cobra4548

I'm installing my new driveshaft on Thursday. I have a double adjustable UCA to install with it. The directions say to drop the gas tank some. Is this really necessary? Do I really have to remove the back seat to install this thing? Is there an easier way?

MooStang05gt

I'm affraid you are going to have to do both of those tasks... Pulling the rear seat is a snap, just catch the lower front near the foot well, push in and up near the center of each foot well and it pops right out. Right in the center of the exposed body is a large bolt, you have to remove that bolt.

The gas tank is held in by straps that need to be lowered, it is not necessary to remove the straps competely, but you will need to lower it a couple of inches until you can get up there to remove the rear bolt on the UCA. You can remove the nut from the bolt, but, the bolt contacts the gas tank and can not be removed without lowering the tank. Really, its not that difficult to do.

Hope this helps....

Bobby M.

dly

Well I installed a Lakewood Adj Upper Control Arm and I didn't have to touch my Gas Tank. In fact I didn't pull my rear seat either. The forward bolt was very hard to come out and it did dent the floor pan alittle when I forcable unscrew it But it all came out and back in with a little time. The open end wrench would be your best friend here. I just kept turning the bolt alittle every pull of the wrench and it final came out. After I reinstalled it I may sure I touch up the paint I scratched on the Floor pan and checked the penion angle and tighten the adjusters.

dly

Also I would like to add I loosen the 2 bolts that hold the bracklet for the UCA to gain some space.

cobra4548

Does anyone has a good write up on this install that doesn't include the dropping of the gas tank or removal of the back seat?

MooStang05gt

I would recommend dropping the gas tank down and removing the rear seat, that is the correct way to do the install. IMO That way you won't be scratching and denting up the area around the mounting location, and you sure don't want to do the unthinkable and punch a whole in that plastic gas tank.

Didn't your UCA have installation sheet with the control arm..??? It is pretty much a straight foward task... It is a much easier if you have a lift available, but it can be done using jack stands.

Don't think it makes any difference which end you start on... remove the back seat, remove the bolt from the front attachment point.

Under the car you will want to loosen the two nuts on the studs holding the tank straps in place. Unscrew the nuts about 1/4" at a time and evenly from side to side so that the tank drops as even as possible. Low fuel level might help too. Only drop the tank until you have the clearence to remove the rear bolt from the control arm without hitting the tank.

Install the new UCA and lock it down. If your new UCA uses a bump stop you may have to remove the OEM snubber and install it before installing the control arm. Adjust the pinion to the proper angle and tighten the adjustment rod jam nut(s).

If I remember correctly, there may be locating detents on the tank, so when you lift the tank up, be sure it is seated solidly ( doesn't rock from one side to the other), tighten the nuts on the straps and that should be it. If you haven't already done so, re-install the rear seat.

I watched my installer do this install, I really didn't do a hands on, but that's pretty close to how it went.

Bobby M.

dly

Here is a how to with pictures. Nothing in it about loosen the Gas Tank Straps. Tells you to remove the rear seat but read it here.
http://www.2005stang.com/gallery/alb...tall%20UCA.doc

SoFlaBoss

Darrell,

This comng weekend, I want to install GMS Adj UCA and BMR fixed tubular LCAs, which have been sitting around for many months. I guess I should install the UCA first, adjusted to length similar to the OE UCA, put the rear back in place then install the LCAs one at a time, then adjust the pinion angle last with the adj UCA. Do you think it will be hard to adjust the UCA with all the components back in place?

Steve

dly

This is the order in which I replace the UCA, LCA, Relocation Brackets,Panhard bar, and the sway bar.

I started with placeing the car on jackstands on the frame rails in front of the rear tires. You will need a floor jack to support the rear end housing. I took the panhard bar off 1st then the UCA. I had to clean off all the threads on the Adj. UCA of powercoat for my adjustment. When I put the UCA back on I place the floor jack under the housing to raise it up and got my pinion angle off the adjustment of the UCA. After that was good I took off the stock LCA and install the Relocation brackets and new LCA's. I just adjustment the new ones to the old ones size,then redid the pinion angle (it only needed a very minor adjustment). Also only do 1 side at a time on the LCA's. Then I replaced the new Panhard bar and Sway bar.

In a 1 stall garage with jack stands, a floor jack and Wheel stands on a cold night ( with a couple of small heaters going) it took me about 5 to 6 hours to do it all.

The toughest was the UCA but every piece of new suspension equipment that I brought needed some type of work to it. Powercoat off the threads, powercoat cleaned out of predrilled holes.The LCA bushings needed .056 of a mm ground off to fix. The metal bushing on the Relocation bracket were 1/2" to long and needed to be cut. It fought me the whole way but its on and its tight.
Some people will tell you not to reuse any of the old bolts, with what I brought they supplied new bolts and I only had to use a couple of the old bolts and they worked fine. Just some blue loctite and a Torque wrench.

I hadn't been able to make the car move any on the curves and it rides like it is on rails. I'm happy

SoFlaBoss

Thanks Darrell! At least my Adj UCA isn't powdercoated.

Cali HP addict

Get the car on jack stands, relieve some pressure off of the rear end so it isn't fully drooping or fully compressed. Remove the 2 bolts (under the car) that hold the UCA bracket, remove the 1 bolt (under the rear seat) that holds the UCA bracket. Remove the bolt that holds the UCA to the bracket. NOTE: Even with the bracket totally unbolted, I never removed it from the car. Remove the bolt that holds the UCA to the axle and then remove the UCA.
Reverse procedure for installing new one.
Tricks:

1. Be sure you torque the bolt that holds the UCA to the bracket before you re install the bracket to the chassis. If you don't do this, you can't get a torque wrench in there.

2. When torqing the bolt that holds the UCA to the axle you will find that the stock bolt head has a flange on it which keeps it from turning when used with the stock UCA. This bolt head is a pain to get a wrench on because of this. Use a pair of small to med vise grips, clamp them on the new arm of the uca (not on the bolt head) so that the jaws are at 12:00 and 6:00 to the head of the stock bolt and the handle is pointing toward the drivers side tire. Then when the tab rotates around it will hit the vise grip jaw. No need for another wrench and it frees up that hand while tightening.

Good luck! It will make a huge difference!
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Red on Red 05 vert GT, Saleen SC, 3.4" GI Joe 8rib w/billet tensioner, JDM CAI & Tunes, 90mm MAF, C&L Racer, 39lb inj., American Racing 1 3/4" LT's, Magnaflow, Meziere, Granatelli COP's, Prothane, GT500 twin pumps, Pro 5.0, Tokico, Steeda, FRPP Sway bars, Powerhouse driveshaft, Edelbrock UCA-LCA-Panhard, Raceline, Toyo

SoFlaBoss

Ryan, Thanks for the tips and tricks. They will definitely make the job go smoother.

cobra4548

Ok, so I installed my lightweight driveshaft. We measured the stock pinion angles with the stock driveshaft. We adjusted the UCA to the stock angles when we installed the driveshaft. Now I have vibration issues. What should I adjust my UCA to for pinion angle to fix this? What have you all used to stop your vibration issues?

dly

In read some other forums, I reason to remember them saying that anything should be even. Read this
http://www.mustangforums.com/m_2326586/tm.htm