rear upper lower control arms
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 314
rear upper lower control arms
I've got a chevy 10 bolt in my 442 with U shaped upper lower control arms and no sway bar.
I'm considering making changes but am bot sure to go with stock boxed/rubber bushing mounted arms or something like this
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/271293378881?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p398 4.m1423.l2649
it seems to have plastic bushings ................what up with that?
The rubber ones last a long time and are quiet..........plastic I'm not so sure.
Any experiences with rear control arm bushings is welcome
Thanks
joepenoso
I'm considering making changes but am bot sure to go with stock boxed/rubber bushing mounted arms or something like this
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/271293378881?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p398 4.m1423.l2649
it seems to have plastic bushings ................what up with that?
The rubber ones last a long time and are quiet..........plastic I'm not so sure.
Any experiences with rear control arm bushings is welcome
Thanks
joepenoso
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,444
From: mn
http://umiperformance.com/catalog/in...roducts_id=602
was thinking same thing Umi has Free shipping so price would be tad cheaper too . Umi also sells front end kits also . Scandc has umi along with other parts and kits too Have fun choosing sir.
was thinking same thing Umi has Free shipping so price would be tad cheaper too . Umi also sells front end kits also . Scandc has umi along with other parts and kits too Have fun choosing sir.
Last edited by firefrost gold; Oct 26, 2013 at 07:36 AM.
car guy
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 5,675
From: Dallas TX
The problem with the UMI and the one on Ebay is they are a rigid design and use a stiff bushing. That means you get suspension bind. The factory uses soft rubber and flimsy arms that flex so you still can get full suspension travel without bind.
The best solution on the market is the Currietrac arms that use johnny joints. You get the stiff arms but you also get full articulation with no binding.
http://www.currieenterprises.com/ces...E.aspx?id=2817
http://www.currieenterprises.com/ces...E.aspx?id=2043
The best solution on the market is the Currietrac arms that use johnny joints. You get the stiff arms but you also get full articulation with no binding.
http://www.currieenterprises.com/ces...E.aspx?id=2817
http://www.currieenterprises.com/ces...E.aspx?id=2043
car guy
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 5,675
From: Dallas TX
I can't say how the cheaper way would ride because I have always been told not to ever run all urethane bushings on a stiff control arm so I never have. I can say I went with the Currietrac on my 66 build and it rode and handled incredible even though dropped about 3.5" in the back.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 776
From: chicago il
edelbrock arms I have them and are excellent period dragracing and handling, hellwig or ho for sway bars. I love mine across the line. they all use polyurethane bushings with grease fittings and are reasonable in price.
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 337
From: Austin, TX
I've got a chevy 10 bolt in my 442 with U shaped upper lower control arms and no sway bar.
I'm considering making changes but am bot sure to go with stock boxed/rubber bushing mounted arms or something like this
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/271293378881?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p398 4.m1423.l2649
it seems to have plastic bushings ................what up with that?
The rubber ones last a long time and are quiet..........plastic I'm not so sure.
Any experiences with rear control arm bushings is welcome
Thanks
joepenoso
I'm considering making changes but am bot sure to go with stock boxed/rubber bushing mounted arms or something like this
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/271293378881?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p398 4.m1423.l2649
it seems to have plastic bushings ................what up with that?
The rubber ones last a long time and are quiet..........plastic I'm not so sure.
Any experiences with rear control arm bushings is welcome
Thanks
joepenoso
Tim
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 314
I'm here just to see the benefits............rubber lasts a long time, (40Years)
No maintenance, no binding, runs quiet ........what exactly am I giving up for what benefit? This is for a street driven classic.
Thanks in Advance
joepenoso
No maintenance, no binding, runs quiet ........what exactly am I giving up for what benefit? This is for a street driven classic.
Thanks in Advance
joepenoso
Registered User
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 337
From: Austin, TX
Tim
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,275
From: Boise ID
Just curious, do you have some kinda drag car or going to do the slalom thing? Those parts look to be be real HD for and everyday car. I replaced all my bushings with new Moog bushings, boxed the bottom arms and added a sway bar to my car and it made a huge difference to the ride and handling. Goes around mountain roads good enough my wife was ready to blow chunks.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 314
I was asking the same thing in another forum and this guy answered succinctly......it sounds like he really knew what he was talking about.........................but I think I will do same as jag1886 and cheap out. I'm 57 years old and don't pound the car hard enough to take advantage of that suspension. Kind of like bringing atomic weapons to a machete fight............................................. ............................
joepenoso
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Join DateSep 2004LocationPA.Posts887 Country Flag:
joepenoso
Marcus SC&C
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That configuration of arms would be okay for a drag car but wouldn`t be my first choice for a street car. The trailing arms have to do a few things. They have to locate the axle under the car precisely, both laterally and in yaw. They have to control pinion angle under acceleration and braking and they need to allow the axle to move, unhindered throughout it`s range of movement not just vertically but in articulation. The stock arms are flimsy and the stock rubber bushings are soft and compliant. Because rubber bushings don`t rotate, they stretch/deflect they bind at anything but ride height. The effect is that the axle moves all over the place under the car. You can actually feel it if you try. It moves side to side, compromising tire clearance. It moves in yaw, steering the car like a forklift. It can be prone to wheel hop and it doesn`t do a very good job of controlling pinion angle. So, apart from working very poorly for a long time and being REALLY CHEAP to manufacture the stock arms don`t have much going for them. The type of arms you linked to are the old school "solution". If the stock arms are flimsy, make them rigid. If the stock bushings are too soft make them very hard. That should fix it right? Well...um...no. It just makes it different and gives us new problems. The squeaking and groaning mentioned above are well known issues and are the audible manifestation of the bushings binding up the suspension. Binding is bad. It`s preventing the suspension from moving freely and doing it`s job. This format of arm tends to bind the rear end up especially bad in roll, the chassis perceives this as added rate and causes the car to over steer, sometimes very abruptly, a condition called snap over steer. Again, this is bad. The solution are a growing family of arms that use grease able "flex joints" with spherical pivot ***** encased in races made from polygraphite or delrin bushing material. These act like relief vales for kinematic binding. Because they use bushing material races they absorb NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) like a conventional bushings but they pivot freely is all directions like a spherical bearing. The enclosed, greased units hold up very well in dirty or wet environments, unlike exposed, un grease able metal bearings. The first to come out with this style of arms was Currie with their Currectrac series http://scandc.com/new/node/645 http://scandc.com/new/node/185 , they`re a little pricey but they`re among the strongest and quietest at the same time. One a budget I also like the UMI Rotojoint arms http://scandc.com/new/node/782 http://scandc.com/new/node/774 . There are a lot of others who have realized the advantages of this format but these two really stand out to me. The end result of picking the right rear arms is that the rear suspension with feel very smooth and precise with none of the slop of the factory system. Both handling and ride quality will improve.
----Savitske Classic & Custom----
-------Suspension Solutions!---------
SPC,Varishock,ATS,Baer,Currie,Chassisworks,
Hydratech,SpeedTech,Lee,Spohn,Total Control
Author of "How to Make Your Muscle Car Handle"
www.SCandC.com sales@scandc.com
(610) 381-6100
-------Suspension Solutions!---------
SPC,Varishock,ATS,Baer,Currie,Chassisworks,
Hydratech,SpeedTech,Lee,Spohn,Total Control
Author of "How to Make Your Muscle Car Handle"
www.SCandC.com sales@scandc.com
(610) 381-6100
car guy
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 5,675
From: Dallas TX
Yea that was my last full build. I'm starting to feel like the star quarterback from highschool that won the big game and never did anything else. I really need a build going so I can talk about the present and not the past.
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,275
From: Boise ID
I was asking the same thing in another forum and this guy answered succinctly......it sounds like he really knew what he was talking about.........................but I think I will do same as jag1886 and cheap out. I'm 57 years old and don't pound the car hard enough to take advantage of that suspension. Kind of like bringing atomic weapons to a machete fight............................................. ............................
joepenoso
Marcus SC&C Pro-Touring.com Sponsor
Join DateSep 2004LocationPA.Posts887 Country Flag:
joepenoso
Marcus SC&C
Pro-Touring.com Sponsor Join DateSep 2004LocationPA.Posts887 Country Flag:
That configuration of arms would be okay for a drag car but wouldn`t be my first choice for a street car. The trailing arms have to do a few things. They have to locate the axle under the car precisely, both laterally and in yaw. They have to control pinion angle under acceleration and braking and they need to allow the axle to move, unhindered throughout it`s range of movement not just vertically but in articulation. The stock arms are flimsy and the stock rubber bushings are soft and compliant. Because rubber bushings don`t rotate, they stretch/deflect they bind at anything but ride height. The effect is that the axle moves all over the place under the car. You can actually feel it if you try. It moves side to side, compromising tire clearance. It moves in yaw, steering the car like a forklift. It can be prone to wheel hop and it doesn`t do a very good job of controlling pinion angle. So, apart from working very poorly for a long time and being REALLY CHEAP to manufacture the stock arms don`t have much going for them. The type of arms you linked to are the old school "solution". If the stock arms are flimsy, make them rigid. If the stock bushings are too soft make them very hard. That should fix it right? Well...um...no. It just makes it different and gives us new problems. The squeaking and groaning mentioned above are well known issues and are the audible manifestation of the bushings binding up the suspension. Binding is bad. It`s preventing the suspension from moving freely and doing it`s job. This format of arm tends to bind the rear end up especially bad in roll, the chassis perceives this as added rate and causes the car to over steer, sometimes very abruptly, a condition called snap over steer. Again, this is bad. The solution are a growing family of arms that use grease able "flex joints" with spherical pivot ***** encased in races made from polygraphite or delrin bushing material. These act like relief vales for kinematic binding. Because they use bushing material races they absorb NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) like a conventional bushings but they pivot freely is all directions like a spherical bearing. The enclosed, greased units hold up very well in dirty or wet environments, unlike exposed, un grease able metal bearings. The first to come out with this style of arms was Currie with their Currectrac series http://scandc.com/new/node/645 http://scandc.com/new/node/185 , they`re a little pricey but they`re among the strongest and quietest at the same time. One a budget I also like the UMI Rotojoint arms http://scandc.com/new/node/782 http://scandc.com/new/node/774 . There are a lot of others who have realized the advantages of this format but these two really stand out to me. The end result of picking the right rear arms is that the rear suspension with feel very smooth and precise with none of the slop of the factory system. Both handling and ride quality will improve.
----Savitske Classic & Custom----
-------Suspension Solutions!---------
SPC,Varishock,ATS,Baer,Currie,Chassisworks,
Hydratech,SpeedTech,Lee,Spohn,Total Control
Author of "How to Make Your Muscle Car Handle"
www.SCandC.com sales@scandc.com
(610) 381-6100
-------Suspension Solutions!---------
SPC,Varishock,ATS,Baer,Currie,Chassisworks,
Hydratech,SpeedTech,Lee,Spohn,Total Control
Author of "How to Make Your Muscle Car Handle"
www.SCandC.com sales@scandc.com
(610) 381-6100
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,275
From: Boise ID
I know I am cheap but I consider back to just a little better that original to be good. My car isn't a slalom car but it does everything I need it to do and then some, besides being quiet and it still rides like and Oldsmobile.
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