Hotshoe

I need to move along on my project and I need to make a control arm decision. I've been going back and forth for months now and can't decide.

I was going to get Racers Edge arms but I am having last minute doubts that it's overkill. I'm putting together a V8 car that will double duty as a street car and occassional track toy.

Are the racers edge arms worth the added coin for such a car or would I be better served by putting the money toward the brakes? I could use the rennbay 19mm kit and rebuild the arms I have.

I plan on lowering the car and running 18's if that comes into play.

Ideas, opinions appreciated.

Van

I'd recommend some aftermarket control arm.

gt1scca

Have you seen these? (Half-price compared to Racer's Edge)

http://forum.44cup.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=28

Hotshoe

I have been looking at those also Greg but in one of their threads they recommended that they were for the track only due to high maintenance of the spherical join I think. I think it was in a group buy thread I found in a search. I'll try to find it.

gt1scca

Yeah, that sounds about right.
I thought I remembered a statement about upgrading to Teflon...

Great arms for the track, though - no doubt.

If most of your driving will be on the street, then use the Rennbay longer pins, a set of camber plates, and a nice set of coilovers. Fab your uprights as short as possible to limit, or even eliminate spacers, and you shouldn't have to worry about the stock arms. A manual rack will help with oil pan clearance.

$16-1800 goes a long way toward other suspension upgrades...

Hotshoe

By the way the manual is great. I wish I would have got it before I purchased the RH kit but it wasn't available back then.

Do you have any info on the LS7 dry sump negating the need for spacers or custom pan?

Hotshoe

Just to add more confusion to the mix...

Between the Fabcar arms and the Racers Edge which is the better for what I am considering?

67King

THe fact that you are asking this in the basic forum, rather than the racing/DE one is in and of itself an answer. I know plenty of people with dedicated race cars that run stock arms with the Rennbay tall 19mm ball joint. FWIW, my (track) car is the opposite as yours - track car with occasional street use. I have the full Racer's Edge spherical bearing kit (front and rear - 6 total), solid torsion tube mounts, and Delrin spring plate bushings. I run the standard diameter, tall ball joint from Rennbay on stock arms.

Van

I've been using the Fabcar arms for a decade. (I replace the pins every 2 or 3 years or so...)

Hotshoe

Thanks for the replies.

I put the thread here because I believed the Racing/DE forum was strictly for track cars. My mistake.

I always tend to go overboard when I get things apart. I just start upgrading "since I'm there anyways" and next thing you know it's the size of a NASA program. Hence the whole V8, psuedo RSR nonsense.

As it stands I would need to purchase the Rennbay balljoint kit and source another '87 951 factory arm to replace the worn one I have. I just started thinking that money might be better applied to new arms and just be done with it. Again, upgraditis in effect.

To give you an idea just how sick I am. I purchased Moton Club Sport dampners for the car becuase I had the chance to get them at cost and couldn't pass it up. Do I need them? Of course not. I'm sick I tell ya'!!!! To make matters worse I saw the billet hubs and camber plates on their site!!!! Someone call me a doctor.

vt951

I'm the one who made the cautionary statements about using the spherical jointed control arms (my bro in law's High Strung 44 arms, for example) on the street. After a full year of street use (approx. 5k miles) and 4 DE weekends, there is not even a hint of play in the spherical joints. They are more durable than I thought. When they do start to wear, the sphericals can be replaced pretty easily and cost about $50 a piece I think (for the teflon lined chromoly ones). I think it is conceivable that the sphericals could be replaced without needing an alignment, if you are careful to measure them before replacing.

That said, for a lowered and primarily street driven car, the stock arms should work just fine (with longer Rennbay pins).

Geldfalle 944

I intend to keep mine mostly on the street. I am still thinking of getting the sphericals just because the stock arms suck, and cost too much to replace from new in the event they crack. Potholes in Denver are vicous. Oh.. and they look cool when installed.

ideola

I hadn't seen those...those look really nice.

There's also a guy on 44cup offering a pretty nice deal on rebuilt & strengthened steel a-arms for early offset cars:
http://forum.44cup.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=49

gt1scca

Thanks Alan,

Not taking anything at all away from the 44 Strong Arms, but I also was unsure of "daily durability" of the spherical joints.
Very nice info to have when I am ready for my set, and good to know for future recommendations.

Nice arms, nicer price, and more durable than expected.

[ 3 ]

Greg

mikey_audiogeek

Stock arms do not suck. They are very reliable and functional when used as specified. They are also much lower maintenance than the alternatives. They do, however, fail on cars lowered excessively and on cars with soft springs and overly stiff sway bars. This is where the aftermarket arms may be more suitable

The 968 arms have a lot of detail updates and allow use of the most excellent 968 cooling ducts/deflectors.

Mike