Topic: How to - Upper control arm bracing (Read 1382 times)

TE_JET · « **on:** November 14, 2007, 08:13:27 PM »

Due to popular request I have posted some pictures of my bracing, to show you how to prevent those nasty cracks some of us have under their cars..

Materials
* 2 Pieces of 8mm mild steel plate for the top clamping bracket measurements 120 x 50mm
* 2 Pieces of mild steel angle iron 8mm thick 50 x 75 120long to sculpture the lower bracket to suit the under body of the car.
* 4 x M12 x 40mm High tensile bolts, with nuts and SPRING washers

You may need an assistant during this process.

Tools
* a 13mm drill bit
* handheld electric power drill
* a whiteboard marker, or engineering chalk
* socket set
* spanner set, or adjustable wrench (shifter) ((if your rough))
* axle stands
* trolley jack
* soft hammer / nylon head
* small angle grinder and cut off disc
* tape measure

Process
* Jack up the car and position the axle stands to support the vehicles weight. On factory lifting points is fine.
* remove the rear seat, both upper and lower.
* Undo, the nut off the upper control arm mount (where it bolts to the chassis)
* Using the nylon hammer tap the bolt back to flush with the existing brace (thin side only)
* position a piece of the angle iron under the vehicle with a side sitting running vertical, and a side flat to the underside of the car.
* using the marker/chalk mark up the chassis rail profile onto the back of the angle.
* also mark the bolt hole for the bolt you earlier removed the nut off.
* take the bracket away and cut to the line you drew earlier.
* mark out and drill the hole which you marked (upper control arm anchor bolt), also drill 2 holes in the upper side of the angle, for the clamping bolts centralise them and have the spacings about 30mm in from each end.
* reposition the angle bracket under the car, and tap the control arm anchor bolt back throu the hole in the vertical side of the angle. replace the nut and secure.
* now run the drill up throu both on the NOW overhead holes, through the floor pan.
* mark and drill a hole on a piece of the flat plate 30mm in from the end, again centralised to the material.
* now sit this plate over the hole through the floor pan.
* this is where the helper comes into it, unless you have long arms and can reach it yourself.

push a bolt down through the hole in the top plate, through the hole in the floorpan, and through the angle bracket and fits the nut.
* Tighten semi firm. and try and swing the top plate to where it appears to be centralised to the second hole.
* now from under the vehicle, run the drill up through the 2nd hole and mark in into the underside of the top plate.
* unbolt the top plate and look for the mark you just made.
* measure the hole center between the hole and the mark of the top plate
* mark the hole center onto the top plate, central to the plates width.
* drill this second hole.
* Now refit this plate and refit the bolts, the second bolt should not also go through both the top plate and the angle under the car. Fitting the nuts and spring washers.
* Tighten very tight and until both pieces of metal have sandwiched the floor pan between them.
* Under the car undo the upper control arm mounting bolt again, and refit any other brackets you may have. (ie the sway bar bracket,; as pictured in my photo's)
* And fit the nut again and tighten accordingly

Now you are finished !! Upper control arm mounting brace is fitted.

Note: I have incorporated the upper control arm bracket mounting bolt into the bracing for additional support. I have sucessfully used this setup, with no signs of fatigue on my cortina with a 4.0L turbo engine. Also note this allows you to also still mount the bracket for the rear sway bar. (the dirty looking angle piece) in the pictures.

Photos:
* Bracing 1 & 2 - are both of different angles showing how the lower bracket looks.
* Looking up - is straight up from under the car
* Top clamping plate - Is the sandwich plate that clamps down from the top

Ford Cortina - Made with spanners not chopsticks

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Author Topic: How to - Upper control arm bracing (Read 1382 times)

TE_JET

How to - Upper control arm bracing