Name a sound we associate with classic Ford compacts more than any other. That's right, the unpleasant sound of squeaking upper control arm bushings. We've shown that you can do something about noisy upper control arm bushings by replacing the upper arm or installing grease zerks to lubricate (and quiet!) the pesky things. But did you know that noisy and binding upper control arm bushings are the greatest contributors to cracked shock towers? The bushing binds and the tower does the flexing instead of the arm. The stress of all that flexing leads to cracks.
Another problem common to classic Ford shock towers are the holes lazy mechanics cut in the towers to access noisy upper control arm bushings instead of installing 90-degree-angle grease fittings. These holes have also contributed to cracking and fatigue problems.
Our '68 Mustang project mule was plagued with damaged shock towers in need of replacement. So we turned, once again, to our friend Jerry Choate at West Coast Classic Mustang for advice. Jerry looked at the cracked shock towers and concluded that replacement was the best solution. Before you panic about the complexities of shock tower replacement, please understand that they're not that hard to replace. And replacement will pay big dividends in the peace of mind that comes from knowing the structural integrity has been vastly improved up front.
We picked up the phone and called Mustang Village out in Fontana, California, for speedy access to solid shock towers for our driver coupe. Mustang Village is our source for rust-free southwestern iron and steel for classic Mustangs.