1965–1970 Mustang Front Control Arm & Bushings Guide

If your classic Mustang wanders on the highway, eats inner tire edges, or clunks over driveway lips, start with the front control arms and bushings. Rubber dries out, tears, and lets the tire camber change under load — no amount of “alignment” sticks when the bushings are toast.

Symptoms of worn control arm bushings

• Steering that feels vague on-center
• Clunk on acceleration or braking
• Uneven front tire wear after a recent alignment
• Visible cracks or separation in the bushing rubber
• Arms that shift when you pry gently with the car supported

Also inspect ball joints and strut rod bushings at the same time — they age together.

Rebuild vs replace the arms

Press-in bushing rebuild makes sense when stampings are straight and mounts aren’t egg-shaped. Complete control arm assemblies save time and guarantee fresh ball joints if your press access is limited.

For 1965–1970 Mustangs, confirm:

• Upper vs lower (and left/right if offset)
• Stock rubber vs polyurethane (poly = sharper response, more NVH)
• Coil spring perch condition on the lowers

Install tips that protect the new parts

1. Support the car on stands; never rely on a jack alone under the arm.
2. Mark or measure spring position before teardown if you’re reusing springs.
3. Torque bushing bolts at ride height when the instructions say so — binding them in full droop tears new rubber.
4. Get a full alignment after: caster, camber, toe.
5. Recheck torque after 50–100 miles.

Related front-end upgrades

Many owners combine bushings with a disc brake conversion or power steering so the car only comes apart once. If you’re shopping a project car, add control arms to your buying inspection.

Find arms, bushings, and suspension hardware in the Mustang parts database. Fresh bushings make an old Mustang track straight again — and keep that alignment you paid for.