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planning to build a set of control arms... does this look workable?

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Old Feb 16, 2011 | 02:08 PM
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Default planning to build a set of control arms... does this look workable?

planning to build a set of control arms... does this look workable?
\
will be using OEM bushings...

also this is not drawn to scale... GO microsoft paint!




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Old Feb 16, 2011 | 03:18 PM
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Don't waste your time using stock bushings, check out ballisticfabrication.com, ruffstuffspeacialtys.com, or polyperformance.com. At minimum go with poly or even poly on the chassis side and a good crawler joint on the axle side. Just saying this cause I've been down this road with my rig. The rubber is nice for street only driving but once you wheel they will wear fast. Mine clunked after the first wheeling trip.
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Old Feb 16, 2011 | 03:37 PM
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if I do that I would not need to use a threaded rod in the middle
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Old Feb 16, 2011 | 03:40 PM
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From what I've read poly doesn't allow as much flex, but I've never used poly bushings.

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Old Feb 16, 2011 | 03:41 PM
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Originally Posted by ericfx1984
if I do that I would not need to use a threaded rod in the middle
Is that a question? If so then you would need to get the DOM tube threaded at the axle side mount to make it adjustment. I would use a large heim joint on that side and keep the rest of your design minus the middle adjustment point.
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Old Feb 16, 2011 | 04:56 PM
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Originally Posted by Modestmike
Is that a question? If so then you would need to get the DOM tube threaded at the axle side mount to make it adjustment. I would use a large heim joint on that side and keep the rest of your design minus the middle adjustment point.
is a heim ok for a DD?
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Old Feb 16, 2011 | 04:58 PM
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That's how mine is set up. It's a Full Traction 6" long arm.
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Old Feb 16, 2011 | 05:51 PM
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Originally Posted by ericfx1984

is a heim ok for a DD?
Yes... sometimes loud... if u use a bushing style on the axle end there fine for the road... ruffstuff has the strongest at the cheapest... 7/8 is fine for d30's... they come with tube bungs so u dont have to thread anything... also Dan is a ruff stuff vendor here and he's **** hot on getting u any deals he can...

Last edited by huntingman2706217; Feb 16, 2011 at 06:01 PM.
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Old Feb 16, 2011 | 06:03 PM
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Originally Posted by huntingman2706217

Yes... sometimes loud... if u use a bushing style on the axle end there fine for the road... ruffstuff has the strongest at the cheapest... 7/8 is fine for d30's... they come with tube bungs so u dont have to thread anything... also Dan is a ruff stuff vendor here and he's **** hot on getting u any deals he can...
Also heims are the strongest... ballistic joint claim to be rebuildable... and they are... one time... threads suck on those things... and they cost as much as a heim but weaker...
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Old Feb 16, 2011 | 11:01 PM
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WHY?...
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Old Feb 16, 2011 | 11:04 PM
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I'm guessing he has experience with them???
I have heims on mine and they are solid. A bit noisy but again they are beefy. On the frame side I have Johnny joints.
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Old Feb 17, 2011 | 12:00 AM
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a greater diameter tube has more effect on the bending strength than the wall thickness so go at least 1.75 od tube id say 2 inch .250 wall hrew would be okay if they are stock length arms, and why not just get some bungs and weld them in and go with heims on one end?
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Old Feb 17, 2011 | 04:26 AM
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Originally Posted by makingaZJ
WHY?...
Why what? Quotes help man
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Old Feb 17, 2011 | 09:32 AM
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I've never understood making an arm adjustable in the middle where bending stress and strain are the highest. Additionally, if you're going to take a direc hit to an LCA it's very likely to be in the middle 1/3 of the arm. 1.25" O.D. DOM "heavy wall" (0.25"?) would give you a 0.75" solid threaded rod which will be a ridiculous weak link in the middle of the arm. In terms of design, a threaded rod end with a tube insert at one end (for adjustability) and either a rod end or bushing end at the body is vastly superior.

I've been throwing out some calculations in other threads, but I don't even need to do them to tell you you're wasting time building an LCA out of DOM and then putting a small diameter threaded rod in the middle.
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Old Feb 17, 2011 | 02:57 PM
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Originally Posted by alaskan
I've never understood making an arm adjustable in the middle where bending stress and strain are the highest. .
I was not really planning to put it in the middle, more toward the end... but I am going another way with it now
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