It really should be removed so you can tighten the nut properly. A spacer is required to be fabricated. Which is to be placed along the shaft to keep the UCA from collapsing as the nut is tightened to the required specification. The procedure is outlined in the shop manual, which you should have , of course. (Not the Clymer or Haynes, but the Ford published manual, the other are OK , but just for supplemental )


I don't see how you could the job properly with the UCA in place.


Z

 

The nut is also called a bushing. I don't know that you can buy just the bushing, you might need to get the entire bushing shaft.


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The ending threads on that pivot shaft look wankitered to me. I wouldn't keep it. I'm surprised you could drive your car with that end bushing nut gone.

 

The big hole in the UCA where the bushing is supposed to be has to have been banging around on the threads of the shaft, wankering them severely. The entire control arm will need to be replaced because the fine threads in the UCA that the bushing screws into are certainly wankered now.

What you see in the photo is the reason many people tack weld the bushing to the UCA once the shaft is centered in place.

 

Not something to cheap out on. Best thing you can do is replace the control arm.


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Actually I haven't driven the car in several years. The long story behind it is:

I bought my fastback in 1984 and drove it for about 6 years and then decided to restore it. (1990) I took it down to bare metal and the whole bit. It included me doing a complete new front suspension at that time. I had gotten my son my son a 68 Firebird when he was in high school. After high school, (mid 90s) he joined the army. While he was in basic training I redid his Firebird for him. He was really excited. Well, later while in the army he was driving home and the engine quit on him. I thought at first he had seized up the engine and I felt sorry for him so I told him to take my 65 Mustang fastback and I would sell the Firebird. I got to looking at the Firebird engine and discovered it just had a blown head gasket and the cylinders were full of water not letting it turn over. I fixed that, but by that time he really liked the Mustang better and wanted to keep it, so I let him with the proviso that if he ever wanted to get rid of it, it had to come back to me. In the meantime I found rare 71 Grande that came from the factory with a 429 Cobra Jet that I redid and drove for several years. Later on he wanted a car that got better gas mileage so we got him a used Toyota and I got my 65 mustang back. Not to pick on him, but he did not take care of the mustang like I did. Thus, I am redoing it again and running it to some of these issues. I just really didn't want to have to pull those front springs again, but I guess I will have to. I told my wife the other day, "I sure was a lot easier doing this when I was 40 than it is at 66!
Jim

 

"I sure was a lot easier doing this when I was 40 than it is at 66!
Jim

I feel your pain! Is that the one you just had painted?

 

Be thankful that the UCA did not break loose completely while your son was driving it and severely damage the car and possibly your son. A new UCA is cheap compared to the other possibilities.

 

Pull the arm and look at the hole. If the hole is buggered up get a new UCA. If the hole is good get a new shaft kit.

 

Jim, if you're in Austin you can borrow my spring compressor - it will make your life a lot easier! I had my springs in and out pretty quickly the other day and it is a lot better than the O'Reillys compressor.

 

Thanks Kelly, I appreciate the offer. I will consider that. Yes, I am in southwest Austin.
Jim

 

Just get a new Dorman upper arm. All of $40.

 

Depending on your plans for the car, new UCAs with a welded tab or tack welding so this doesn't happen again, is something you should check off on your cars bucket list. Peace of mind, new ball joints and you likely wont have to replace them again...

 

Yes it is, and I have been in the process of putting it back together. I was hoping to maybe have it done in time for the annual Mustang Roundup at Cabela's in August, but these little side issues keep popping up. (or off). I haven't entered it in the Roundup since the one in 1991 at Austin High School after my first redo. I won a first place in the modified division at that time. (I Just found out I need to replace one of the hood hinges as well.)

Jim

 

Nothing like an event of any kind to bring out the gremlins in any car. My wife always finds somewhere to be the night before a track or autocross day. If its not a gremlin its a wild turkey in the grill...

 

I decided to go ahead and bite the bullet and ordered both upper control arms and both lower control arms. Might as well do it right and have all new ball joints to boot.

Jim

 

Your searches and bullet biting have just begun anew. Doing it "Right:wink:" these days would include new spindles and full rollerized and adjustable everything from one of our great vendors.:grin2:

Plenty of DIY gains while youre at it. ICYMI
From top down: Shaft adjustment for easier caster gains,
Make sure shaft has a grease groove or cut one in it.
Tacked bushings(Ive considered JBWeld as a thread locker>),
Angled zerks
Arning drop, any slack tolerance down and rear.
Ignore cracked shock tower?
Springs (cheap) chopped:shrug:
Roller perches?
Perches relocated?
LCA boxed?
Sway bar
Adjstbl strut rods.
at least 5 more thing in between i think.:nerd: What'd I miss?

 

Good choices if you plan to stay stock in the front suspension. If you plan upgrades in the future, i would send the lower control arms back and investigate ones with a heim joint at the inboard end, perhaps postpone the LCAs if their not bad now. Check your spring perches (bolt to the upper control arm under the spring). Roller spring perches would be the upgrade path if the money is there. Definitely do the arning drop if your car hasnt had it done. It adds alignment to the list and drilling two new holes. Makes a big difference. I would advise a call to John at Opentracker if you want to explore how best to spend what ever budget you have for cost optimization of your front end. You will learn a lot, even if you just bolt on whats coming in the end. Good luck