control arms

octotat · 02-18-2006, 03:15 AM

<<<<<update 3-6-07>>>>>>
NOW TAKING ORDERS! http://www.sr20forum.com/showpost.ph...&postcount=103

3/7/07
2 sets paid for :
-SentraDragon
-rex
-
-
-
-

only 4 left

i've been working on designing front lower control arms for the b13

it's gonna be something like this

my design parameters are:

safety first - this leads to alot of the design decisions

use factory mounting points

no modifications to the spindle

adjustable at the balljoint to correct geometry

equal or less weight than factory

$350 price range

the biggest obstacle was the balljoint. nissan uses a 9* taper, not common in american race products. i was hoping to use an inexpensive off the shelf unit, but no luck. i have decided to use a screw-in setup and offer a few options.

1) off the shelf ball joint (reaming of the spindle required) drops the balljoint about 1"

2) adjustable monoball (reaming of the spindle required) drops the balljoint about 0"- 1.5" (std) or 1" - 2" (extended)

3) adjustable monoball (with custom ground stud no reaming required) drops the balljoint about 0" - 1.5" (std) or 1" - 2" (extended)

there are pro's and con's for any option, notably:

1) ots balljoints are cheap $15-$25
reamers are $75-$100 to diy or $20-$50(est) for a shop to do it
once you ream the spindle, there's no going back without replacing it

2) adjustable
$100 additional cost
reamers are $75-$100 to diy or $20-$50(est) for a shop to do it
once you ream the spindle, there's no going back without replacing it

3) adjustable
$150 additional cost
no reaming required
easy bolt up install

i believe this is the best way to go. it offers the flexability to serve daily drivers, autocrossers, weekend warriors and racers.

they will mount as factory and come equiped with superpro bushings (castor increasing or std bushings). and be compatable with stock or avaiable aftermarket swaybars.

construction will be similar to the drawing consisting of 1" steel tubing and 3/16" plate

i could build some camber, caster and trackwidth into them, but i want to keep them daily driver friendly. (someone else would need to figure this out for me)

pricing would start at $299 (w/ ots balljoints) and increase as outlined above.

i'm hoping to to have a working prototype built in 4-6 weeks

-chuck

blackb13se-r · 02-18-2006, 10:26 AM

i'll be the first to say hooray!! looks cool.

blairellis · 02-18-2006, 10:50 AM

Sweet! Now if I only had a B chassis car

johnand · 02-18-2006, 11:17 AM

Great! I have been waiting for a control arm to fix geometry for my lowered B13 for a long time. In fact, I was working designing my own, but will wait and see this one.

Even though the cost is significantly more, I agree option 3 is best. Being able to go back to stock is important.

98sr20ve · 02-18-2006, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blairellis

Sweet! Now if I only had a B chassis car

They already have it for your S13.

98sr20ve · 02-18-2006, 12:39 PM

I think you guys worry to much about going back to stock. How many people who do this are really ever going to take the car back to stock. If you do just get some junkyard hubs for $50-75 and call it a day. Or sell the arms with the hubs to someone who wants them. Just the price of the reaming makes it worth selling the predone hubs as a kit with the arms.

R0b_ · 02-18-2006, 03:41 PM

For those "suspension geometry challenged" of us, can you explain what is wrong with the stock setup, and what benefits you would get from this product?

markbuts3 · 02-18-2006, 03:54 PM

I'll 'attempt' that one and Chuck can correct what I get wrong...

With MacPherson strut suspension, when you lower the car you take the control arm to near or possibly past horizontal; so any suspension compression will bring the outer end upwards and inwards so causing positive camber.

By lowering the outer end of the control arm you stop this positive camber situation happening....

Is that right Chuck ??

octotat · 02-18-2006, 06:56 PM

gold star for mark!!

by raising where the balljoint mounts in relation to the control arm, you bring the control arm back to it's original position.

an additional benefit is that it also helps keep the cv joints from bottoming out, increasing axle life in a lowered car

-chuck

rex · 02-19-2006, 01:26 AM

I have paypal ready when they're done! Speaking of ...what kind of time table do you project?

octotat · 02-19-2006, 01:09 PM

my goal is to have a small run done by the convention

rex · 02-19-2006, 01:42 PM

I'm not going to the convention but put me on a list, please.

HJBarker · 02-19-2006, 06:54 PM

hmmm... I don't know if I wanna go for the LCAB or just save up for these...

what happened to those LCABs anyways? I can't find the thread anymore and I really want one... pm me?

[/hijack]

///H

brokeser · 02-19-2006, 07:19 PM

I would most definitly spend some bones for this...

***' me *** line.

L

racersd2 · 02-19-2006, 09:45 PM

I am very interrested in these. I Solo II in STS so it looks like opt. 3 for me. Im checking into legalities. Of course more camber and track would awesome as well.

veilside180sx · 02-19-2006, 09:53 PM

I'm watching to see a built model, and deciding whether to make my own one off, or this.

octotat · 02-19-2006, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HJBarker

hmmm... I don't know if I wanna go for the LCAB or just save up for these...

what happened to those LCABs anyways? I can't find the thread anymore and I really want one... pm me?

[/hijack]

///H

http://www.sr20forum.com/bolt-bars/144750-whiteline-4pt-control-arm-braces-%24135-shipped.html

octotat · 02-19-2006, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 98sr20ve

I think you guys worry to much about going back to stock. How many people who do this are really ever going to take the car back to stock. If you do just get some junkyard hubs for $50-75 and call it a day. Or sell the arms with the hubs to someone who wants them. Just the price of the reaming makes it worth selling the predone hubs as a kit with the arms.

the advantage of not reaming the spindle is:

if you have a failure, you can just slap a new spindle in

you don't have to purchase a tool that you are only going to use a few times

you don't have to rely on some one else to ream the spindle correctly

when you decide to sell the car or return it to stock, you just slap the old lca back in

veilside180sx · 02-19-2006, 10:39 PM

For me I'll keep a spare spindle and LCA in the garage, it's that easy.=)

brokeser · 02-19-2006, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by veilside180sx

For me I'll keep a spare spindle and LCA in the garage, it's that easy.=)

Can't do better than that

L