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Well in Van Steel defense they already mentioned in one of the posts on this forum that they had to develop the arms from scratch. That costs a lot.
I'm also sure that other manufacturers/sellers buy/order their arms from same manufacturer and then they stick their sticker on them. We have all seen that before.
Yes I agree the arms could be cheaper but as in my case I rather bought these arms and spent the rest of the money on other Van Steel products.
But for those running auto cross and other races I know for sure that Van Steel is a go to guy for serious business and quality!
I'm just happy that we have manufacturers like Van Steel that make parts for our lovely cars because we all saw what happened to VB&P!
Well in Van Steel defense they already mentioned in one of the posts on this forum that they had to develop the arms from scratch. That costs a lot.
I'm also sure that other manufacturers/sellers buy/order their arms from same manufacturer and then they stick their sticker on them. We have all seen that before.
im pretty sure a certain company whose name is opposite of local-east is following something like this, their arms are almost 100% identical cept for some very minor things, at bare minimum they are made by the same manufacturer and they had access to the design.
btw to Van Steel, i do like to see manufacturers concerned about what people think of them, the lackluster and un-caring attitude of most companies anymore is getting VERY old
PS: i also had already planned on using your trailing arms so im not totally evil 😋😎
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No offense but he made the comment, he should explain.
You're a welder, you should also know your labor isn't cheap. If it was, you probably wouldn't be a certified welder. If it's made in America, you're going to pay more. What are the other benefits besides being cheap and using a lesser quality tubing?
The old adage comes to mind. You get what you pay for.
The old adage comes to mind. You get what you pay for.
Being a personal victim of the 1% of that statement, id have to amend that statement with " 99% of the time" but that is also why i mentioned earlier i was willing to throw the money away if they wernt any good, and at least save future members from wasting their money.
being a kid at the time i got taken for a set of procomp bottom of the barrel heads by a local speed shop for 1500.00... well over double what they were worth, he just saw a snot nosed kid and started rubbing his hands together, however he is now out of business and his shop was burnt down with full inventory, right in the middle of switching to a new insurance agency, he has not been back
I've purchased all my front and rear suspension parts from Van Steel to convert my 73 to coil overs .
The cost for their parts is higher than some, but looking at the quality of the parts I received, it was worth the extra money even though it exceeds my budget.
I feel I'm paying extra for top quality, the engineering, the awesome customer service, and their staff assisting me in my research and me asking a multitude of questions.
I am not a welder and do not have the equipment to manufacture my own parts like I did years ago.
I am currently saving my pennies to purchase a set of Van Steel's lower control arms which will hopefully complete my suspension upgrades.
I push Van Steel parts because of the quality of the parts I've received and all their help.
I believe they are one of the top vendors we have access to for our hobby.
Those of you who have the expertise to experiment with other parts and vendors, my hat goes off to you, and I thank you for keeping hot rodding alive and I always enjoy reading your threads and learn from them all.
Thanks for vendors like Van Steel for bringing great quality and customer service to the industry.
Greg
I feel I'm paying extra for top quality, the engineering, the awesome customer service, and their staff assisting me in my research and me asking a multitude of questions.
I push Van Steel parts because of the quality of the parts I've received and all their help.
I believe they are one of the top vendors we have access to for our hobby.
Thanks for vendors like Van Steel for bringing great quality and customer service to the industry.
Greg
I asked for their help numerous times and I always got it. Despite the fact that I'm an overseas customer who didn't spend a lot of money on their parts.
I’m going to close this thread for review, as it seems some people are upset about other people and it will take time for me to sort it out that I don’t have right this minute. With the bickering posts it seems a break won’t hurt anyone.
However, let me start with this... if someone has a problem with a particular post, use the Report Post button or PM a moderator. Please don’t start a separate thread over it.
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OK, after reviewing this, Im actually going to leave most of what is posted in place, except for a post calling someone a “troll” that was unnecessary. In that case, if you don’t like someone’s question, please feel free to ignore it. Calling that person a troll would be an example of initiating conflict.
However, the rest of the BS here to me is a bit of an overreaction to the vendor’s first post. I saw the vendor’s name mentioned about six times before he finally posted a question comparing another product to his with 2 words: “how so?” Frankly, I don’t understand how a reasonable question like that was responded to as though he were forcing people to defend themselves. No one gave anyone any “crap.” He did not say he was being bashed, either. In this case, we are allowing members to comment about a vendor’s product with no issue... why can’t he simply ask the question, “why do you think that?”
I think the comments regarding the product were reasonable and I think a related question about those comments were also reasonable. It’s a discussion thread.
Actually, I’ll remove the last exchange as well as I think people were getting worked up over something that’s not there.
So, there’s no reason not to move on with the topic that’s carried 11 pages here without further derailment. If you spot a post that you feel is somehow inappropriate, please report it or send me a PM, and I’ll review. thanks.
Last edited by vettebuyer6369; 09-19-2018 at 06:21 PM.
Reason: reviewed and reopen
I just checked my ebay watch list and noticed a set of the tublar control arms for an impala for $628!! No way I would ever have watched this item at that price and a check at the previously sold ones from the same seller show that they originally had them listed for $298. I think some of these sellers are catching on but still plenty of lower priced ones at the moment. It would be great if someone could contact the manufacture and have them make a few small adjustments so it will fit on our corvettes without moddification and hopefully keep close to the same price point that they are at now.
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Ok so just spent an hour trying to find a possible supplier but surprisingly no leads yet. There is at the very minimum 10 different American sellers that are working with the manufacturer just on ebay, so I cant imagine it would be too difficult to find them. If anyone has any ideas feel free to share. I already bought some arms during the jegs sale so i dont need them, just think it would be cool to see what the manufacturer would say to alterations and possible pricing. The ultimate idea would be to organize a group buy directly from the manufacturer
I just checked my ebay watch list and noticed a set of the tublar control arms for an impala for $628!! No way I would ever have watched this item at that price and a check at the previously sold ones from the same seller show that they originally had them listed for $298. I think some of these sellers are catching on but still plenty of lower priced ones at the moment. It would be great if someone could contact the manufacture and have them make a few small adjustments so it will fit on our corvettes without moddification and hopefully keep close to the same price point that they are at now.
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Ok so just spent an hour trying to find a possible supplier but surprisingly no leads yet. There is at the very minimum 10 different American sellers that are working with the manufacturer just on ebay, so I cant imagine it would be too difficult to find them. If anyone has any ideas feel free to share. I already bought some arms during the jegs sale so i dont need them, just think it would be cool to see what the manufacturer would say to alterations and possible pricing. The ultimate idea would be to organize a group buy directly from the manufacturer
I bought these and they're still on the shelf. They appear to be good quality but they are heavy as hell. I drag race my car so weight is important to me. They were so much heavier I decided not to install them and leave the stock arms on.
I bought these and they're still on the shelf. They appear to be good quality but they are heavy as hell. I drag race my car so weight is important to me. They were so much heavier I decided not to install them and leave the stock arms on.
I can see that as I have these arms, original factory ones and another set of high end aftermarket A-arms.
These are the heaviest but also the beefiest. Based solely on weight and tubing/plate thickness.
I am thinking that in your situation...straight line drag......weight is more a concern than stress in turns and sustained high speeds.
I am thinking I'll use these heavy ones in my highway cruiser and the lighter aftermarkets in a different setup.
As we are coming to realize with these cars/projects....not one size fits all.
I can see that as I have these arms, original factory ones and another set of high end aftermarket A-arms.
These are the heaviest but also the beefiest. Based solely on weight and tubing/plate thickness.
I am thinking that in your situation...straight line drag......weight is more a concern than stress in turns and sustained high speeds.
I am thinking I'll use these heavy ones in my highway cruiser and the lighter aftermarkets in a different setup.
As we are coming to realize with these cars/projects....not one size fits all.
Thanks for your input....
In my mustang I put an aftermarket K member in, the cradle part that holds the engine and all the suspension, in the rest of the aftermarket world, it was 20lbs heavier than the rest of the guys, it was about 5lbs lighter than stock and made of chromoly, I got it because it was the strongest of the aftermarket parts that still offered a full tubular setup over the factory stamped setup, and 4 years later its still going. Yeah it was the most expensive, but it's a freakin work of art.
Sometimes it's not always about the weight, but I agree about their weight, and no, they don't need to be this heavy. As I said, I wouldn't hesitate to put this under my Diesel truck if they fit lol. It's just hard to beat the price in all things considered, maybe one day i'll upgrade, but this has been a very... "interesting" trip lol.
i found pics...
most of the competitors just copy this setup, remove gussets, braces, thinner metal... this thing is a tank just like the factory piece, only the aftermarket one was more streamlined, makes engine swaps WAY easier than the factory piece
great news! if your running the factory shroud, these arms work great, order some 5/8 slim jamb nuts and cut off the extra, and MORE room than stock, btw these uppers are slotted for more caster so that helps more too
Nice! Thanks for the info! You have plastic or metal fan shroud?
sorry, I post txt on the site on the computer than upload photos from my phone, im guessing it's a nice reproduction, it's not plastic but structural foam
The best! I can't wait to start changing my suspension. It should be fun!
I cant wait to see how this old coupe handles now, I gota find sway bars now tho, QA1 makes one for the front, but have yet to find one aftermarket that's worth anything for the rear... i'd love the old Rancho kit... but that's like hen's teeth now =(
really want hollow ones, but beggers you know...those ridetech ones... are just wow... nearly a grand for a dang sway bar
I have been tracking this thread very closely. Thank you all for doing this research, sticking your necks out and taking the risks.
I was originally only going to del-a-lum bushings and maybe slotting the cross shafts for more more caster. But reading this thread: del-a-lum installed (upper and lower), new balljoints... only a bit of welding and minor machining... for $300? That is a bargain.
One question tho... I was originally going to go with my OEM coils and Bilstein shocks. Presumbably now mods are necessary there.
For the coil-overs, am I reading correctly that the frame (spring pockets) needs to be modified? The lower control arms are already coil-over-ready.
09-19-2018, 11:02 AM
