cuz I wanted to stick with 4-lug front/rear (so 20th rims could be bolted on if needed.) I thought I posted pictures of me machining the spindles somewhere.

Found it:

I have 2001 Bullitt springs (or is it 03/04 Mach 1?) front and rear - lowered the car nicely and give adequate handling without a sway bar (never put back on - drag racing it.) Note the rears are wicked short - I have adjustable spring perches.

The control arms are great. I used American Racing Rebel wheels which are discontinued.

Do you remember how much you machined off? I'm pretty sure a local machine shop could do that if one doesn't have a lathe at home.

Front Control Arm Swap - Who has done it, and what were your results?

Reply #29 – November 09, 2017, 04:29:29 PM

Who doesn't have a lathe at home? Just kidding. I have one, but I never really got it all setup.