So summer is here and my biggest project for the year, swapping a fully built 8.8 rear into my bird, has finally gone underway. After going the whole 9 yards of sandblasting and powdercoating everything, buying all the parts ive ever wanted, and having them fully installed by a very well known shop known as DTS, i finally got everything back home and decided to get the swap underway.
As me and my brother wrestled the rear under the car, got the control arms and new bushings installed, we both realized something terrible. The Upper control arms were way off from matching up to the brackets on the body!!!!! After constant measuring, visual buttstuffysis, and alot of swearing. The problem was traced to the upper control arm metal bushing sleeves on the rear. It was as if they were never pressed in all the way! Im talking like an inch away from where they should have been!
What gets me scratching my head though is the fact that they never have been moved......ever. They were for sure seized in placed and had that beautiful rust build up all around them. I even watched the guy who i bought it from remove it out of the car. But thats the shaged up thing! If the mounting locations are the same, then how in the hell did it fit in his car but it doesnt fit in mine????????
Sorry for the long post, but has anyone ever came across this issue before?
I don't think I've ever seen stock ones pressed in all the way. Mine weren't.
And they're a HUGE pita to get out when you replace 'em too.
They should be centered like these
(http://www.tamparacing.com/forums/attachments/ford-tech-sale/86050d1177371344-looking-stock-control-arm-parts-011.jpg)
Actually it is the metal sleeves on the rear end housing themselves for the uppers. The sleeves actually appear to not have been pressed in ENOUGH. So like say you install the uppers on the housing and go to line them up to the body, the control arms are way towards the outside of the body brackets.
Messed up aint it? Ill try to get some pics today.