What Are The Stock A-arm Dimensions??

[307 Regal]

Like the clumsy rookie I am, I did the tall upper ball joint conversion without getting a shorter upper A-arm. Now I have way too many camber shims and I'm stuck with nearly positive camber.
I'm looking at the much-talked-about Speedway tubular uppers as a replacement which are 8" and 8.5" for the passenger and driver side respectively. But you can buy two of one side if you just flip one of them. Everyone says to buy two lefts which are 8", but is that the same as stock length? Like I said, I need shorter arms so stock length won't help my situation.

I know SPC makes adjustable uppers with rubber bushings, but those are 3 1/2 times the price of a pair of circle track uppers.

 

[307 Regal]

So far the "best" info I can find is saying that from cross shaft to ball joint it's just shy of 8.5".
Another source has said 8.4"
Tried reading an S-10 forum which threw me off completely.

 

[pontiacgp]

The uppers are 8"

 

[307 Regal]

The uppers are 8"

Well that sucks. I was nearly convinced they were 8.5" but I know you know what you're talking about.
I guess I need to just say goodbye to that money and get the SPC uppers. I found some "tall spindle" uppers from Spohn and they're having a sale this weekend, but I can't call and talk to anyone about them during the weekend.

 

[307 Regal]

Steve, are you totally positive? You're saying the Speedway arms are "stock" and "longer than stock," not "stock" and "shorter than stock?" They're set up for more positive camber on the driver's side?

 

[pontiacgp]

speedway sells the left one .5" longer to help give positive camber, the right one is 8" and they tell you to buy 2 right ones if used on a street application.

I just took a picture of the sticker on my A arm on my car...I get my control arms from UB Machine

 

[CartmanTD]

Speedway sells 8.5 uppers so you could always get a set of those. Or get the UMI uppers that come with the 1/2 longer balljoint in it. But to me it sounds like you have some other issues you need to address. How thick of a stack of shims do you have in it? And are you trying to build a race car out of it or is it going to be a street car?

 

[307 Regal]

Speedway sells 8.5 uppers so you could always get a set of those. Or get the UMI uppers that come with the 1/2 longer balljoint in it. But to me it sounds like you have some other issues you need to address. How thick of a stack of shims do you have in it? And are you trying to build a race car out of it or is it going to be a street car?

The car is used for autocross and cruising. When I rebuilt the front end, I added a 1/2" taller ball joint to try to correct the camber curve. But I used stock upper A-arms. This resulted in the tops of my spindles being pushed outward, which I should have known would happen. The camber curve might be better, but even right now with my static camber just getting into the positive range I have camber shim stacks ranging from 5/8" to 3/4". What I'm looking for are some uppers that are shorter in length from cross shaft to ball joint so I can add the proper amount of negative camber to the car.

 

[pontiacgp]

I used to cut 1/2" out of the 8" uppers and weld it back together. I have an F body spindle with is taller than the G body spindle and a 1/2" tall screw in lower ball joint, plus I have lowered the car about 2 with cutting the spring. Welding the control arms shortens the life of the nylon bushing so I have lots of shims to get my negative chamber with the stock length A arms but I used 1/2" bolts so I use 3" length on the back and 2.5" on the front of the A arms.

 

[307 Regal]

...so I have lots of shims to get my negative chamber with the stock length A arms but I used 1/2" bolts so I use 3" length on the back and 2.5" on the front of the A arms.

My Buick engine is really wide, and with the headers there isn't too much more room to push the uppers inward. I'm not much of a welder/fabricator either. I'm giving these arms a good look now: http://www.spohn.net/shop/1978-1987...y-Tubular-Upper-A-Arms-Tall-Spindle-Swap.html