rs10

It's finally time to replace the control arms, front and rear. And in front, not just the lower control arms, but also the smaller ones. Which adds up to a lot of cash :-(

My local specialist believes Meyle control arms, despite costing a lot less, are just as good as those one gets directly from Porsche.

On the other hand, Eibach makes adjustable lower control arms. One advantages is that you can replace the ball joint without replacing the control arm ... with the disadvantage that one would have to go through a lot of control arms to justify the extra cost.

But what about being adjustable? Is that useful? I'm wondering when one would one need to adjust camber more than one already can? Maybe sometime I'd like to swtich to GT3 or even GT3 RS geometry for use on track. Anyone know if this is possible with normal control arms? Or if not, how close one can get?

And anyone have any insight into whether Meyle control arms really are as good as those Porsche sells?

Thanks for any insight into this!

Slakker

The initial reports are that the Meyle work fine. Not sure about longevity.

As for adjustable, unless it’s an 80% track car I wouldn’t recommend it. And even then, adjustable camber plates, which a lot of the coilovers come with, will get you plenty of negative camber. The current set I have will go -4.5 on stock LCAs.

As for the geometry, it will not effect your lap times a bit. But if you are concerned, adding wheel spacers will accomplish most of the same thing.

dkraige

I've had the Meyle tuning fork arms for about 3 months with no issues, but that's not very much data. Their construction seems virtually identical to the original parts they replaced, so I don't have reason to believe they would last shorter or longer.

That seems like a pretty bold statement that could use some qualifiers!

jllphan

FWIW Meyle products are an oem supplier for BMW and I used their control arms, tie rods and end links religiously over the years on all my BMWs w/o issue. Admittedly, I'm a newb in the pcar world so I can't speak to your application but doubt there's a huge drop off in quality.

laphan

I have Meyle control arms on all 4 corners for the last 2 years. It survived Metro Detroit road fine and they have no play so far.

gtred

Just a note. The 2 pc factory LCA are wider than the normal LCA's and they did not clear my oem front sway bar. These made contact with the portion that curves around the LCA.

dan_189

I'd shop around, I found Genuine Porsche "tuning fork"/control arms from Poland for just a bit more than aftermarket ones.

Pays to shop around

Slakker

You think adding 1/2� to the length of a control arm is going to reduce your laptimes?

It’s funny how many people are spending money to solve problems they don’t have. I’ve done it plenty of times myself so I’m not judging but driving is the number one influence on laptimes. Setting a car up in a manner that the driver has the most confidence in is how the car will be the fastest. And 1/2� of camber or 1/2� of width is not something most people can get in a car and tell the difference in.

sfv_rider

I'll look for the vendor, but I saw an Asian (perhaps Taiwanese?) manufacturer of adjustable LCAs for a most attractive price.

Like most Porsche parts, OEM or aftermarket, they seem to cost the earth.

rs10

I'm not really concerned about lap times. But how the car feels on track does matter to me. On the other hand, on some vehicles, a small difference in camber can make a difference that one can both feel and see in lap times. Is the 996 one of them - don't know. Is the difference between the most negative camber I can get with stock control arms, no camber plates, etc., and the optimal amount of camber on track large or small? Also no idea.

What I'm sure of is that I'd be pleased if, when tracking my car, I could use GT3 geometry. That was my original question about adjustible versus regular control arms. Anyone know if GT3 camber is possible with regular control arms?

Slakker

For the track, camber is very tire dependent. And you need to get your tire pressures right before it really comes into play. I ran -4.4 front camber with Pirelli DH slicks on JRZ 3 Way Cup Car shocks and a fully mono ball suspension. I ran 3mm of total toe out in the front and the car would try and dart all over the place on the straights. But when you got to a corner, it would turn like nothing else. Literally. I was out running C7 Z06, 600hp Evos and souped up 4L 996 Cup Cars with vet racers driving them. The 997cups still spanked me though.

Now what is this GT3 geometry you speak of? It sounds mystical and so I’m curious what it is.

dkraige

I wouldn't get too hung up on the exact alignment specs of a GT3, since that car has different suspension components, tire sizes, ride height, weight, etc., so what works best for it is unlikely to work best for you.

However, I WOULD spend the time to get your car correctly aligned, as it'll have a great effect on your tire life and your driving comfort. Then adjust as necessary depending on how aggressive you want to get on track vs. how long you want your tires to last on the street and how comfortable/stable you want the car to be. Front toe out will help the car turn in, but make it less stable, and more camber will help with cornering grip up to a point, at the cost of tire longevity on the street.

For what it's worth, I have stock control arms, with a slightly lowered suspension and street tires, and I'm able to get satisfactory handling performance and very even tire wear, and I'm not maxed out on any alignment adjustment, so for me there's not a reason to go to adjustable control arms to add more range. I would say adjustable control arms are more of a track-only mod, not necessary for a dual-use car.

Slakker

And here’s a little secret, a 996 GT3 doesn’t have different geometry. It’s a C4 tub with with the same pickup points and same geo on the wheel carriers as a C2.

Testdr

I've bought the SPC versions of the Eibach ones. Looks exactly the same. But beware, just found out this weekend that the locking plate unscrewed itself and dropped off!
The ball joint was loose, highway driving was dangerous.
​​​Will see how SPC is going to remedy the situation.

Ordered CTE arms from type911 in the UK to replace the aftermarket parts.

steved0x

Any word from SPC? My car got squirrelly on track today and I jacked it up, both of my SPC caps were nearly fully unthreaded. I tightened them back.up but am removing them.when I get home from.this trip.