Box welding stock control arms..

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

This is a pretty old school topic since there's a gazillion aftermarket control arms out now, but i'm a cheap ass and i'm gonna do it. I'm wondering if anyone's done it and what their opinions were about the results. I'm not looking for jaded brand name loyal opinions and basher comments...so save'em Yes, i know Maximum Motorsports and Griggs make some of the sweetest control arms on Earth (not to mention Steeda and the rest of the gazillion others) but untill someone hands me the cash to get'em, i'll be running the welded stockers.

I'm also going to weld some plates inside the inner section of the arms going side to side before i box them in...just for extra flex proofing. Then i'm gonna get some urathane bushings and mount on some slicks MUAAAHAHAHAAA!

 

[Blk91stang]

You shouldn't have any problems. I had box uppers and lowers on my 85' and ended up taking them off because the bushings were shot. The only thing you won't be able to do is adjust your pinion angle but since your not running a huge amount of horsepower, you should have NO problems.

 

[rd]

It is really straightforward, and it seems to work. I boxed a set of both uppers and lowers for my 82. You have to grind the galvanizing off the arms prior to welding.

I got some 1/8 steel and cut out plates, and just welded them in with my flux core.

I also welded some plates on the lowers to mount the sway bar, since my 79 and early 80's cars have a bracket that bolts inside the lower arm. Could have just cut a slot,for the original bracket, I guess.

The bushings can be changed to poly ones if they are worn.

The 79 era upper arms acually had an eccentric locator inside the upper front bolt sleeve to allow some setting of pinion angles. I have not seen this again on even the 82 versions.

This setup, with stock 1980 ish rubber bushings, Lakewood bars and an airbag, pulls 1.8 sixty foots on Drag Radials.

 

[R2D2]

10.0's with boxed arms back in 1988 when there wasnt anything on the market. But that was with a cleveland

 

[Roland69]

I have thought of doing this myself aswell....I do hear it works good.

 

[93GrunT]

The actual torque boxes and puny rubber bushings were the weak link in my rear end when everything started breaking. As long as you are going with new poly bushings.....

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

The actual torque boxes and puny rubber bushings were the weak link in my rear end when everything started breaking. As long as you are going with new poly bushings.....

Yeah, it seems to me that boxing them up would only worsen the already weak bushings. I'm going with urathane, i believe Energy Suspension makes them.

 

[tmoss]

going from rubber to poly transfers more stress to the boxes - make sure you weld them up whilke your at it.