cb951

Just bought a set of used Charlie arms (early offset -- short arm) for my '86 951. Haven't received them yet, but they have 17mm pins instead of the usual 19mm as supplied by Wrightwood Racing. PO got them from Performance Products with 17mm pins (no optional pin sizes).

1. Should I replace the pins with 19mm, or can I get away with the 17mm (especially if my front spring rates stay around 450# or likely lower)?

2. Are the correct 19mm pins available?

cb951

bump

931guru

Why don't you ask Charlie Wright?

cb951

Well, that would just make too much sense...

Actually I've read other posts (after searching RL for Charlie arms) that Charlie doesn't respond well to retail (end) customers, preferring to deal only with resellers/distributors. So I thought I'd try posting first, hoping to hear from suppliers with a couple of pins (or some leads for suppliers). Also, I'm waiting until I receive the arms before contacting Charlie.

Scootin159

I've heard it argued both ways... 19mm pins are obviously a stronger pin, but the 17mm pins leave more metal intact on the spindle. Considering I've never even heard of the ball joint pin itself breaking (or even bending), I'd feel comfortable running the 17mm pins (which now that I think about it... I am).

cb951

Just received the arms. They do have the 17mm pins, as reported by the po. However, the original receipt was included, and they're from Powerhaus in Arizona, not Performance Products.

Has anyone else ever bought arms from Powerhaus?
Did they have 17mm pins?

PorscheDoc

We broke 2 17mm pins last year.

Scootin159

Just curious, but under what conditions? I'd assume a track-only car, and under braking... but what size tires? about how many hours? any pictures? what spring weights? what car weights?

cb951

Where can I get 19mm pins which correctly fit these arms?

Jeremy Himsel

Was this on a stack arm or on a Charlie? Was rhis during an acident or under normal use?

I have 17mm pins in my Charlie arms as well and would like to have an extra set on the shelf. If you talk with Charlie he'll rip your *** for using a 17mm pin in his are and he says he never installed them in his arms.

PorscheDoc

Sorry Jeremy for not clarifying, it was on a fabcar control arm, on the track under hard cornering, no accident either time (nor offroading), luckily everything stayed together except for some very slight fender damage where the spindle went backwards off the control arm and the tire rubbed the fender lip. Sheered the pins both times. Fabcar says the pins are suppose to be replaced something like every 30hours of track time (I can't remember the exact number, but I do recall it was surprisingly low hours). I know the arms are a bit different, but the sheer strength of the pins should be similar.

Jeremy Himsel

Interesting. While I can see the failure under hard track use to a certain degree it is still baffling to me that a spherical 17mm chromoly pin would sheer when the stock ones, IIRC are shouldered and have groove all the way around them) can hold up for 20 years of pot holes, curb checks, and wives without sheering the pin.

Could it be because the aftermarket arm pins are non-greased/sealed?

PorscheDoc

Very possible, since there is nothing to keep the elements out, if the spherical bearing looses it's proper movement, I could see that putting more force on the pin under load.