Re: [DML] Front Suspension Mod's

[wingd2@xxxx]

Toby,

A few things you might want to think about. By adding stiffeners to the 
lower control arm and basically triangulating it, you create a ridge assembly 
which now pivots around the centerline of the inner pivot bolt. The outer / 
balljoint end of this arm will now only move up and down in relation to the 
inner pivot bolt. 
If you look at the original setup on the D you will see the outer end of 
the lower control arm is held and guided buy the sway bar. Now as the 
suspension moves up and down the sway bar pivots around its front connection 
to the front crush tube. This means the other end which is attached to the 
lower control arm actually swings thru an arc, so as the suspension moves up 
and down the outer / balljoint end on the lower control arm not only goes up 
and down but it actually moves front and backwards thru the arc of the sway 
bar.
When you triangulate the lower control arm (I've actually made a set 
before by taking an upper arm and cutting the center balljoint section out 
and then welding it to the sides of a lower arm) you create a binding problem 
between the triangulated lower control arm, which now only wants to move up 
and down, and the sway bar connection, which wants to move front and back. 
The rubber bushings will compensate for some of this, but you still have 
suspension parts in a bind. Poly bushings make this binding condition worse 
because of less flexibility.
This is what sway bar "links" on other applications eliminate, the binding. 
If you go with the triangulated lower arm setup, you should think about a 
different sway bar setup also.

Marty 


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