seattlejester Posted September 28, 2015 Author Share Posted September 28, 2015 Ah, I see, thanks for finding them, that was really helpful. I was thinking some monoball action was going to have to happen, but that makes sense. I think I will have to unfortunately forgo such a surgery. I kind of am out of money and 4 new rod ends although small won't be cheap. I also have a nice ST sway bar, and would prefer not to chop it up. I suppose I could do as you say and use one female rod end and thread one part of the end link into it and retain the poly bushing on the other end. Some thinking to do...My coilovers are coming with 280lb springs so maybe I won't need the rear sway bar as well. Well for the moment, would it be advisable to raise my sway bar mount so it is sitting more in the center of the assembly? Or would it be fine where it is. I looked up myron's design, and given that my tubes are thicker and my plate is much bigger I don't think strength will likely be an issue. Thanks for the input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I'd still run a rear bar with 280 in/lb springs. If you mean welding that piece in the middle of the tubes, I'd leave it where it is. and make the side with the plate the bottom of the arm. ST bar, you said? If so you should move it back away from the uprights about .5" and shim the saddle so that it isn't squeezing the bushing super hard and making the bar hard to move. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlejester Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 Excellent I asked another friend and he also suggested keeping it on the bottom as the sway bar would pull up on the control arm. Interesting, I just installed it as suggested. So I should make a spacer and push the clamp and bushing away from the mounting plate if I am understanding that correctly? I wonder if I have enough room with the fuel cell. I'll have to crawl around down there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Yes, and then you can either shave the bushing down or put washers in between the saddle and the upright so that you don't squeeze the hell out of the bushing when you tighten it down. And if you're feeling really zippy you can drill holes in the saddles and bushings and install zerks so that you can lube the bushing later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlejester Posted September 30, 2015 Author Share Posted September 30, 2015 Ah I get what you mean. So shave the bushing down a bit so that it is just locating the bar, allowing it to rotate. Space out the bar so that it has more of an angle to act on. Well a lot of it will be coming out so now would be the time to address it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube80z Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 Ah, I see, thanks for finding them, that was really helpful. I was thinking some monoball action was going to have to happen, but that makes sense. I think I will have to unfortunately forgo such a surgery. I kind of am out of money and 4 new rod ends although small won't be cheap. I also have a nice ST sway bar, and would prefer not to chop it up. I suppose I could do as you say and use one female rod end and thread one part of the end link into it and retain the poly bushing on the other end. Some thinking to do...My coilovers are coming with 280lb springs so maybe I won't need the rear sway bar as well. Well for the moment, would it be advisable to raise my sway bar mount so it is sitting more in the center of the assembly? Or would it be fine where it is. I looked up myron's design, and given that my tubes are thicker and my plate is much bigger I don't think strength will likely be an issue. Thanks for the input! You can also bolt angle iron to the ST bar and run the rod end from it. Heavy85 has a nice piece he built here, http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o618/ls240z/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps6017f710.jpg Cary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heavy85 Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 You can also bolt angle iron to the ST bar and run the rod end from it. Heavy85 has a nice piece he built here, http://i1150.photobucket.com/albums/o618/ls240z/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps6017f710.jpg Cary Also allows adjustment to make the legs of the bar shorter or longer depending which direction you orient the bracket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlejester Posted October 2, 2015 Author Share Posted October 2, 2015 Actually just found some end links that were on my daily from hotchkis that I could also probably repurpose using and angle adapter as you posted. BC coils arrived, so plan is to prep the front and rear struts and finish up both the control arms this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlejester Posted October 6, 2015 Author Share Posted October 6, 2015 Welded as hot as my welder would go, penetration seems good. One of the arms is not quite inline with the original arm, slightly off in the plane. Might have to remake that arm at another point in time. Seems the rod end tube is still perpendicular to the mounting arm so I don't think the function will be affected. Coilovers arrived, I think I'm going to get those welded to the struts before moving onto the next arm. Still need to make the toe link arm turn buckle. LH threaded portion is done, just need to add the RH tube adapter after cutting to length. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Mileski Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 I'm making up a new set of rear adjustable LCAs and the length of my toe link was too short to make from two rod ends and a length of right hand/left hand threaded tubing so I made a "double adjuster" sleeve and coupled the two rod ends together. I think it's about the shortest non-removable adjustable link you can make (at least I think it is). Mike Mileski Tucson, AZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 Does that mean you're doing the toe link in front? I like your solution. I had Coleman machine make me a really short turnbuckle then had to cut down the rod ends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74_5.0L_Z Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 (edited) Mike, Midwest Control sells adjusters like the ones that you made: http://www.midwestcontrol.com/series.php?id=194 Edited October 10, 2015 by 74_5.0L_Z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Mileski Posted October 12, 2015 Share Posted October 12, 2015 Jon, yes, I am doing the toe link in the front. The last ones I made had the link in the back and I've never had any issues but I agree with your opinion to mount it as close as possible to being under the lower strut mount, which is toward the front. 74_5.0L_Z, I really couldn't see anything on the Midwest control site that looked like mine. Mine are based on the ones that TTT uses on their arms but I needed my own special thread sizes on the adjuster, 3/4-16 on the outside and 1/2-20 on the inside, one right hand and the other left hand. Mike Mileski Tucson, AZ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlejester Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 Finished both sides. Pretty happy with how they turned out. Still need to clean a bit of the slag and get it cleaned up and painted/powdercoated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted October 19, 2015 Share Posted October 19, 2015 Looks good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlejester Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 Thanks! Bummer that it took a while, but I think they look really neat and the extra adjustability will let me dial in some settings nicely. All this talk about the Right triangle design vs the A-Arm + toe link makes me think I may need to try out the other style on the next iteration. Also found a picture with the sway bar link binding issue http://www.typeischeap.com/suspension2008.html So will have to make up a spacer for that to try out. Got to call around for some powder coating quotes now. Really would hate for these arms to turn all rusty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlejester Posted October 19, 2015 Author Share Posted October 19, 2015 (edited) Some questions as it is my first time mounting up rod ends. I seem to have thought somewhat ahead and ordered 4 spacers. I did not leave much room in the forward inner end (maybe enough for a washer or two), but would it be better to use the rod end spacer in the front as well as the rear (rod end spacer is being used in the rear? It would move the strut assembly back about a 3/16 of an inch maybe less. The toe link arm can be lengthened and swivel out. On the outer ends, given the small face of the bearing, should I use a washer? Or would it be better to just put the bolt head and the nut directly onto the bearing to allow for a little more movement? Also I imagine it would be advisable to use some sort of mechanism to get a good grip on the toe link turn buckle. Would it be better to just weld a flat piece on two sides? Or should I shave a bit of a flat onto the two sides? Personally leaning towards welding flats compared to grinding out flats. Edited October 19, 2015 by seattlejester Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tube80z Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Drill out a large nut and weld that to the tube. Or buy a tube already setup with flats. Both are options. Cary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted October 20, 2015 Share Posted October 20, 2015 Coleman Racing's steel tie rod turnbuckles are 5/8" x .120 wall and have flats for 3/4" wrench on them. Really cheap too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seattlejester Posted November 30, 2015 Author Share Posted November 30, 2015 So looking at pictures, looks like all the companies leave out washers and just have the nut/bolt sit against the actual rod end when needed. I'm going to throw in the spacer in the rear just to keep the rod end straight so it has a bit more room for movement. I hope that doesn't interfere with the wheel. I welded on washers to the toe link bracket so it just adds a bit of thickness to the tear point. Also bought some square tube with an ID of 1.25 and cut and welded that to the outside so I can get some flats onto the toe link so I don't have to vice grip the link every time I want to adjust it. Need to grind down some of the old control arm remnants and then off to powder coat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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