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Custom Length LCAs for 2G???

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GSR-VR

Proven Member
111
5
Oct 7, 2012
Albuquerque, New_Mexico
I want to be as polite as possible without uncovering my projects intentions. What I am looking at doing is shortening the length of the 2Gs REAR lower control arm. Let me be more clear. I am looking at moving the mounting point of the lower control arm towards the wheels thus making the LCA shorter BUT maintaining proper camber at ride height. I'll be honest. I don't know what the hell I am doing to the suspension by doing this. Can a guru explain to me what effects may/will happen?

Thanks for any/all input as it is greatly appreciated.
Constructive criticism is nice too.
 
You might read your quote "I don't know what the hell I am doing to the suspension." as advice. If you only change the length of one arm you are in for a wild ride... or in this case possibly a quite numb steering response, if you are talking about the LCA (and not the toe link). If you are shortening the toe link it might be the wild or dangerous steering response. Your toe-control through wheel travel is controlled by the relative length of these members and their relative height or angularity. I always wanted to change suspension geometry before I knew what I was doing. After 15 years of designing suspensions including three OEM suspensions in mass production... I am quite happy with just about any OEM geometry on my vehicle... Why? Because I know the challenges of hacking & whacking. If you don't understand... read. When you think you understand... read more. When you are ready to cut and weld... stop and model your expected changes with a suspension CAE package. After you have modeled your ideal geometry and are ready to cut.... go back to your computer and see what happens to your geometry if you are off by 1mm in X,Y, or Z for different attachment points. How accurate can you cut & weld? Are you accurate to 2mm? how about left side to right side?

Keep in mind... anything drives down the road.... anything. The question is... are you making improvements or degradations. The wrong time to find out your changes are not good... is when you have a car full of friends, doing 70mph with quick steering input to avoid hitting something. Further, suspension member are subject to high loads & fatigue. How long are your welds good for? Prototype vehicles (with professionally welded suspension members) have suffered broken welds on many occasions. There was a famous F1 driver who died when a welded steering input shaft broke.

I know a guy who stopped his 100+mph laps because he heard a noise. After stopping he found his broken lower control arm riding on his wheel rim.

Would you consider making or designing your own connecting rods? pistons? suspension components & geometry are easy though, right?
 
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