The shock towers in '65-'70 Mustangs are the heart of the structural strength at the front of the car. When you consider what is attached to the towers, it's easy to see why their structural integrity is absolutely critical in terms of proper suspension performance and the general safety of the car. Connected directly to the towers are the motor mounts, upper and lower control arms (and in turn, the strut rods and antisway bar), spindles, and coil springs. Basically the entire front end of a first-generation Mustang hangs off these relatively thin metal pieces.
After 30 years of wear and tear, in the case of the '68 Shelby GT500 shown, the problem was very clear-the towers needed replacing. All Mustangs can have similar tower failure, but this car's 428 big-block FE motor made the problem even more pronounced. Big-block Mustangs from '67-'70 (390 and 428 cars) are the most likely candidates for tower replacement. Just be sure the car in question is worth the effort because this is not an easy job. We spent two entire days watching suspension expert Jim Sleeper at So-Cal Speed Shop do the job on only one side, and with the benefit of compressed air, a way-nasty air chisel, and years of experience, it's still very labor-intensive work.
Obviously, the effort is worthwhile with a car like a gennie Shelby GT500. By far the cheapest part of the job was procuring the towers from another '68 Mustang at Mustang Village. The bottom line is, if the car is worth it and the towers need to be swapped, you've got no choice but to go for it. We're providing the highlights of the required work, the rest is up to you.
