steeroids binding on a-arm
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: League City TX
steeroids binding on a-arm
Has anyone experienced this? There is little to no clearance where the ujoint and a-arm touch. I even used the 'smaller' screws included, but they still hit against the a-arm. If I cut the screw to be flush with the ujoint I think it will be fine. Since its a hex I dont think I need to put the bolt on it as long as its tight. Any ideas?
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From: Exiled to Richmond, VA - Finally sold my house in Murfreesboro, TN ?? Corner of "Bumf*&k and 'You've got a purdy mouth'."
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Originally Posted by fcoppola
Has anyone experienced this? There is little to no clearance where the ujoint and a-arm touch. I even used the 'smaller' screws included, but they still hit against the a-arm. If I cut the screw to be flush with the ujoint I think it will be fine. Since its a hex I dont think I need to put the bolt on it as long as its tight. Any ideas?
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
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From: Orange Park Florida
If you have the suspension up in the air/unloaded, and then loaded and you see ANY possiblility of anything hitting/binding....
buddy you got problems far as I'm concerned....when under dynamic cornering loading, one way or another, I feel you need about 1/2 inch of clearance, just on account of the rubber and steel flexing in what for US is an unknown direction....
I don't feel grinding anything willl get you 1/2 inch...
other solutions?? I dunno, not without seeing the car...sorry...
GENE
buddy you got problems far as I'm concerned....when under dynamic cornering loading, one way or another, I feel you need about 1/2 inch of clearance, just on account of the rubber and steel flexing in what for US is an unknown direction....
I don't feel grinding anything willl get you 1/2 inch...
other solutions?? I dunno, not without seeing the car...sorry...
GENE
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From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
you are saying a-arm???? do you mean the frame cross member? can you move the lower brackets back at all where they bolt into the old steering gear holes, can you move the heim joint back at all closer to the passenger compartment or can you move the ujoint back more on the steering column? my hex heads and lock nuts were close but they did not hit anything and yes i would use that lock nut on those, almost sounds like to me your set up is to far forward.
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,486
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From: Big Pine Key FL
I had the same problem... No way the bolt heads were gonna clear the A-Arms.
I ended up taking some flange head bolts and turning them in the lathe so that the were sort of low profile. The load is all shear any way. Why would you grind on the A Arms ? It dosent make them stronger...
Check the Archives...
I ended up taking some flange head bolts and turning them in the lathe so that the were sort of low profile. The load is all shear any way. Why would you grind on the A Arms ? It dosent make them stronger...
Check the Archives...
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 225
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From: League City TX
the part where the single ujoint connects to the rack and pinion unit. It is connected with 2 hex screws. The hex screws rub on the a-arm. If the hex screws were flush and not sticking out I would have no binding at all.
Instead of grinding the a-arm I was thinking of shaving the flange bolts to be flush with a good amount of locktite.
Instead of grinding the a-arm I was thinking of shaving the flange bolts to be flush with a good amount of locktite.
Last edited by fcoppola; Sep 26, 2005 at 07:16 AM.
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Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
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From: Orange Park Florida
Originally Posted by fcoppola
the part where the single ujoint connects to the rack and pinion unit. It is connected with 2 hex screws. The hex screws rub on the a-arm. If the hex screws were flush and not sticking out I would have no binding at all.
Instead of grinding the a-arm I was thinking of shaving the flange bolts to be flush with a good amount of locktite.
Instead of grinding the a-arm I was thinking of shaving the flange bolts to be flush with a good amount of locktite.
FOR all the world man, it sounds like you are mis naming something there, the A arm is the lower suspension unit, with the two mounting points on the engine cradle to the inside, and the ball joint, then there is a upper A Arm.......what you allmost have to be refirring to is the engine mount part of the frame, what I call a horn...
GENE
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From: Living in the Hartland
Originally Posted by fcoppola
the part where the single ujoint connects to the rack and pinion unit. It is connected with 2 hex screws. The hex screws rub on the a-arm. If the hex screws were flush and not sticking out I would have no binding at all.
Instead of grinding the a-arm I was thinking of shaving the flange bolts to be flush with a good amount of locktite.
Instead of grinding the a-arm I was thinking of shaving the flange bolts to be flush with a good amount of locktite.
There are 2 short set (hex) screws listed in the parts list and are referred to in Item 16 in the instructions.
Last edited by Fevre; Sep 26, 2005 at 08:55 AM.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2005
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From: Fredericksburg VA
YES it must be that! I had the same prob. Now to set things straight it is NOT the A-Arm!!! What it is hitting is what was already refried to as the… Horn. 
“FOR all the world man, it sounds like you are mis naming something there, the A arm is the lower suspension unit, with the two mounting points on the engine cradle to the inside, and the ball joint, then there is a upper A Arm.......what you allmost have to be refirring to is the engine mount part of the frame, what I call a horn...”
GENE
Now what I did is remove as little metal off of the horn as needed to clear the swing of the joint retaining stud and lock nut. Very easy if you have a grinder. You will loose no structural integrity and the horn is stationary so no need to remove a lot of extra. I hope this clears it up for all.
“FOR all the world man, it sounds like you are mis naming something there, the A arm is the lower suspension unit, with the two mounting points on the engine cradle to the inside, and the ball joint, then there is a upper A Arm.......what you allmost have to be refirring to is the engine mount part of the frame, what I call a horn...”
GENE
Now what I did is remove as little metal off of the horn as needed to clear the swing of the joint retaining stud and lock nut. Very easy if you have a grinder. You will loose no structural integrity and the horn is stationary so no need to remove a lot of extra. I hope this clears it up for all.
Thread Starter
Instructor
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From: League City TX
exactly... the shorter ones are still hitting. This is my problem.
Originally Posted by Fevre
In the kit they provide shorter hex screws that do not allow use of the nuts so you need to use some loc-tite to keep em in. Re-read the directions and I believe it refers to the use of the shorter hex (set) screws.
There are 2 short set (hex) screws listed in the parts list and are referred to in Item 16 in the instructions.
There are 2 short set (hex) screws listed in the parts list and are referred to in Item 16 in the instructions.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: League City TX
exactly. That is what I am talking about.
Originally Posted by davidm_comp
Just to make sure we are all talking about the same thing here, is it the lowest set screw, connecting the u-joint to R&P unit, cause that is pretty close for me too.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
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From: Orange Park Florida
Originally Posted by Twin_Turbo
what is the horn???
been calling them that for decades now....any car....
I think horn on a cow/stear, not to be confused with bumping stears....
allthough in this case just part of a stear is being bumped??
GENE
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it's a motor mount..okay (as far as I know, the horns are the 2 extensions on the front of the frame, to which the front frame extension bolts)
You could grind a little clearance on the engine mount but in all reality..crummy aftermarket junk is what causes this. (flame suit on)
You could grind a little clearance on the engine mount but in all reality..crummy aftermarket junk is what causes this. (flame suit on)
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 1999
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From: Orange Park Florida
Originally Posted by fcoppola
Ok that clears things up. I thought that was an a-arm. My apologies for the confusion. I've never heard of this being called a horn?
anyway, I had to cut back the rear lower section of that horn in my install, but I cut much more of it, on account of my rack is higher and more angled up toward the steering wheel, and so need only two universal joints....
GENE