Rear Lower Control arms. How To:

[BoostedBeaver]

I was told that the inner diameter of the heim joints where all the same but if you would measure yours I can measure mine and see.

The video below gives the lengths that I cut mine too. They are off the car so I can take measurements of the small ends, big ends and their lengths and make a drawing if that is what you need. Just let me know.

Robert

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/art...9710-adjustable-upper-control-arms-video.html

 

[____Kurt____]

Finally installed, had to make some custome spacers out of SS. Everything fit up awesome like.
I will get some pictures this week.
Total width including spacers and heim has to be 50mm in length with a 14mm through hole for the bolt .

 

[lowell]

Aluminum lowers, but idk what one would be stronger because it doesn't say the thickness of the AL tubes.

0.150" from the OD to the inside of the threads.

Pic of how I mounted the anti roll bar

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[RedTalonTsi]

As has been pointed out, the most recent parts list for the uppers does not include spacers for the heim joints. As far as I know there is no "plug and play" spacer option that can be ordered, you either have to fabricate your own spacers or modify some existing spacers or have a machine shop do something for you.

Personally, I cut up the stock upper control arm with a zawsall to get at the stock spacer leaving the inner spacer (the part you want) with its thick rubber coating. Empty coffee can, some kindling, and some gasoline burned off the rubber, and I was left with a spacer of the perfect length that your stock bolts perfectly fit through. I then took the spacers to a machine shop with my heim joint and had them turned down so they would slide into the heim. This cost approx $25 on short notice.

 

[lowell]

How does that spacer bolt in?

 

[RedTalonTsi]

How does that spacer bolt in?

With the stock bolts in the stock location, it is a stock piece itself, just modified to accommodate the new heim.

 

[evileagleawd]

Could we use one of these on the inner instead of a heim joint?

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They are 22.49 each. A little cheaper then the VCAM-12 Aurora PTFE rod ends.

 

[____Kurt____]

As long as the threads are the same and it fits good then I don't see why not.
Anyone else?

 

[RedTalonTsi]

It has to be exactly 50 mm long with the 14 mm hole through and has to have 3/4 RH thread.

 

[evileagleawd]

They are 3/4 by 16 thread. Same as our tubes. They are 2'' wide witch is a little big. But don't think it would be a problem modding them slightly.

 

[pneumo]

Could we use one of these on the inner instead of a heim joint?

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They are 22.49 each. A little cheaper then the VCAM-12 Aurora PTFE rod ends.

Modding one to fit is worth a try. I have some plain rod ends on my DD and the clunking gets tiresome.

 

[lowell]

Putting a bushing back in the inner mount isn't a great idea since 1G's need all the help they can get in that area. Our rear control arm pickups are mounted very close together which means a lot of force on the pivots and subframe ears.

The subframe will flex in a few spots such as here:

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I welded a rectangular plate to box in that area, as well as gussets between the two pickup points. I also added a cross brace between the forward subframe mounts which stiffens the whole chassis when you solid mount the subframe.

 

[nitrouskris]

What is the best of best for the uppers ?? Going to be for a street / strip car

 

[evileagleawd]

I all ready have a set of these ordered up. I should have some pics in about a week of the full install.

 

[boostcrazy92tsi]

Im on my second set of heim joints on the upper control arm. They slop out and dont seem to last very long. I understand that they are most likely the better option, but the stock control arm was a bushed joint. I have a feeling im going to end up bushed setup thats been posted. I live on a dirt road, and michigan roads in general are just terrible. The Heim joints, no matter the quaility are not designed for the impacts generated from poor road conditions. I have a feeling even the teflon heims will fail and end up costing me more money. For a track only car I say good heims all the way. For a street driven car in dirty conditions the bushed rod end should be just fine. Lots of cars have gone very fast on the stock upper control arms and havent ripped the subframe mounts off.. at least to my knowledge. BTW where did you end up finding the 2inch wide end? Does it have a 1/2inch hole or a 5/8ths?

 

[lowell]

Seals-It

And anyone who has worked on an Evo knows the LCA's are factory bearing/balljointed.

 

[boostcrazy92tsi]

has the vcam series held up for everyone? Or do I really need to go with the am-12t setup? Im going to put boots on my ends this time to keep any debris out. I just dont want to have to do this again.

 

[99gst_racer]

has the vcam series held up for everyone? Or do I really need to go with the am-12t setup? Im going to put boots on my ends this time to keep any debris out. I just dont want to have to do this again.

I've had great luck with the VCAM series stuff holding up with time and street use. The AM series is a bit stronger, and the only real difference is the type of bearing race used. You can't go wrong with either, but I'd personally save half the cost and run the VCAM series.

 

[Mark L]

I've had a dyno failure where both sides broke at the same time on the dyno. Kind of scary with 10 people standing in front of the car at a dyno day event! No good, so to prevent that I made the lowers out of 4130 with weld in threaded inserts, good enough for 4-link setups on rear wheel drives, good enough for this application! It added a little weight, somewhere around 3lbs total over the afco’s. Also I replaced all of the old Afco heim joints with QA1’s. The new QA1’s are very nice with no slop like the Afco’s had.

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[____Kurt____]

That's crazy, I bet it would have been one heck of a pass if it happened as you were going down the track. Thankfully it was in a controlled environment.
Ps, what size exhaust is that and do you have any other pics? Thanks

 

[evileagleawd]

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Late night at the garage trying to get ready for Ocean City Maryland. Just a quick photo before I left the garage. Have a few better pics for you guys by the weekend.

 

[99gst_racer]

I've had a dyno failure where both sides broke at the same time on the dyno.

Where exactly did the arms fail? At the tube, heim, etc...? Was the car by chance strapped down to the arms? Sounds implausible if it wasn't.

 

[daplatano91]

I know this thread hasn't been touched on in a bit but, does anyone know if the 3000gt lower arms are the same as the 1g dsm? Mine are rusted real bad one my street car and would rather buy new ones in order to retain the sway bar mounting points.

 

[TechTherrien]

I verry much like this idea. I cannot find the rear lowers anywhere and am planning on making my own. Definitely gunna give this a shot

 

[Stew Pidaso]

So if i planned on doing this setup for my entire rear, parts list as follows (correct if im mistaken)
30211 tie rod end LH (x4)
10141 jam nut 3/4" LH (x4)
19517 17 inch swage tubing (x2)
19514 14 inch swage tube (x2)
HAL-XMR12-14 QA1 RH (x2)
HAL-XML12-14 QA1 LH (x2)

Also if there could be a post with pics on how to do the washers and bolts at the subframe that would be great.