OEM MAX front lower control arms are the next evolution in our line of Foxbody / SN95 / New Edge Mustang drift angle kit products!
OEM MAX is a fully fabricated, non-adjustable control arm design that provides several key benefits over our tried and true OEM+ control arm design (modified OEM arms):
- Moderate track width increase (+2" per side over stock)
- Forward balljoint position for increased caster (6-7* typical without use of caster plates) - No cutting of bumper or fender required!**
- Spherical bearing inner mounts - robust, non-adjustable, solid, free moving, serviceable
- OEM style balljoint outer mount - no knuckle drilling required!
- Steel plate and tube gusset construction - fully TIG welded - designed and produced in-house
- Arm body profile facilitates broad range of wheel options with increased clearance
- Capable of nearly 60-65* of steering angle**
OEM MAX arms are a fantastic compliment to our OEM+ modified Mustang steering knuckles and are a direct upgrade for existing OEM+ equipped cars - no additional parts or modifications required***. Compatible with factory style SN95 inner/outer tie rods and most standard bump steer kits.
We have been testing our prototype arm set since April 2021 in a variety of driving scenarios, including about 20+ drift days with fantastic results - surviving plenty of dirt drops, near backwards entries, and a few unfortunate off track excursions with zero indication of bending, breaking, or wear. These things are STRONG!
Included parts:
- Left and right OEM MAX Lower control arms, painted
- Inner spherical bearings with necessary alignment spacers and shims
- Steering stops/limiters
- OEM or Steeda X2 roll-center correcting balljoints for 94-04 SN95/New Edge Mustang Spindles
- Optional sway bar mounts (available soon)
*Due to balljoint cup inner diameter design, only certain OEM style balljoints that have minimum of .530" of press height are recommended, such as Masterpro units for 94-02 crown vic, Steeda X2 balljoints (Part # 555-8101), or QA1 balljoints (Part # 1210-115 may require balljoint nut spacers when used with 94-04 spindles).
Why not adjustable?
To maintain the "OEM" style philosophy, we set out to design the OEM MAX control arm with OEM like qualities - low maintenance, robust, non-adjustable, 100% bolt on***. With rod end style angle kits, you often hear of them being high maintenance with hardware coming loose frequently, uncertainty of how they should be set, difficult to align, etc... these are not characteristics that we were willing to accept when designing this product.
We also took great effort to design a control arm that gets you most of the angle capability of the "mega" angle kits, without the hassle of cutting your fenders or bumper**, without tires poking 4" past the fenders, or without running -8* of camber. In short, we tried to design it right the first time so the customer doesn't have to worry about making tons of adjustments to get the setup right. Our goal is to have you bolt it on with minimal fuss,
Geometry / Fitment
The following alignment specs were achieved on our shop car using our OEM+ modified knuckles, OEM MAX LCA, BC BR coilovers with standard camber plates (no caster adjustment), while running a 17x9.5 +18 wheel with 225/45/17 Falken RT615k tire:
Camber: -4.3*
Caster: +6.4*
Toe: 1/16" (or .12*) toed in with steering rack centered in its travel. (.10* toe in is OEM spec and recommended with our kit)
With this combination of parts and these alignment settings, we needed to slightly hammer out the outer strut tower sheet metal area to achieve -4.3* with proper spring clearance. This arrangement places the top of the tire just flush or slightly inside the fender lip, and also clears the factory bumper without trimming it.
Lack of caster is a big drawback of the OEM style LCA, providing only 2-3* from the factory. This can be increased with the use of caster plates, however the OEM MAX LCA natively attains 6-7* without needing to relocate the strut top. 6-7* is plenty of caster for the SN95 platform and provides a perfect amount of self steer, caster jacking, and camber gain to increase turn-in and dynamic grip levels without sacrificing good drivability.
In short, OEM MAX front lower control arms for your drift, autocross, or track driven 79-04 Ford Mustang are a simple, strong, and beneficial upgrade!
Notes:
*Compatible only with certain OEM style balljoints, Steeda X2 balljoints (Part # 555-8101), or QA1 balljoints (Part # 1210-115 requires balljoint nut spacers when used with 94-04 spindles)
**With use of proper wheel and tire sizes. The most IDEAL setup is an 8" wide wheel with a 0 offset. IDEAL tire spec is no wider than 235 width and 25"OD or smaller.
***Front coilovers are required. Trimming/cutting of factory K-member or tubular K-member required.
****Due to fluctuations in materials prices and availability, these terms may be subject to change or termination at any time at Detroit Drifting Co.'s discretion.
While we do our best to keep items in stock, Please allow 2-8 weeks for fabrication/shipment. Feel free to contact us for current lead times.
Disclaimer/Terms of use: This product/service is intended for off-road / track use only. Detroit Drifting Company LLC assumes no liability and will be held harmless for any injury, damages, or loss to persons or property resulting from the use of these products.