OK I have the fix for the import UCAs that are off center and it's fairly simple(these came from Laurel Mountain Mustang)... Rotate the center shaft into install position, press out mounting bolts then rotate shaft back to original shipped position(180*) and press the bolts back in place... Easy as that... I reused the bolts from my orig UCAs as they have a small chamber under the head that allows the bolt to seat better than the ones that came with arm... I'm also using the orig bolts in the spring perch mount as they are grade 8 vs the cheesy(soft) import bolts... Note position of shaft in upper as compared with my unmodified UCA, is all but dead centered...
Ok figured out why.....seems the PO had at one time put a 351 Cleveland in this car, in the process the PO had bent/beat the shock tower in on the rear mounting point for the UCA's on both sides, thus resulting in the UCA's being off center, the UCA is actually hitting the front part of the opening it is mounted in right where the shock tower and flat apron corner is. Now I guess I will be looking at how to fix this, please I can't do an entire changeover to a Mustang II, R&C or any thing like that right now as summer is over and the funds for that are drying up, but I am open to other suggestions, I may try and bend it back somehow I don't know yet, got any other ideas?
If you can get a porta-power, you could weld a piece of channel across the tower, press it back out and then use a cut wheel to take it back off. You might want to take the car to a frame shop (if possible) and get an idea of what to do. They have tools we don't!
I was thinking the same thing. A good frame straightening shop could put it back into spec but the towers would have to be reinforced so they don't bend again on the folded line. I would also suggest a good Monte Carlo bar across the towers along with keeping the 2 stock bars going back to the center of the firewall
There is also the TransAm mod for the 69-70 Mustangs that works well for solid reinforcement of the lower towers once it's lined back up if you don't plan on a MII in the near future. I did this to mine after finding cracks in the towers from cornering.
Injected, I would like to hear about this mod. I will soon be welding in the reinforcement plates from a '74. If there is more to be done, I would like to do it. Do you have a link or can you post details? (Sorry to hijack the thread) Micah
No problems with me about hijacking, we are all talking about the same thing, I stopped at a local body shop but the owner was not there, the working guy said he thinks it would be no problem to push it back out or even the front part in, they have a porta power with a smaller version of the Jaws of Life type fitting on it, that should work! If nothing else I do know some guy's at the fire department also
Here is link to those shock tower reinforcement kits........ http://opentrackerracingproducts.com/towerkit/
I used the original drawings I found somewhere on the internet out of the Boss 302 modifications and made my own templates out of cardboard since I am currency deficient at the moment.
Ok, that looks it functions like the '74 and up reinforcement plate that I'm welding in. I do like the additional metal on the sides. I might add that too.
Yeah, the cracks that developed were just below the welds on those side pieces radiating from the spot welds that attach the thicker metal on the engine compartment side
It's hard to tell but are your mounting holes parallel to the frame rail or are they angled so your upper control arms tilt back to the rear? Just looked like you lost your anti-dive
