2G Megan Racing rear trailing arms?

[SAKONE]

Just wondering if anyone has seen these/used these? Less than $200 for the pair seems good enough for me. Just wondering on the type of spherical they are using if it's meant for automotive application or just some regular one not meant to be installed on something that's going to see a lot of movement? Just gotta paint them black.

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http://www.meganracing.com/products/product_detail.asp?prodid=665&catid=108

 

[Flash]

Interesting...

 

[snipingkills]

Out of curiosity what would be the benefit of using this? Or would this just be something if you bend the factory trailing arms?

 

[eclipsh]

Out of curiosity what would be the benefit of using this? Or would this just be something if you bend the factory trailing arms?

I'm not familiar with the suspension on 2g cars, but the general idea behind ball joint suspension pieces is to eliminate play at the joints for tighter, more controlled handling. These arms are also adjustable length, though I do not know if the factory ones are so I can't say if that is an improvement.

 

[jtmcinder]

Stock rear trailing arms are not adjustable in length, but they have a big, squishy, inboard bushing, so it's not needed. As soon as you switch to a speherical, you had better have length adjustment; if you don't, you would not be able to set toe without binding.

What would be interesting is the following. Take a 2G with sphericals at every point in the rear and cycle the wheel up and down (with the shock, spring, and swaybar removed, of course). How bad is the binding? How bad (or good) is the dynamic toe? Compare to stock. Discuss ad nauseum.

- Jtoby

 

[snipingkills]

I see you point now sir. I guess the next question would be does anybody make enough spherical suspension components to test this theory? I'm still trying to read up on how our suspension works and see how various changes effect the handling of the car.

 

[jtmcinder]

Not that I know of, but people have sourced bearings that will fit our front control arms, so I can't imagine that it couldn't be done.

- Jtoby

 

[SAKONE]

Stock rear trailing arms are not adjustable in length, but they have a big, squishy, inboard bushing, so it's not needed. As soon as you switch to a speherical, you had better have length adjustment; if you don't, you would not be able to set toe without binding.

What would be interesting is the following. Take a 2G with sphericals at every point in the rear and cycle the wheel up and down (with the shock, spring, and swaybar removed, of course). How bad is the binding? How bad (or good) is the dynamic toe? Compare to stock. Discuss ad nauseum.

- Jtoby

Funny. I was thinking about that. I can't exactly buy off the shelf parts for a 2g unlike a nissan 240, but it would be nice to uncompliant non slop suspension points with so much adjustability that I can screw up. I'm buying these arms in the next 6 months along with some SPC front upper arms.

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[snipingkills]

Those are the front upper control arms. I actually just purchased those in preparation for slightly lowering my car. They seem to be pretty well made. I really like the ability to change the amount of caster that you gain with those. Right now I have it set so I have about 5.9* and 5.8* of caster up front. Sorry for getting off topic.

 

[jtmcinder]

While 6* of caster must be nice, the loss of available bump travel with those things makes them, IMO, not worth it. The way that I would try for more caster would involve moving the bottom of the knuckle forward, not the top backward.

- Jtoby

 

[newdsmtnr96]

I bought them and only one issue im having is trying to find a bushing that is totaly warn out. I have heard that it will tighten up the rear suspention, heres some pics of stock and the replacement ones.

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[D_Eclipse9916]

While 6* of caster must be nice, the loss of available bump travel with those things makes them, IMO, not worth it. The way that I would try for more caster would involve moving the bottom of the knuckle forward, not the top backward.

- Jtoby

So what do you think of these trailing arms, worth it just to get rid of the slop?

 

[newdsmtnr96]

it made my car handle alot better. my stock ones were going out and every time i hit a bump my rear end would slide over a little or going arround a corner it was bad now its stiff as hell and i can take corners better.

 

[ACM]

May I suggest that you use large diameter washers under the bolt head and nut, as the peak loads you are now feeding into the inboard pickup bracket have increased dramatically - there's a good chance you may tear the bracket, as it was never designed for the loads it will now experience.

One of the purposes of the rubber bushings either end of that arm is to provide dynamic toe-in under lateral load. Replacing one of those bushings with a zero resistance "bushing" reduces the overall stiffness, so should increase the dynamic toe-in, which in turn will increase understeer. This may actually be a negative handling improvement. Stiffer bushings would reduce the toe-in generated from cornering, thus making the car looser, which would benefit single turns, but work against slalom agility.


imho.

Charles

 

[greengoblin]

Anyone else tried these? Maybe at the track ect. Looking to see what other may have to offer.


Kevin

 

[housegsx]

Anyone have these? Bad, good, waste of money?

 

[nuclearr]

They look a bit flimsy to me.

 

[bpestilence]

They look to have the same thickness as the OEM trailing arms. These are for the rear, not the cast steel ones on the front. Probably wouldn't save weight or reduce sway... Pretty much all they do is give you adjustability, allowing you to adjust caster.

 

[LongJonSilver]

what would be a good trailing arm upgrade? I've already broken a few and I'm trying not to break anymore

 

[97gst_spyder]

I'm with Kevin, anyone else try these yet?

 

[jtmcinder]

I didn't try them, but I can tell you what one issue is. Putting a spherical at the inboard end is only half the story. If the outer end - that which attaches to the knuckle - isn't also allowed to rotate freely, then one of the main goals of these things is lost. To be clear: to get everything positive out of a suspension that uses spherical bearings, you need free movement at both ends. If you get these trailing arms, but fail to press a spherical into the knuckle, you haven't gained much.

 

[jtmcinder]

Anyone else tried these? Maybe at the track ect. Looking to see what other may have to offer.

Wait. Are you "the" greengoblin, as in the guy with the modified front crossmember to correct the roll center of a lowered 2G? If so, then I'm surprised that you'd be looking at Megan crap. You're my hero and my hero doesn't do anything OTS, especially when said shelf is in a warehouse in Taipei; my hero builds it from scratch and makes it perfect.

Of course, if you're not "the" greengoblin, then disregard. Oh, and get off my lawn!

 

[snowborder714]

Yep, same person jtoby.

He did make custom arms. See here.
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/handling-tech/320763-spherical-bearings-2g-2.html#post152193166

 

[97gst_spyder]

So if your not going to install a spherical bearing in the knuckle, don't waste the money basically?

 

[jtmcinder]

So if your not going to install a spherical bearing in the knuckle, don't waste the money basically?

That would be my decision. But if your inboard bushings are shot and/or one or both arms are bent, the Megan thingies, even with an OE or poly bushing in the knuckle is better than original. (I mostly try to raise and explain issues; I try to leave it to you to decide what to do.)