peteb3

have them on my 996 C4S, good design

steved0x

These arms are still going strong, I had to recently remove the ball joint end in order to remove my axles to rebuild my CV Joint, and found the following (minor) issues:

• Something must be slightly different in the shape of these compared to OEM, because I couldn't get my OTC ball joint tool to slip between the carrier and the top of the arm, there was absolutely no room, and I have used this same tool to remove the OEM LCA without any trouble. However, the harbor freight ball joint tool *did* fit, and while on the OEM arms the spacing of the arm is too narrow, it seemed to fit on these, and they both popped right out, probably because they have been on only a few thousand miles, and I put some antiseize on the tapered post before putting them on.
• There is no built-in way to counterhold the ball joint when tightening or loosening the nut - OEM arms have a hex socket at the top of the ball joint bolt - these do not. The workaround I found is to hold the ball joint in place using the pressure of the tapered stud in the carrier by putting pressure on the underside with a jack (which is tricky to do because of the grease nipple, which I worked around by drilling a hole in the hockey puck I use as a jack pad)

These are minor issues - and I would definitely buy these again if I were to ever need them on another car.

Wish list - I wish there was an option to have it come with a monoball instead of a rubber bushing on the inner end, and an option to have the center bushing have a second offset hole for caster like the OEM GT3 arms. However I read that the SPC arms use the exact same dimensions as OEM (unlike other arms, Meyle for example that has a larger inner bushing) for these bushings so they can be retrofitted with after market solutions from places like Elephant, Tarett, or Rennline. I'm using them in the back right now and only getting a mild boost in neg camber so the caster isn't an issue for me right now.

steved0x

I just got done rebuilding my axles and to get the off I had to pop the ball end of these SPC arms off, all is well but I am now blocked during the reinstallation phase - I can't tighten the nut because there is no way to counterhold the ball joint stud. Even lifting the arm up with the jack to press the tapered part of the ball joint stud into the carrier isn't working. During this process I was looking at the bottom cap, which cam be used to set the ball joint tension, and it was only finger tight. I don't have the special.tool:

SPC Performance 72120 Spanner Wrench
http://store.specprod.com/productdetail/M50/1/1/72120

but I was able to tighten it some using the jaws from a right angle needle nose.

I don't feel safe driving it as I did not get the nut on very tight, I've got a call into their support but this part is new and so nobody I talked to had any familiarity with it, I got transferred around and ultimately to voice mail.

maybe that can got loosened somehow during the installation or uninstallation process, or maybe it was always loose?

I will report back but right now I am blocked, I don't even think I could get that arm.back.off so I can't go back.to my oem style Meyle arms, I am going to road Atlanta this weekend and I might not make it because of this

I'm going to try putting the car back on its wheels, that may press fit the tapered stud enough to where I can fully tighten the nut

Quadcammer

can you grind a slot into the stud so you can hold it with a screwdriver?

steved0x

I might be able to cut a slot with a very low profile hacksaw, great idea! I don't have much room there because of the axle but the small saw I used to cut the boss off when I installed my UDP might fit. I will use this as a backup if putting the car back on it's wheels doesn't work.. Thank.you!

steved0x

For setting the proper torque for the threaded cap plate, I was able to find this procedure, which unfortunately only works when the arms are off the car:

http://www.spcalignment.com/instruct...13-INS_WEB.pdf

In cast this link moves, search their web site for part

72613 - PORSCHE ARM REBUILD KIT

And click the "View installation instructions"

===
Using dial-type torque wrench or similar, rotate ball stud at approximately 5 rpm with stud roughly perpendicular to retainer face. Slowly tighten threaded retainer cap until turning torque of ball stud reads between 2-9 Nm (18-82 lb-in).
===

That is good but is not workable for someone that wants to check the tightness of the threaded retainer cap when the arms are installed on the car, for example during a track inspection.

The engineer that designed these arms is supposed to be calling me back, so I should have more info soon.

Quadcammer

any updates here?

steved0x

I have run a few more events on these arms and haven't had the threaded cap loosen back up on me. SPC confirmed that there is no torque setting you can use on the threaded cap while the arms are installed in the car, the procedure above is the only approved procedure.

Rather than remove the arms again to perform this procedure, I bought their special wrench attachment, and tighten both threaded caps to the minimum setting on my inch/pounds torque wrench (it wasn't much but I don't recall it and they didn't turn very far to get there) and then used green wicking loctite on the threads of the threaded cap/ball joint retainer. That is not the approved SPC procedure but I really didn't want to take the arms back off again...

My plan is to check them from time to time.

I am satisfied with them so far but for v2 I would like to see:

• A way to counterhold the stud when tightening the nut, like most every other LCA including OEM
• A way to safety that threaded cap so it can come loose, for example since the threaded cap retains the ball joint, I wonder if anytime the ball joint turns relative to the arm (for example when turning the steering wheel if these arms are in the front or if the ball joint turns when you are trying to tighten the nut) it loosens the cap

I am running mine in the back so I don't have to worry about the steering and rotation of the ball joint putting a loosening force on the threaded retainer cap but it would be a concern if I were to run them on the front.

Would I get them again? Yes for the back.

steved0x

A couple updates:

i was able to get the ball joint nut tight by jacking up that control arm, with a hockey puck with a hole in it for the grease fitting, and jack the whole car up until two wheels were off the ground, and then it tightened. I should have posted this update before.

2nd update, although there is no procedure, per SPC, to check the threaded cap with the arm installed, I have been checking it anyway (since they loosened up on me before). Got back from Sebring 2 weeks ago, all good.

this weekend I am at Roebling, all day Friday with Bob woodman, all good, Saturday, first lap, on both left hand turns 3 & 5, the back end of the car started wandering like the toe was going out. I immediately pitted, jacked up the back of the car, both caps nearly fully unthreaded, the loctite and various things spc told me to try did not work. Tightened them both up, but again there is no torque spec per SPC, you have to remove the arm to set torque. so it is just a guess.

I have a student so I am staying but as soon as I get home these are going off the car, actually maybe I can get somebody to weld the caps on , I would lose the ability to change the ball joint but I don't have to worry about the cap falling off and losing control when the back end starts rolling around. No way I am taking these to Daytona in October.

in my opinion, anyone that has these installed better check them ASAP and tighten them up and develop a plan for moving forward. My personal plan for moving forward is to remove them

I really hate to write a post like this but I would not recommend, unless they come out with a v2 that includes some way to secure the cap after the ball joint turning force is set. If that cap loosens at the wrong time...

I really like that extra .6 neg camber in back I was running with these... dang it.

steved0x

Going to see if I can use a safety wire washer under the grease nipple and wire it to the body of the control arm to prevent back out. Will provide details and pics if it works.

steved0x

It worked, I used a product like this (actually that exact one I think but mine came with a winder)


I removed the grease zerk, put one of these washers under it, tightened down the grease zerk, bent up the tabs, and then safety wired it to the main body of the control arm. Because the grease zerk doesn't bolt flush to the cap I felt there was a little potential for rattling (and I didn't have any regular washers to shim) so I used a little blob of blue RTV to keep it from rattling. I then painted 4 white marks on the cap/body and took it to Sebring for 2 days. It worked, the threaded caps didn't move So now I am going to try and clean it up, and maybe get some small socket head safety wired screws from McMaster Carr once I figure out the thread for the grease zerks. I sure wish I would have measured it when I had it off but for unknown reasons (in a hurry/lazy?) I did not.

It also looks like there is possibly a revision to these arms? The photo on the SPC site now shows the litronic mounting bracket which wasn't there before (or included with the arms), and in the other arm in the photo it looks like there might be some change down at the threaded cap end of the arm, but I couldn't quite make out what it was, and the instructions don't mention it - maybe it is a way to secure the threaded cap? Maybe a setscrew?

https://www.spcalignment.com/compone...AFrom&to=USATo

hoffarch

I had the original SPC arms on my 08 4S and discovered the ball joint cap problem when one fell out and caused my steering to become very erratic. I contacted SPC and they informed me they had redesigned the arms to prevent the caps from backing out. They sent me the new style arms and covered the cost of removal and replacement. I spoke directly with their head engineer before deciding to put their revised arm back on the car. Am on a 2k road trip and so far the new arms are working fine.

steved0x

Very cool to hear, I just called them up and they are going to let me exchange mine for a pair of the new ones as soon as they get some more in stock. I'll post pics when I get them. Other than the caps loosening up, I have been very happy with these arms, and so I am looking forward to seeing the new ones.

Mbren1979

Was wondering about an update to this. I am going to be ordering some LCA's for my 996 C4S. These look like the most affordable solution. But i have seen several threads about these caps loosening. Wanted to make sure the updated arms "fixed" this issue before i order them.

steved0x

The new ones came in for me, and they look good, with a secure mechanism to hold in that threaded cap. There is a picture here:

http://986forum.com/forums/584818-post10.html

i haven't installed them yet, after i took the old ones off I lowered the car, and was able to get the camber i needed in the back using the stock arms.

i wouldn't have any hesitation running these again.