Being a mechanical engineer and not having much to do this winter I decided to design custom lower control arms for 2G's. I spent 3 months using suspension modelling software to analyze the 2g suspension and develop my revised version. Now I'm ready to start making them and wondered if anyone else was interested or had any comments.

Specs:
-All ball joint locations are now REPLACABLE rather than stock ones where the ball joint goes and you have to replace the arms.
-Front lower arm 7075 aluminum (pretty much the strongest aluminum alloy commercially available) with racing grade NMB ABWT spherical bearing replacing the ball joint
-Front pivot is 0.75" lower on the spindle to correct geometry for lowered vehicles (brings roll centre back up)and improves the camber curve.
-Front pivot location is moved out a bit to give 2 degrees of static camber and slightly more track width.
-Rear arm is 6061 with spherical bearing replacing ball joint.
-rear arm pivot is moved out and down to correct the scrub radius for wider rims and tires. Also gives slightly more anti-dive geometry options.
-Anti-dive% is adjustable using revised frame side mounting of rear arm
-Rear lower arm is now adjustable in length (using shims) which allows you to fool around with caster and dive
-can be made with spherical bearings at any/all joints as desired.
-both arms design to standard 3-2-1 G loading with substantial safety factor for fatigue.
-drops quite a bit of unsprung weight
-both arms mount in a revised yoke mount system for more strength and rigidity at the spindle
-I'll also be making upper control arms in the near future that have proper shimmable camber adjustment, no BS adjustable ball joints or pivots, if anyone is interested in them. They won't be cheap since there is a lot a material in them.
-Will only clear 17" and larger rims (otherwise mitsubishi might have done this to start with)

Cost wise, basically for a set of one offs it will cost me around $900 for material and hardware for a complete set (front and rear lowers, both sides). That's with all new ball joints/bushings. If I have 1 or 2 more sets to build I can start to get the material and shipping costs down and save a bit. I'm not doing this to make money, just to reduce the material cost for my set . You're basically gettting the design and fabrication time for free. For reference a new set of OEM arms with non-replacable ball joints is over $500 with tax. The SPC upper arms were around $300 each and they had garbage ball joints on them.

It's a lot of coin so I'm not expecting anyone to bite but thought I would offer.

oh, and just to show you how much of a deal you're getting RTM racing (I love you ziggy) sells a set of just the lower control arm modified for spherical bearings for $440 (and that is a good price)! and when the ball joints go you have to buy a new set! Bam!

Bradley,

I know 7075 is a LOT more expensive than 6061, but if I can help get material costs down by buying through my contacts, let me know what you need and I will see what I can do. (Unless you are already getting a good deal through your employer?). I am sure I could beat Metal Supermarket pricing...

I bet you'd have a bunch more interest on Tuners and Link forums. Most of the 'big spenders' I can think of offhand on this forum are running 1Gs.

Perhaps PM Scott Mcintyre (Sp?)...I know he tracks his 2G and these might be of interest to him.

thanks Ziggy, I've actually had a contact from someone on the board who is going to help me out (I lover DSMers). I would have ordered material through my employer, but our discount doesn't really start to add up until you start ordering lengths of bar stock rather than 3ft at a time. Still half the cost of metal supermarkets though. A length of 2x2 7075 T651 is a pretty big financial commitment! The real waste in the project though is shipping. Splitting shipping costs for all of the hardware (and delivery for aluminum) makes a big difference.

I want to keep this local until I have some testing completed. That way if I want to tweak something here or there it's no biggy. After that CA DSM might be the only supplier of complete aluminum control arms for 2G's. Take that Tuners!

Stay tunned I'll update more as this comes together.

This is way beyond me, but I get what you're getting at.

Awesome!

All the custom stuff these days is 2G-focused...we need some 1G love!

Can't wait to see a completed set of these and the following results

Giddy up

Do you have a render of the part? I told myself no more performance parts after i finish the car. Suspension isn't performance Keep this updated.

Suspension is very much so performance, A good suspension will drasticly cut E/T's and 1/4 mile times.

I don't want to make any promises. But it should be a noticable improvement performance wise. I'm super excited. It's amazing how complicated suspension design is. I have the benefit that I don't have all of the constraints mitsubishi did, and it is still a delicate balance. When you first get into it you're like, oh yeah if I just move this down I get a better camber curve, and then BAM bump curve goes nuts and steer forces start to get out of hand. There is NO right answer, just different answers and wrong answers.

I'm working on polishing off the models and getting them ready for the CNC machine. Target is 1-2 weeks to have finished drawings and models.

I'm not building a drag car I know what you're saying but this is how i can justify my purchases.

Well in that case it would greatly cut costs in replacement parts and serve you much better then stock.

Not looking to spend the money on something like this yet but I'm keeping my eyes on this to see the outcome.

I would be interested in the weight savings and ability to replace the ball joints when needed. Keeping an eye on this thread

ditto

DONT ASK ME TO MAKE ANY, DONT EVEN MESSAGE ME ABOUT IT PLEASE. These are Brads, its his design. Im just making him and myself a set. You will have to deal with Brad about another source for manufacturing once he tests and approves the design.

Anyways, now that the disclaimer is there, here is the progress. Just a tease........

I give you op 1 of the lateral arms.

Yokes are done, I'll post them up later.

Right click, view image

Man I'm so stoked. Rob is totally the man. This is why I love DSM's, yeah they can be a pain sometimes, but we always seem to find a way to push new boundaries. You don't see stuff like this on honda forums!

I think I need to see a doctor or something. The mere mention of the word "Honda" makes me want to torture whatever living organism happens to be within easy reach at that particular moment. And if none are handy, I'll strangle non-living objects.

Brad, if you are looking for someone to do a production run of these once you are satisfied with the design, I would be interested both in manufacturing for you and selling them through RTM Racing with some sort of royaty arrangement. Not sure there would be a HUGE market, I don't think either of us will get rich from this....but would be interested in discussing it with you if you would like.

1st make sure they work as intended...and don't kill me. Suspension simulation isn't perfect, nor am I[though pretty damn close:)].

2nd figure out how to make them available at a cost people can afford. I'm open to all sorts of options when that time comes, just don't want any cart-horse inversions.

3rd front upper A-arms and complete rear suspension, OK maybe that is looking a little too far forward.

Sounds like a couple weeks and Rob will be done the first set. I've got 3 races in may so straight into the firing line!

Holding one in my hand even semi finished, I can say they are simply bad ass. I'm proud to be the one making the prototypes

That is intense.
You see threads like this all over tuners.... none even show real diagrams, not to mention making a real set.

hats off for having a set designed and made. they look badass like rob said...

Just make sure you get a patent on them before you start selling them to the public. Also don't disclose any real specifications on a public forum, or else you won't be eligible to patent the design.

Good job and good luck!

I am guessing it would cost more to patent them than what you are ever going to make on them, plus patents are too easy to get around. As far as I know, you just need to make some kind of an improvement, or any change for that matter, and you are good to go.

The cost of DEFENDING a patent would also end up ridiculous.

Yokes. (waiting for a tap to finish the threaded hole)

It's starting to come together.

Yeah, patents are only useful if you have the cash to fight it in court. Apple and Microsoft spend 10's of millions each year fighting patents.

I even got the CMM inspector at work interested in this project. He helped out with a rediculous accurate reading of this angle. Four decimal places.........Whaaaaat? Lol

Meh, I eyeballed 7.

Good one Beavis

Heres some more pics to enjoy

Very close to being finished. All thats left is a few finishing ops, and all the standoffs, pins etc.....I think Im gonna let Brad make those. I need a weekend off

Oh Sh!t. Rob you're faster than the bearings, they still frigging aren't here (there was a stocking problem and Baker has been screwing me around). I have the urethane and other bits from mcmaster-carr. I'm heat treating the king pin material hopefully this week (I have a friend with a furnace).

Those are going to look SOOO good bolted up! (not that they dont just sitting there)

Should weigh them see how much weight is cut.

Nice art work! Cant wait to see final product on the car!

Those are so damn beautiful.

They look like Transformer parts. lol


Transform!!!

I'm having them powder coated satin black as we speak to avoid corrosion because 7075 likes to turn all kinds of ugly real fast. Curtousy of mike at Brightside

Also to be honest I don't think there is any real weight savings at all.

It's too bad they can't be put on the car like that.

So shiny.

Should be able to clear coat them but with what Ive seen from Mike I am thinking his colors add even more beauty to them!

Who's gonna see them guys? The vermin brad is heading for on the track running for their lives, that's who

Besides I scuffed a few places up already, the black is an improvement

Ya, weight is pretty much the same, a bit lighter overall, but much stiffer. I originally had them a bit lighter, but I decided I'd rather have the stiffness so I added material back in.

When you see them next to OEM it's makes OEM look like spaghetti.