Control arm questions

[Cambo4sho]

hello guys. I'm intrested in extending my rear lower control arms. I have herd 300mm longer then standid is the way to go. Is that true ?. And another thing is do you have to extend the upper controle arms to. if so how long ?

[BadMav]

Na, only the lower ones and only by about 30mm depending on the size lift.

[bogan 13]

no u don't have to extend the uppers my lowers r about 970mm long superior engineering do a kit

[sudso]

hello guys. I'm intrested in extending my rear lower control arms. I have herd 300mm longer then standid is the way to go. Is that true ?. And another thing is do you have to extend the upper controle arms to. if so how long ?

Yeah it's along arm conversion. You have to buy new chassis mounts from Nissan or carefully cut off some from a wreck though.
The rear axle position stays the same, the arms are just longer to the front and does wonders for climbing traction and torque transfer. The upper arm mounts also should really be relocated too and arms lengthened (but still keeping the pinion angle correct) so they are swinging in the same plane as the lowers.
I've been saying for years that extending the lower arms to set the axle back a few cm just to return the wheelbase back to factory at a lifted ride height causes other problems when articulating.

[adzyspence]

Why would you want the long arm conversion unless your goin to be competing. the rears already flex so well, its the front id be upgrading. when i did my lift i got all my arms from superior, and mick said put standard length lowers in and just put shorter uppers in to correct the pinion angle, and centre the wheel in the arch. works a treat.

[BadMav]

Why would you want the long arm conversion unless your goin to be competing.

How much lift did you get? If it were 2 inch lift, no I wouldn't bother either. In higher lifts, it really is needed. Besides rectifying the pinion angle, lengthening the lower arms relocates the axle centre rearwards closer to factory wheel base. Because of the geometry of 4 ink suspension, as you lift the chassis away from the axle it moves forward, this gets more and more pronounced the higher you go. Not only that, but lengthening the lower arms helps with tyre scrub and most importantly it looks in proportion.

[adzyspence]

I'm runnig a 5 inch lift. What superior recomemded me, and has worked just fine as well, was to use the standard length lowers and i got upper control arms to suit my 5 inch lift which are actually shorter than the standard uppers, this then rotates the diff back to where it shoud be and the wheels are pushed back centre in the guards are they should be. I was under the impression that the superlong arm kits are just to get mote flex out of the rear end, but i am probaly wrong as why would you need more flex out of the read end.

[steve patrol]

I would be getting the long arm kit if i were you. How much travel is there in your shocks? The amount of rear steer I get when flexed up is fuct! Plus long arms make it easier line up your rear tyres on stuff... I need to get one of these asap!

Cheers

Steve

[adzyspence]

it flexs up awesome in the rear now. and the wheels all sit equal in the arch and pinion has been put bcak the right angle. seems like alot of money for not much gain for me anyway as it all works well now. plus then you have to go to the effort of putting in new mounts

[1MadEngineer]

its not so much about the flex, but how it drives and puts power to the ground. Long arms significantly reduce that terrible rolly effect you get when you 'power-on' around a corner or off camber. They also help stop that terrible hop you get when climbing and are hunting for traction. ITs amazing the difference it makes, all of a sudden you can turn into a climb and just stomp on it!

Reducing AS also helps smoothen out the ride, by allowing the suspension to do more of the work it was meant to rather than the link transmitting the load back into the chassis. (eg thats why offroad race rigs have long flat links).

[steve patrol]

Mine flexes up awsome now too! I can sit any tyre on a 44 gallon drum and the rest are on the ground. But when you look at the how far that dropped lower arm is close to vertical when doing this, it makes the rear want to go in that direction meaning your driving a different line to what you want to... plus it bunny hops like a bitch when you really need it to climb up... If your happy how it is then good for you... I reckon its money and time well spent... but in the end it all comes down to whether your car can go further than you or you want your car to go further than it is atm...

adzyspence... try getting up wave rock rd in the watto's, you'll understand what where talking about then with rear steer, power to the ground and bunny hopping...

i wish i did mine earlier!!!

[BadMav]

Mine flexes up awsome now too! I can sit any tyre on a 44 gallon drum and the rest are on the ground. But when you look at the how far that dropped lower arm is close to vertical when doing this, it makes the rear want to go in that direction meaning your driving a different line to what you want to... plus it bunny hops like a bitch when you really need it to climb up... If your happy how it is then good for you... I reckon its money and time well spent... but in the end it all comes down to whether your car can go further than you or you want your car to go further than it is atm...

adzyspence... try getting up wave rock rd in the watto's, you'll understand what where talking about then with rear steer, power to the ground and bunny hopping...

i wish i did mine earlier!!!

Hit the nail on the head steve, I think mine will be done soon too.

[adzyspence]

yeah that makes alot of sense steve patrol. ill have to put them on the must get in the near future list.

[steve patrol]

This brings on another question... Im going to make mine out of 32NB SHED 80 Seamless pipe... will this be strong enough? Or should I go the same DIA in cro mo? I will be TIG welding them no matter what so the welds will be x-ray sound... Pretty much want to know if I can slide on the 32NB without it bending?.?...