Upper control arm hack

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clementine

clementine

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i know this has been talked about but i figured id ask.

Anyone here modify their UCA to get more caster?

I’m running a BB in a 67 barracuda and feel that with more caster my steering might get a bit easier (manual 20:1 box) and handle a bit better.

The adjustable UCAs are kind of spendy right now for me. Saving for some nice shocks at the moment.

I have the moog problem solvers but only able to get 3* caster. (-0.5* camber) Im also running adjustable struts.

I was thinking a small pie cut to move the upper ball joint rearward 1/2” rearward make a big difference.

Weld and plate it of course.

Rear tire is 27.5” and fronts are 25.5” tall and the car is pretty level, so not at a severe rake.

I use a bubble style alignment tool.

I know safety will be a concern, but i feel my welding skills are up to snuff
 
remytherat said:
More caster will make turning take more effort, not less.
Click to expand...
Good info here.

So it will make it handle better, but turns more difficult……?

Safe is my middle name…..well ok…. It’s mark….. close enough
 
Also, part of the hunt is to minimize the “big block push” going through the corners. I have a set of the cheapo street master heads im planning on using to lighten up the front end a bit.

Also thought of adding some strategic weight to the back.
 
If you check the FSM for alignment specs you'll see that the manual steering cars spec is for less or no caster.
Yes more caster = more effort= better cornering. But if steering the car requires too much effort the car won't be as pleasant to drive. Now if it sees little street use and better cornering is the goal then go for it! If autocross is the goal then stop messing around and put power steering on now!
 
clementine said:
Also, part of the hunt is to minimize the “big block push” going through the corners. I have a set of the cheapo street master heads im planning on using to lighten up the front end a bit.

Also thought of adding some strategic weight to the back.
Click to expand...


minimize big block push with this one easy step! CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT!!
 
sccachallenger said:
If you check the FSM for alignment specs you'll see that the manual steering cars spec is for less or no caster.
Yes more caster = more effort= better cornering. But if steering the car requires too much effort the car won't be as pleasant to drive. Now if it sees little street use and better cornering is the goal then go for it! If autocross is the goal then stop messing around and put power steering on now!
Click to expand...
Ya, i was afraid of this.

It’s all street.

Sounds like the best thing i can do is put the front on a diet.

I don’t mind it needing muscle in the turn just trying to dial back the understeer.

It has 1.03 bars and big hollow front sway.
 
sccachallenger said:
If you check the FSM for alignment specs you'll see that the manual steering cars spec is for less or no caster.
Yes more caster = more effort= better cornering. But if steering the car requires too much effort the car won't be as pleasant to drive. Now if it sees little street use and better cornering is the goal then go for it! If autocross is the goal then stop messing around and put power steering on now!
Click to expand...
Don't forget those specs are for a bias ply
 

clementine said:
A hot small block would do it.

I think i have an early 90s LA roller truck motor around here.
Click to expand...
all kidding aside, you've got the right idea: put the front on a diet: al-loo-mini-um heads, intake, radiator, move the bat-tree to the back, adios anything superfluous.

get your alignment dialed in at 3-ish positive and 1/2 a degree of camber and roll man. sometimes you just can't get that much positive caster with these old gals.

either way, go off the skosh chart, not the 60 year old FSM specs.
 
junkyardhero said:
all kidding aside, you've got the right idea: put the front on a diet: al-loo-mini-um heads, intake, radiator, move the bat-tree to the back, adios anything superfluous.

get your alignment dialed in at 3-ish positive and 1/2 a degree of camber and roll man. sometimes you just can't get that much positive caster with these old gals.

either way, go off the skosh chart, not the 60 year old FSM specs.
Click to expand...
Battery is in back.

I’ll bring those SM heads in for a valve job and port match to the street dominator intake i have.

I did mount the aftermarket AC compressor down low with the bucillion (sp) brackets. I gotsa stay cool yo.

Hmmmmm…..costs costs costs….glass hood?
 
Looks pretty good.

IMG_1694.png
 
Looks like UP22 is the only game in town that makes a hemi hood for a 67 barracuda?

Thanks for the advice today fellas, you have gotten me far with all the info on here.

Hope to get the interior done soon and post some pics for ya.
 
clementine said:
Battery is in back.

I’ll bring those SM heads in for a valve job and port match to the street dominator intake i have.

I did mount the aftermarket AC compressor down low with the bucillion (sp) brackets. I gotsa stay cool yo.

Hmmmmm…..costs costs costs….glass hood?
Click to expand...
Aluminum water pump and housing.
 
clementine said:
i know this has been talked about but i figured id ask.

Anyone here modify their UCA to get more caster?

I’m running a BB in a 67 barracuda and feel that with more caster my steering might get a bit easier (manual 20:1 box) and handle a bit better.

The adjustable UCAs are kind of spendy right now for me. Saving for some nice shocks at the moment.

I have the moog problem solvers but only able to get 3* caster. (-0.5* camber) Im also running adjustable struts.

I was thinking a small pie cut to move the upper ball joint rearward 1/2” rearward make a big difference.

Weld and plate it of course.

Rear tire is 27.5” and fronts are 25.5” tall and the car is pretty level, so not at a severe rake.

I use a bubble style alignment tool.

I know safety will be a concern, but i feel my welding skills are up to snuff
Click to expand...




I had a similar idea awhile back....
The man wants MORE caster. How about this idea?
 
remytherat said:
More caster will make turning take more effort, not less.

Interesting idea, let us know how it goes. And be safe
Click to expand...
Well yeah, but I don't think he's talking about adding 10 degrees of caster and even if he was, if he has power steering, then it's not much effort at all. Mercedes Benz cars have on the order of 8-12 degrees and with power steering, they are fine. I'm sure all he's talking about is maybe 5 degrees at the very most.

I wouldn't see a problem with trying it. I like new ideas. I remember we had a really smart member here, Bill Dedman (RIP) who talked about modifying slant 6 rocker arms to a true 1.6 ratio. Some chuckled at him. But when he built a jig and DID IT, they got kinda quiet. I'm sorry he didn't live to see that project finished.

I'd think if you did something similar, like making a jig for good duplicity, that it would work. But rather than "feel" my welding was up to snuff, I'd need to "KNOW" it was up to snuff. If you know what I mean. lol
 
mbaird said:
Why not shim the spindles to create more caster ?
Click to expand...

RustyRatRod said:
That would only affect camber unless I'm missing something.
Click to expand...
Putting shims or washers between the lower ball joint and steering knuckle only serve to tilt the knuckle out at the bottom which does only affect camber. Putting a shim in only one hole would probably only affect toe.

GG 52 B.JPG


Spacer 3.JPG


Spacer AR.gif
 
Besides using the manual steer book spec for caster, I'd minimize the scrub radius using a tire outside diameter/size and/or wheel backspace/offset. The scrub is a lever on the spindle that works against whatever steering you are trying to accomplish.

You can see where the tire centerline should be for zero scrub by taking the wheel off, jack the lower control arm to normal ride height, then run a string from the upper balljoint across the lower balljoint to the ground. Tire sidewall compression goes away at speed but static maybe 3/8-1/2 inch so picking a new tire size will be an approximation.

Generally, smaller tire OD and more backspace help. More ackermann would help too but it would be difficult to do without considerable fabrication.
 
Last edited:
My 67 383, aluminum heads, headers, had rebuilt stock front suspension with a factory sway bar.
I replaced that with all QA1 stuff and a new 16:1 PST manual box.
Car handled beautifully and went down the road straight as an arrow.
Added a new front/rear swaybar, it was an improvement, but the biggest improvement was the QA1 stuff.
Not cheap, but made the car much more enjoyable.
 
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