Just purchased a set from Global West for my 68: The bump stops do not line up with the bump stop bosses on the frame.; They don't have steering stops on the lower arms. These are one size fits all parts but not for the 68. The construction looks great and they bolt in nicely but why in H*** wouldn't they put a bump stop bung where it would match for a 68? Apparently 67 and 69 no problem. It would have been polite of Global west to make this info known BEFORE purchase. Yes, I'm a lot more than a little ticked off. I went onto a Camaro site and there are several threads concerning these very issues, Global West knows of these issues but still sells them to unexpecting buyers. I'm very disappointed with this and there lack of concern when I contacted them.
Interesting. I have GW upper and lower arms on my '67, but my subframe is off a '68 Nova.
Mine are a few years old now and the bump stop is shaped like a mini-candy bar and red. I also thought there were 3 sets of holes on my lower arms.
I really hate to ask this - but are they unique left and right? I can't remember.
2012 Mustang Boss 302 #1918, Competition Orange. FGF replacement 2006 Mustang V6 Pony, Vista Blue. Factory ordered. 2019 BMW X3 (Titled to the wife, but I'm always driving it for her. So I'm claiming it) Old projects, gone but not forgotten: 1967 FB 400, original CA car. After 22 years of work, trashed by the guy who was supposed to paint it. I had to sell it. 1980 Turbo Trans Am 1970 Mustang fastback, 351C 4Bbl, auto 1988 Mustang GT, 5 speed 1983 F-150 4x4, built 302 1994 Chevy K2500 HD 4x4, 454 TBI
Yes they are left and right specific. I wish there was three sets of holes, there are only two bump stop mounting points, one in front and one rear. I believe they make these to fit more than one car Firebird/Camaro, Nova/Ventura and only put in stops for what sells the most. What gets me the most is the apparent lack of concern by the manufacturer, once they have ones money it's tough **it. Since I first posted this I've found even more sites where 68 owners have brought this up with Global West and have not been satisfied with the response, or lack of. I don't know how they can take good money for arms with no steering stops and no bump stop.
I guess I did not notice the lack of a steering stop. I was happy to have 2 lower control arms that fit. This was the end of a long saga to replace a bad lower I found on the car, then a bad junk yard replacement that I found was bent after I had it powerdercoated.
The one pain I remember is that the flange at the bottom of the spring pocket was too thick for "J" clips and I ended up putting in nuts and bolts to hold my shocks in. Trust me - its a royal PITA to get to the shock nuts now (through the spring).
2012 Mustang Boss 302 #1918, Competition Orange. FGF replacement 2006 Mustang V6 Pony, Vista Blue. Factory ordered. 2019 BMW X3 (Titled to the wife, but I'm always driving it for her. So I'm claiming it) Old projects, gone but not forgotten: 1967 FB 400, original CA car. After 22 years of work, trashed by the guy who was supposed to paint it. I had to sell it. 1980 Turbo Trans Am 1970 Mustang fastback, 351C 4Bbl, auto 1988 Mustang GT, 5 speed 1983 F-150 4x4, built 302 1994 Chevy K2500 HD 4x4, 454 TBI
Yours are Global West? I had bought another brand that had the red bump stops but sent them back. The GW arms have the nuts welded onto the top of the spring pocket. Maybe an improvement since you bought yours. Did you attach the ball joints then raise up the bushing end to install or install the arms in the frame then raise it up to the ball joint? Those deep pockets made for a struggle to install, the springs had to be compressed a lot before installing and I couldn't use my redi-rod compressor as the angle was wrong. I got an internal compressor that scared the heck out of me while compressing. I put the springs in a smoker I'm building while I compressed them just incase it went sproing half way through. I thought that would be safer than doing it on the bench beside the car.
Yes, Global West arms here, both uppers and lowers. This was before I left Phoenix so we are talking 2004 or 2005 when I got them. They had the red bumpers and red spring pocket insulators then. The bottom shock attachments were thick flanges with holes in the correct locations but no threads so I had to use nuts & bolts. I had to buy a set of Crow’s feet wrenches to fit inside the spring to hold the top nuts as I installed the shocks.
I was installing mine or an empty subframe bolted to the body, so there was no weight for me to utilize. Therefore, I “borrowed” internal spring compressors from AutoZone. I had to take the spring compressor apart to get the upper fingers in the right place, both for location and to prevent the spring from “pulling” to one side as it was compressed. Yes, I had to compress the springs nearly all the way in order to get them in. I used a jack to push the lower arm up and raise it to the ball joint.
2012 Mustang Boss 302 #1918, Competition Orange. FGF replacement 2006 Mustang V6 Pony, Vista Blue. Factory ordered. 2019 BMW X3 (Titled to the wife, but I'm always driving it for her. So I'm claiming it) Old projects, gone but not forgotten: 1967 FB 400, original CA car. After 22 years of work, trashed by the guy who was supposed to paint it. I had to sell it. 1980 Turbo Trans Am 1970 Mustang fastback, 351C 4Bbl, auto 1988 Mustang GT, 5 speed 1983 F-150 4x4, built 302 1994 Chevy K2500 HD 4x4, 454 TBI
Those compressors are scarey, the first time I used it I had the hooks inline. About half way compressed the top suddenly unscrewed down the spring (not from the tightening bolt) startled me a bit, thus compressing it in the steel smoker pit.
They have nuts for the shocks now but, as I discovered yesterday, the holes are too far apart for the holes in the shocks. One of the nuts on the R/H arm was also stripped out on the bottom. I installed a bolt through the nut from the top down, also using a 1/2" crow's foot, and have a nut on the bottom. I cut the end of the shock mount and made a reinforcement plate to mount the shock. If I knew this before I installed the arms I would have welded a plate in with the correct holes and nuts.
I had to modify the anti swaybar end link to get it to fit as well. Not impressed!
I did not having any shock alignment issues with my Edelbrock IAS's Just the lack of threaded holes at the bottom.
2012 Mustang Boss 302 #1918, Competition Orange. FGF replacement 2006 Mustang V6 Pony, Vista Blue. Factory ordered. 2019 BMW X3 (Titled to the wife, but I'm always driving it for her. So I'm claiming it) Old projects, gone but not forgotten: 1967 FB 400, original CA car. After 22 years of work, trashed by the guy who was supposed to paint it. I had to sell it. 1980 Turbo Trans Am 1970 Mustang fastback, 351C 4Bbl, auto 1988 Mustang GT, 5 speed 1983 F-150 4x4, built 302 1994 Chevy K2500 HD 4x4, 454 TBI