front lower control arm...almost done
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Race Director
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front lower control arm...almost done
I almost finished 1 of the lower control arms, the 2nd one is not welded together and I will finish this one first so I can duplicate all the little tids and bits. they were built on a jig that I built off the original control arm. Still have to do the coil over mount (next and very close to the ball joint) and have to weld up some stuff on the ball joint side but overall most of the fabricating is done. They are pretty heavy duty if I say so myself but about as heavy as the stockers, maybe a tad more (probably equal to norval's plated up ones)
They are tig welded for strength....some day I will have to get a water cooled torch...I have a new burn mark and I also melted part of the collet body...sure was getting hot there
130 amps will get that torch hot in no time.
They are tig welded for strength....some day I will have to get a water cooled torch...I have a new burn mark and I also melted part of the collet body...sure was getting hot there
130 amps will get that torch hot in no time.
Last edited by Twin_Turbo; Jul 27, 2005 at 12:51 PM.
Thread Starter
Race Director
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pretty much, a little heavier if I must guess from holding them (too lame to get the bathroom scale) but they are a lot stronger than the stockers...and I compared it to a stocker lacking the bushings and cross shaft...
Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Looking Good Marck but also look like alot of work. Since they weight about the same as my stock plated ones and your shock mount is very close to the ball joint what is the advantage of all this work.
Again strength is not an issue with the shock mount close to the ball joint. They also look heavier then the VBP tubular lower arms.
Again strength is not an issue with the shock mount close to the ball joint. They also look heavier then the VBP tubular lower arms.
Thread Starter
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The advantage is that the shock mounts close to the ball joint, unlike the stock arm,. closer spring to wheel rates and no need for super stuff springs, spring changes result in bigger handling changes, I also have used solid bushings w/ teflon liners, not stockers and I couldn't see myself cutting up my powdercoated stockers for what may end up being a disaster as they have nowhere near enough meat around the ball joint to mount the coil over there.
I selected the bar steel so that it's as wide as the bushing and it fits flush and high enough to completely surround the bushing, that way I didn't have to weld them on one side (don't have X-ray to check for cracks)
They probably are heavier than the VB&P arms but at least they are strong and won't buckle under any load.
I selected the bar steel so that it's as wide as the bushing and it fits flush and high enough to completely surround the bushing, that way I didn't have to weld them on one side (don't have X-ray to check for cracks)
They probably are heavier than the VB&P arms but at least they are strong and won't buckle under any load.
Last edited by Twin_Turbo; Jul 27, 2005 at 01:20 PM.
Race Director
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From: Waterloo ontario Canada
You still have to come up with a sway bar linkage. I know you were talking about front rac and pinion so your sway bar will have to be moved.
What is the advantage of tig over mig for this welding job?? Mig lays the filler material down alot quicker, runs cooler and the welds are going to be ground in alot of the places anyway?
What is the advantage of tig over mig for this welding job?? Mig lays the filler material down alot quicker, runs cooler and the welds are going to be ground in alot of the places anyway?
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the sway bar linkage (heim ends/sleeves) will be on the back of the arm and the bar itself will be up high above the upper control arms, on a section of tubing tying the shock mounts into the front frame section. No other place to put it (this has really gotten to be a let's move some stuff around puzzle LOL )
(this has really gotten to be a let's move some stuff around puzzle LOL )
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Race Director
Joined: Nov 2000
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From: Waterloo ontario Canada
Originally Posted by Twin_Turbo
the sway bar linkage (heim ends/sleeves) will be on the back of the arm and the bar itself will be up high above the upper control arms, on a section of tubing tying the shock mounts into the front frame section. No other place to put it (this has really gotten to be a let's move some stuff around puzzle LOL )
(this has really gotten to be a let's move some stuff around puzzle LOL )Won't this interfer with the front of the motor?? The water pump etc. This is almost like a spreader bar but since it runs to the back of the A arm it needs to be placed as far back as possible??
This is a jig saw puzzle.
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No the bar itself will be a lot more forward than the engine, then the arms will point back towards the firewall, I may even mount the vertical bar to a mount that bolts to the upper arm ball joint surface.
While I was at it I figured I needed a new workbench also, probably will expand it w/ a large steel plate to act as a grounding surface and to weld on, also need to install my much larger bench vise and some other stuff....(220V sockets)
While I was at it I figured I needed a new workbench also, probably will expand it w/ a large steel plate to act as a grounding surface and to weld on, also need to install my much larger bench vise and some other stuff....(220V sockets)
Last edited by Twin_Turbo; Jul 27, 2005 at 03:44 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,000
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From: Boulder Creek California
Looks like your 6" shelf on the wall is getting a little over-taxed, keep making tables!
Control arms look great, what is the tube, 1"x2" ? Err... metric? 25.4x50.8mm?
You could take the approach those remote-mount turbos do and put the front swaybar somewhere in the rear
one hell of a pushrod system!
-Chris
Control arms look great, what is the tube, 1"x2" ? Err... metric? 25.4x50.8mm?
You could take the approach those remote-mount turbos do and put the front swaybar somewhere in the rear
one hell of a pushrod system!-Chris
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: OKC Oklahoma
I have the VBP upper and lower control arms and if memory serves correct, they only weigh 2lbs lighter for the complete set than stock. There is something to be said for the coolness factor or fabbing up stuff like that on your own...looks great. i think Norval thinks you are reinventing the wheel when your efforts could have been duplicated on a project that doesn't have other simpler options. If the rest of the car is engineered from scratch, motor on.....looks great.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
Posts: 65,492
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From: Orange Park Florida
Typical Twinnie work, all looking beautiful, now if we could just get him to come over to the left side of the pond and do some for us, we be all set.....I be first in line....
GENE
GENE
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actually the shafts do come out 
the arms have bushings welded into them, into those the outer sleeves are pressed (the ones w/ the hole for the zerk fitting, gold colored), then those are linered w/ a teflon liner, then a pin inisde and the cross shaft sits in those, if you remove the whole shebang, including the outer bushing the shaft will come out.
the arms have bushings welded into them, into those the outer sleeves are pressed (the ones w/ the hole for the zerk fitting, gold colored), then those are linered w/ a teflon liner, then a pin inisde and the cross shaft sits in those, if you remove the whole shebang, including the outer bushing the shaft will come out.
Thread Starter
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Mike, yes almost everything is done from scratch, front suspension w/ coil overs, rear susp. w/ coil overs, wilwood integra calipers, hydraulic hand brake, ZF 6 speed, custom interior, flip front...... not much left original so a little more effort here and there doesn't really matter, it won't help me get this thing on the road any sooner if I cut corners (I know I won't be satisfied and will end up pulling it apart again...I already did that once before)
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,727
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From: Fremont CA
Nice fab job. There is nothing like the feeling you get when TIG welding with a H2O cooled torch and you start to smell burning plastic because the recirculator pump has fouled up again and you have just melted $150 worth of power lead on your torch set-up but, I will admit, when you are doing some HD welding it sure is nice to have a cool torch in your hands. Prtty nice welds there, practice make perfect.
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yeah well I started smelling some weird fumes also and it turned out my last ceramic cup cracked from the intense heat (I could see the crack in it) and today it broke and sure enough I don't have any of them, just a box w/ 16 of the wrong ones from my old torch. I didn't get it completely finished today because of that but I managed to get everything mounted, just the bump rubber and it'll be finished apart from some cosmetic work and rounding off one side near the bushing.
Last edited by Twin_Turbo; Jul 28, 2005 at 11:41 AM.