Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
#101
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
I'm having second thoughts about this.
I noticed I have two sets of mounting holes in the strut towers. I don't know if this is correct or not, but the mounts are using the rear holes. I bet if I moved them to the front holes I won't get a rub anymore.
-- Joe
I noticed I have two sets of mounting holes in the strut towers. I don't know if this is correct or not, but the mounts are using the rear holes. I bet if I moved them to the front holes I won't get a rub anymore.
-- Joe
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
They are slots, not two sets of holes
#106
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
hole, slot, whatever you want to call it..
I said this earlier if you removed or replaced the upper strut mounts
odds are they were re-installed incorrectly.
I said this earlier if you removed or replaced the upper strut mounts
odds are they were re-installed incorrectly.
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
You did mention that earlier, and I thought there were holes not slots in the body. My bad!
-- Joe
#109
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
Nothing, because they were probably reinstalled incorrectly by the last person.
I went thru this with my car, the retaining ring for the upper strut mount can actually be installed wrong if you are not paying attention.
IF THE RING IS PLACED INTO THE WRONG SET OF SLOTS IT THROWS OFF THE POSITION OF THE UPPER STRUT MOUNT WHICH THROWS OFF THE WHOLE ALIGNMENT
but you knew that already ...
I am willing to bet most all these guys complaining about the a-arms have the same issue.
#110
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Car: '88 Formula, '94 Corvette, '95 Bird
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
Nothing, because they were probably reinstalled incorrectly by the last person.
I went thru this with my car, the retaining ring for the upper strut mount can actually be installed wrong if you are not paying attention.
IF THE RING IS PLACED INTO THE WRONG SET OF SLOTS IT THROWS OFF THE POSITION OF THE UPPER STRUT MOUNT WHICH THROWS OFF THE WHOLE ALIGNMENT
but you knew that already ...
I am willing to bet most all these guys complaining about the a-arms have the same issue.
I went thru this with my car, the retaining ring for the upper strut mount can actually be installed wrong if you are not paying attention.
IF THE RING IS PLACED INTO THE WRONG SET OF SLOTS IT THROWS OFF THE POSITION OF THE UPPER STRUT MOUNT WHICH THROWS OFF THE WHOLE ALIGNMENT
but you knew that already ...
I am willing to bet most all these guys complaining about the a-arms have the same issue.
What is the 'correct' position? Got a picture?
-- Joe
#111
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
The best advise I can give you is get it close then go to an alignment shop to get it right.
You will NEVER get it right at home unless you own an alignment shop.
good luck
You will NEVER get it right at home unless you own an alignment shop.
good luck
#112
Supreme Member
Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
two studs for the retaining ring should face the front of the car... at 4 & 8 o clock positions.. this should get you close and... still have room for adjustment..
I posted some pics.. sorry I don't have better ones
BUT you really need to take it to an alignment shop... lucky for me there is a family owned garage a few blocks from my house and the guys are really good mechanics...
I measured all my old suspension pieces before I installed the new.. so I was pretty darn close he just had to fine tune the strut plate positions.
you will be surprised how much adjustment they really have... so much that you might even be in the correct slots to begin with... but I can't make that call from here.
Last edited by FRMULA88; 10-03-2013 at 01:42 PM.
#113
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
All I can say is when you replace suspension parts the alignment always needs to be checked by a pro with a machine..
#114
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
I'll have to look at it. I don't know what you mean about the two studs facing the front of the car. The retaining ring has 3 studs, and yeah two of them are in the front and one is in the rear.
-- Joe
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
Ok. So if you take the rear formula wheel and put it on the front, and turn it doesn't hit the fender.
I'm running 12" rotors, so even with the rear on the front I don't have the tie rod rubbing problem that you would normally have running the wheels backwards.
So, although I have to redo the steering stop anyway. I'm going to keep the wheels orientated this way.
-- Joe
I'm running 12" rotors, so even with the rear on the front I don't have the tie rod rubbing problem that you would normally have running the wheels backwards.
So, although I have to redo the steering stop anyway. I'm going to keep the wheels orientated this way.
-- Joe
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
so being as i cant remember if i had wheel rub before or after installing my spohn a arms, my spohn k member hasn't given me issues with rubbing on my steering linkage or anything like that. my wheels are located about an 1" or 1.5" too far back and ive tried aligning but my caster is wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy off. has anyone used spohns new re-designed a arms? they look beefy but id hate to spend the money and end up with the same wheel rub problem. anyone have any other fitment issues using a spohn K member and either UMI or BMR a arms?
#117
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Car: '88 Formula, '94 Corvette, '95 Bird
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Axle/Gears: 3.42, Dana44 3.45, 3.23
Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
I wanted to update this.
I'm running the spohn K-Member and a-arms.
First and foremost, they are made wrong. Let's just get that out of the way. I realize these cars have a lot of variance, but this stuff is just way out.
First lets start with the K-member. It's a dumb design. At full drop, you can barely turn the wheels lock to lock without the tie rods rubbing the k-member. (even using Spohns special tie rods). The UMI k-member is designed differently.
Next is the A-arms. The ball joint location is too far back.. No if ands or buts. It is. To get the alignment even 'close', you have to pull the strut ALL the way back to even get 'so so' caster out of the thing. I had to use adjustable camber caster plates, and not only is the plate all the way back but so is the center adjuster. (So way more caster adjustment than stock).
Next issue. I don't know if you guys noticed this, but when the camber is set properly, at some points in the turn radius the strut actually touches the frame..
Oh, and my tires hit the inner fender plastic prior to full lock.
-- Joe
I'm running the spohn K-Member and a-arms.
First and foremost, they are made wrong. Let's just get that out of the way. I realize these cars have a lot of variance, but this stuff is just way out.
First lets start with the K-member. It's a dumb design. At full drop, you can barely turn the wheels lock to lock without the tie rods rubbing the k-member. (even using Spohns special tie rods). The UMI k-member is designed differently.
Next is the A-arms. The ball joint location is too far back.. No if ands or buts. It is. To get the alignment even 'close', you have to pull the strut ALL the way back to even get 'so so' caster out of the thing. I had to use adjustable camber caster plates, and not only is the plate all the way back but so is the center adjuster. (So way more caster adjustment than stock).
Next issue. I don't know if you guys noticed this, but when the camber is set properly, at some points in the turn radius the strut actually touches the frame..
Oh, and my tires hit the inner fender plastic prior to full lock.
-- Joe
#118
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
The newer plastic inner fender liners are made a bit different and are mounted behind the fender on the front an rear of the opening.
PA K members are a junk design too, went through that many yrs ago..
PA K members are a junk design too, went through that many yrs ago..
#119
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
#121
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
Were these liners production, or service only? If production, any idea what years? Would be worth keeping an eye open for at salvage yards.
#122
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
You can see how they are mounted in this pic. It's like this front and rear of the liner. A V notch in the liner by the body line then speed nuts on liner, bolts w 7mm head an captured washer that are around 3/4 inch long. iirc
Last edited by TTOP350; 04-25-2018 at 07:02 AM.
#123
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
Super. Thanks Tony.
I get some very light rubbing at one spot of my liner on sharp turns. Wouldn't hurt my feelings to have it not do that, though it hurts nothing.
I get some very light rubbing at one spot of my liner on sharp turns. Wouldn't hurt my feelings to have it not do that, though it hurts nothing.
#124
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
So no reproduction options?? odd.
-- Joe
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
Oh wow. No, I have nothing like that. Just lightly brushes against it at lock, leaving a lightly buffed / scuffed spot on the liner. Still, I wish it didn't.
#126
Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
I remember seeing the Spohn A Arms long ago before I had a thirdgen... Thinking, "wow, how nice".... Got my 91 Formula.... saved up to get the A Arms... Put them on, and same thing... now they rubbed in the back.... Ask Spohn? Crickets.....
Sold them, bought Global West Del a lum delrin bushings in stock a arm, could not be happier...
Same with spohn torque arm...
Done wasting $$$ there....
Sold them, bought Global West Del a lum delrin bushings in stock a arm, could not be happier...
Same with spohn torque arm...
Done wasting $$$ there....
#128
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
This is what was required to get the caster to stock spec.
#129
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
Bringing this one back.
As you can see from my last post, I was never really quite happy with the spohn A-arms. They look nice, but I always felt not quite right about how much we had to compensate in the strut for the caster to be on spec.
Anyhow. I think I'm going to take them out put some factory A-arms back in the car. My hope is that the spohn K-member is at least in the factory position so I won't have the same trouble with factory A-arms.
Does anyone have chassis specs so I can do some rough measurements from the a-arm mount to measuring holes in the frame? I have the books for my other cars, but don't have one for the firebird.
-- Joe
As you can see from my last post, I was never really quite happy with the spohn A-arms. They look nice, but I always felt not quite right about how much we had to compensate in the strut for the caster to be on spec.
Anyhow. I think I'm going to take them out put some factory A-arms back in the car. My hope is that the spohn K-member is at least in the factory position so I won't have the same trouble with factory A-arms.
Does anyone have chassis specs so I can do some rough measurements from the a-arm mount to measuring holes in the frame? I have the books for my other cars, but don't have one for the firebird.
-- Joe
#130
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
#131
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
I have the UMI lower Aarms on a racecraft moly kmember and home made weight jacks. I really like the UMI lower arms. I had their first version which didn’t have the steering stops at all and they worked good. I wanted ones with steering stops and these are adjustable with spacers. I’ve got some stuff from Spohn and sold it before running any of it as I didn’t like the fitment. The UMI arms came with rod end to sway bar links which is a nice touch.
#132
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
It's in the GM service manual.
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...ce-manual.html
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...ce-manual.html
Thanks!
#133
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
I have the UMI lower Aarms on a racecraft moly kmember and home made weight jacks. I really like the UMI lower arms. I had their first version which didn’t have the steering stops at all and they worked good. I wanted ones with steering stops and these are adjustable with spacers. I’ve got some stuff from Spohn and sold it before running any of it as I didn’t like the fitment. The UMI arms came with rod end to sway bar links which is a nice touch.
I think the SPOHN K-member is the same basic design as profab / PA. Looks like the same pa racing k-member I had in the early 2000s. It does give a tone of room though, which is nice. I've been salty about the A-arms for the better part of 10 years now and I'm finally thinking of doing something about it. Also thinking of coil over which may or may not be a terrible idea.
-- Joe
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#135
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Re: Spohn A Arms - Don't waste your $$$
I have the UMI lower Aarms on a racecraft moly kmember and home made weight jacks. I really like the UMI lower arms. I had their first version which didn’t have the steering stops at all and they worked good. I wanted ones with steering stops and these are adjustable with spacers. I’ve got some stuff from Spohn and sold it before running any of it as I didn’t like the fitment. The UMI arms came with rod end to sway bar links which is a nice touch.
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