Tubular Control Arms.

[57tudor]

Hi Guys,
Not sure if I should ask this in this section or in the wanted section, anyway here goes. Does any one know of a company that makes the tubular control arms for our 57 Fords? The company that I had bookmarked is gone or has a new name. My search has shed me no light from the inner Webb. During my off show season starting in November, I'm going to put my original spindles back on with the Wilwood kit. My upper control arms are impacting my fenderwell headers and I want to replace them with the tubular upper arms to clear the headers while I got things apart. I will also be adding power steering to the car at the same time. I will be taking pic's during the project and will share the project with everyone when completed.

Many Thanks for any info you can pass along.

Rick
57Tudor

[RICH MUISE]

Hey Rick....first place I'd check is Fatman's

[57tudor]

Rich,
Thanks for the tip. I contacted them and they do have them for our Fords. Althow, they wanted to know if my upper control arms were 9" or 9.5" measuring from the center of the cross bar to the center of the ball joint. After all these years of working on these cars, I have never heard or read that the upper control arms were different by a half inch! Has any one heard or know of this? Fatman Fabrication gets $899.00 for the set of 4 and $500.00 for the uppers. All include ball joints and bushings.

Rick
57Tudor

[SkylinerRon]

If it helps 57-64 Ford, small Edsels and 61-64 Mercs are the same arms.

Ron.

[RICH MUISE]

with no responses, it sounds like Fatman is the only one aware of differences in centerlines...strange. What did your's measure out? Did you order the parts?

[57tudor]

Hi Guys,

Thanks for the info in regards to the control arms. I measured my upper control arms and mine are 9.5" I just ordered my Wilwood front brake kit, hose kit, and ARP wheel studs. Next month I will be ordering the tubular control arms from Fatman's and will ask them how they arrived at two different measurements. I'm also curious if the stock OEM sway-bar attaches to their lower control arm in the same manor as it attaches to the OEM arm.

Rick
57 Tudor

[Jimburnaugh]

Hey 57tudoor, did you fabricate your headers our find them on line.  What engine?

[57tudor]

Jimburnaugh,

I had the headers made back in the 70's by a company called Marrcoo Headers. There are long gone now. I had a Fairlane 500, gutted, full roll cage, Fe 390, top loader 4 speed that I raced at OC International Raceway. I kept the headers for my car when I sold the fairlane. My car has a 68 FE 427 sideoiler block with the aluminum MR SK heads and tunnel wedge intake. I get asked that question a lot about my fenderwell headers. Would be nice if someone did make them.

Rick,
57Tudor

[RICH MUISE]

Rick, did you ever find out from Fatman's how they arrived at the two different control arm dimensions? Any progress on the conversion?

[57tudor]

Rich,

No not yet. My plate has been full most of the month with my girls physical therapy, car show planning, show meetings and getting my car ready for last weekends Cruisin for a Cure show. plan to place the order next week after the bills get paid. I will let you know what I learn when I talk to them.

Rick,
57Tudor

[57tudor]

Hi Guys,

I goy my control arms ordered from Fatman's yesterday. Will take about 2 weeks before they arrive. I asked the man I talked to "Phillip Snyder" very nice guy, about the difference in the upper control arm measurements. He said that some of the 57 Fords had a 9" distance from the center of the cross bar to the center of the ball joint and didn't know what model car it was, wagon, ranchero, retractable. My car has the original control arms and mine are 9.5" and he said I shouldn't have any alignment issues as long as they are original to the car.  At some of the car shows that I attended this year, if I saw a 57 was at the show, I would ask the owner if I could measure his upper arm and why I wanted the measurement. Everyone I measured were at 9.5". When you guys that have been following this thread get a minute, measure your upper control arm and post your measurement here. Hopefully we can find out which model 57 has the shorter 9" upper control arm. When my order arrives I will take some pictures and post them for you to see.

Rick
57 Tudor

[KYBlueOval]

Hi Guys,

I goy my control arms ordered from Fatman's yesterday. Will take about 2 weeks before they arrive. I asked the man I talked to "Phillip Snyder" very nice guy, about the difference in the upper control arm measurements. He said that some of the 57 Fords had a 9" distance from the center of the cross bar to the center of the ball joint and didn't know what model car it was, wagon, ranchero, retractable. My car has the original control arms and mine are 9.5" and he said I shouldn't have any alignment issues as long as they are original to the car.  At some of the car shows that I attended this year, if I saw a 57 was at the show, I would ask the owner if I could measure his upper arm and why I wanted the measurement. Everyone I measured were at 9.5". When you guys that have been following this thread get a minute, measure your upper control arm and post your measurement here. Hopefully we can find out which model 57 has the shorter 9" upper control arm. When my order arrives I will take some pictures and post them for you to see.

Rick
57 Tudor

I just measured mine. '57 Ranchero 9 1/2 inches center to center

[hiball3985]

Mine are 9.5 also. I can't think of any 57 that would use a 9. If you move the top ball joint in .5 it will cause alignment problems in my opinion.

[gasman826]

Parts book appears to support '57-'59 upper control arms are the same part #.  '58s offered an optional air ride front suspension but used the same upper control arm.  The '57 upper control arm part # was superseded to '63 (C3AZ-3082/3-A).  The car and Thunderbird upper control arms are different.  Maybe this has to do with the difference rumor.

I've interchanged '57-'59 upper and lower control arms (respectively) many times with no issues.  Newer upper control arms may require compatible upper control arm bushings and shafts.

[lalessi1]

I bought a pair of '59 uppers and the stampings are different. The mounting shafts are different as well. '57s shafts are center drilled and tapped on the ends and the '59s shafts have sort of an acme thread on the outside of the shaft and they are not center drilled. The '59s have metal on metal bushings the '57s have the rubber type like the lowers. I would like to be able to dial in more negative camber and a 9" center to center would allow for that. I think that the '59 setup allows for more positive caster adjustment, but I am not sure of that yet.