Converting to tubular a arms

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Ugly1

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Oct 26, 2021
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The weight loss is almost a negligible amount,for the money. Most of your arms on the market are just tube versions of the stockers. Coming from a age standpoint point some of these arms are 40 plus years old and ive seen them develop cracks around the lower ball joint area and that's pretty sketchy as there's your load bearing. Price wise what do you really gain if you don't buy the ones that incorporate better geometry?Hell I can see it from a standpoint where I wouldn't want to rebush/joint an old arm an still have what I started with.it all depends on what your goals ultimately.
That’s what I was thinking. Even buying new repop’s of the originals are money saving.
 
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Ugly1

Royal Smart Person
Oct 26, 2021
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Lost in the woods of NH
The main reason you'd want to make this swap is to replace the uppers with aftermarket arms that have longer geometry and/or tall ball joints. Besides getting new bushings for free, these features correct the factory steering geometry - as the weight of the car compresses the spring, swinging the arm up, the factory design tends to pivot the top of that wheel outwards in a turn, creating 'positive camber'. That means the tire working hardest to turn the car is rolled onto its sidewall, shrinking the tread contact patch. Combine with a good sway bar, and maybe lowering springs, you will feel an improvement in handling. Moog factory-style lower control arms are available with new bushings and ball joints for less than tubular lowers. You may need to use S10 arms, as the supply of G-specific parts has dwindled over 40 years. The S10 arms need larger-diameter bolts, but you can drill the frame holes to match.
With the changes in tire design and many guys going with lower profile tires the flex in the tires has changed much of the positive camber issue. Having it to stiff can create a different set of problems for street cars. Mostly for people that don’t understand the balance of what will happen and how they want the car to react. Building a car for rally look but plan on drag racing is just throw the money away. And as we all know someone is always bigger,faster, and spent more money to go fast.
 

scoti

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Sep 5, 2019
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The rubber isolators aren't a 'must have'. The springs will work w/o them. Some might squeak; many don't.
If they do, isolators do help that while they're intact.
 
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Kelvin's80442

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Apr 19, 2020
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The rubber isolators aren't a 'must have'. The springs will work w/o them. Some might squeak; many don't.
If they do, isolators do help that while they're intact.
Okay. I have them on order, planned on replacing them anyways. I don't want to take the chance.
 
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scoti

Royal Smart Person
Sep 5, 2019
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Okay. I have them on order, planned on replacing them anyways. I don't want to take the chance.
I don't worry about them. If the originals are intact, I'll re-use them but I've never purchased them separately. Never been an issue for me in any of my cars or trucks I've done.
 
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Kelvin's80442

Greasemonkey
Apr 19, 2020
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Ste Rose Manitoba
Which way do I want?
20220520_112413.jpg
 
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