Opinions on These Control Arms

[94GTLaserRC]

http://www.granatellimotorsports.com/fordrearlowercontrolarms.htm

Title pretty much says it all.

Thanks
RC

 

[mackey]

http://www.granatellimotorsports.com/fordrearlowercontrolarms.htm

Title pretty much says it all.

Thanks
RC

I've seen a set of those with the bushings completely ripped up after 50 passes at the track. I would suggest Steeda control arms. This was on their standard base model.

 

[94GTLaserRC]

Thanks...Ive heard that from 2 sources.

RC

 

[wytstang]

Look for a LCA that uses a three stage bushings. Those that use spherical bearings wear out faster and transmit more noise/vibration. While poly tend to bind more. Steeda’s aluminum lower control arms (PN 555-4601) use a three stage poly bushing, also Pro3 sells an identical(sp?) and cheaper LCA with the same characteristics.

 

[Killercanary]

Look for a LCA that uses a three stage bushings. Those that use spherical bearings wear out faster and transmit more noise/vibration. While poly tend to bind more.

Spherical WILL transmit more noise/vibrations than rubber or poly bushing control arms, however typically the spherical bushing that you hear about wearing out are the cheap ones. You really do get what you pay for in a spherical bushing. QA1 sherical bushings are top notch and you will see some LCA companies with specifically list that they use Qa1 for this exact reason.


My dad had a set of factory five uppers and lowers on his car with uerythane bushings and he split them in half at least 4-5 times on both the uppers and lowers.

I don't know anything about the three stage bushings so I can not comment on them, but a quality spherical bearing is a GREAT choice.

 

[wytstang]

Three stage bushing are just that three stages of rubber. They start out with a shoft outer rubber to help prevent binding, then they contenuie to get stiffer towards the middle to help plant the tires. www.stangpro.com has a great article called "The strong arm"

Streetability has a little more grey area. If you’re building a race-only car, then you’ll want to use arms that change the instant center (adds anti-squat), or a standard style arm with relocation brackets to help apply more torque to the tires. For a street car, this isn’t necessary. The type of bushings the arm has is also critical on a street car. For ultimate launching, spherical bearings would be ideal but the street bearings not only transmit more noise to the passenger compartment, but they can also wear quickly and require frequent inspection. The next step down is a poly bushing. This is a cheap, partially effective solution, but to get a good launch, the durometer (stiffness) of the poly must be high. As this stiffness goes up, the tendency of the rear suspension to bind when turning goes up also. The Steeda arms use a unique approach to addressing this problem by using a 3-piece bushing in their arms. The outside portions of the bushing are softer to prevent binding, while the center section is stiffer to aide in weight transfer.

 

[MysteryMachine]

thats the ones i got but i bought them off ebay a lot cheaper. I hope don't have any problems with them

 

[95COBRA241]

Both the 3pc bushing and the spherical bushing set from steeda are cheaper. Never had a problem with any of their (Steeda) prods.

 

[VibrantRedGT]

Pass on those.

 

[Killercanary]

Thanks Wytstang!


Rob, I agree with Joe. When it comes to suspension products there is just too many bad things going around about ground pounder and granatelli to concider them IMO. Some have had luck, but I know a lot that haven't. Laurel Mountain stopped selling the ground pounder stuff for this very reason... its junk.

 

[94GTLaserRC]

Thanks guys...I thought by the price it wasnt "junk" , because everyone always says " you get what you pay for"

Joe...ANSWER YOUR PHONE!!!

How about Towers tomorrow (later on)...Beer's on me!
RC

 

[YEAHLOH95]

you are close to upr i have seen their lowers on a lot of cars latly

Troy

 

[94GTLaserRC]

you are close to upr i have seen their lowers on a lot of cars latly

Troy

I was gonna ask about those too...Any opinions on UPR's LCAs?

Also, instead of just asking about specific ones, which would be worth the $$, I guess which ones meet the specs that Paul mentioned above?

Thanks
RC

 

[yellow1995Cobra]

You dont race anyways so save your money. If you need to buy them(for what ever reason) just get some cheap solids and be done with it.. I had D&D's in my old car, worked great for me. Got the upper/lowers for 140 at a fun ford weeked.

 

[94GTLaserRC]

You dont race anyways so save your money..

OOhhh...that hurt

Anyway, This is a project I want to work on until I get the funds in a year or so for the new engine ( I want to do some little things along the way to keep my interested ) I may take it to the track occasionally THEN, but still nothing serious. If I get my 331 and keep the blower and add the Snow Kit...Ill be looking at 500HP to the wheels...Ill need to get that power to the ground, whether it be on the track OR on the street.. Either way, I dont need the best, but I dont want junk either.
RC

 

[VibrantRedGT]

Thanks guys...I thought by the price it wasnt "junk" , because everyone always says " you get what you pay for"

Joe...ANSWER YOUR PHONE!!!

How about Towers tomorrow (later on)...Beer's on me!
RC

Friday's are bad for me. Yea sorry about that yesterday. I had a meeting in Homestead and my boss was with me in the car all day so I couldn't talk.

Never buy Butt Pounder Products or Grantanelli crap. They are just poorly made. Years ago Bruce Griggs and Grantanelli had it out on the Corral and it made for some interesting reading. Basically companies like Ground Pounder, Grantanelli, etc. don't know anything about suspension. They just mass produce knock off's. Call Central Coast Mustang the company that owns Ground Pounder and ask them a suspension question. They have no clue. This is why I chose Steeda for my suspension. They acutally own a race car which actually requires suspension knowledge. Not saying they have the best stuff over the other. We all know Griggs is the best. I'm saying choose wisely Danielson.

 

[94GTLaserRC]

Friday's are bad for me. Yea sorry about that yesterday. I had a meeting in Homestead and my boss was with me in the car all day so I couldn't talk.

Never buy Butt Pounder Products or Grantanelli crap. They are just poorly made. Years ago Bruce Griggs and Grantanelli had it out on the Corral and it made for some interesting reading. Basically companies like Ground Pounder, Grantanelli, etc. don't know anything about suspension. They just mass produce knock off's. Call Central Coast Mustang the company that owns Ground Pounder and ask them a suspension question. They have no clue. This is why I chose Steeda for my suspension. They acutally own a race car which actually requires suspension knowledge. Not saying they have the best stuff over the other. We all know Griggs is the best. I'm saying choose wisely Danielson.

I didnt know what you meant by "butt pounder"

Are the $199 Steeda's ok (they are the steel ones).
Josh as StangSuspension.com has the Steeda's for $179 (steel)


Take a look at these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/79-0...ewItemQQcategoryZ33583QQitemZ7998768348QQrdZ1

I never heard of them, but they have the QA1 piece that Paul referred to. They have the LCA's only for $179 also... I dont know what that large flap-like piece is on there though.

RC

 

[VibrantRedGT]

I don't know what a UMI is. I would get a brand your familiar with.

 

[Killercanary]

Rob, that place is only like 30-40 miles from me, but I never heard of them other than when they pop up on my searches on google. They do use the good Qa1 bearings, but in comparison to the other double adjustable uppers I have seen they do not look as beefy, primarily where the center shaft is welded to the axle end of the UCA. I DO like the fact that both the uppers and lowers are adjustable. This becomes important when you are tying to adjust your pinion angle. By having just on be adjustable you actually move the wheel/tire around in the fender (typically it moves forward when you are trying to get more of a negative angle (point the front of the rear end housing down) with only adjustable uppers, the reason for this is you SHORTEN the uppers to move the pinion down and this moves the top of the wheel/tire forward.) By using upper and lower adjustables its easier to get the pinion angle set and have the wheel/tire remain in the stock location.


JFYI- I run the Global West LCA's with their del-alum bushings and I love them. They do transmit a lot more noise than the stockers, but they are SOLID pieces as is everything I have bought or seen from them.

 

[Green 94 5.0]

If I get my 331 and keep the blower and add the Snow Kit...Ill be looking at 500HP to the wheels...Ill need to get that power to the ground, whether it be on the track OR on the street.. Either way, I dont need the best, but I dont want junk either.
RC

at that power level to the wheels, the suspension will be the least of your worries. your concerns at that point should be the production block, the tranny, and the rearend before anything else.