Found a set of aluminum control arms and a panhard bar at the junkyards...They have grease fittings, but it looks like the bushings are a solid type of material...Anyone ever used anything like this on the street???or is this a race only setup..I went ahead and got them, as I dint know when I would get back up there.....If they are streetable, are there any problems, I should know about??? Thanks, Tom

 

post some pics if you can. never seen aluminum control arm before. if they have solid bushings good chance they are race parts, probably custom made. they would probably give u a rough ride

 

I will try to post the pics today..Couldnt get the digital to work, so I had a disposible laying around, and took a few shots..I should get them back tonight, or tomorrow....I sure hope I didnt buy something I cant use..I got the 2 controls arms, and the panhard bar, and a new set of Edelbrock TES headers for 70 bucks.....They are not adjustable or anything....So you think the ride will be rough????

 

if the bushings are solid like you stated, they could make for a stiff and rough rear. as rubber or poly bushing have a little give and metal or whatever solidbushings are made of has none

 

Sweet deal!
I think AL bars are custom made, don't think any are made (at least anymore).
The bushing material is probably a del-a-lum type of thing. The car that you yanked it from wasn't a full out race mobile right? Then I think you're fine It'll be harsh, but not unbearable. Just keep an eye on them, they'll fatigue and break eventually.

 

Is there a way to tell if they are fatigued by looking at the metal....And can someone PLEASE PM me, and let me know how to upload a picture, have tried everything my small brain can think of......Thanks for the replys...Tom

 

You can't really tell if the aluminum is fatigued by looking at it. But if you see stress marks, that's a bad sign.

Here ya go ;
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/faq-...load-file.html

 

Well am gonna try to post a pic......

 

Yes it definately looks like those will give you a rough ride.

 

Thanks everyone...Maybe, I wont use them after all...I was just excited when I found them..The car they came off of had headers (grabbed them) The biggest front swat bar, I have ever seen...Re enforced front steering parts...The rear end was gone...Looks like it had seen a dragstrip or 2.....I dont really want to beat myself to death...Would the panhard bar cause a rough ride also??? Maybe I will just go with new bushing, and such....

 

well that's a nice find you got there. if you want to get rid of them i'll take them. I don't mind a rough ride.

 

Yea, i'm sure a handful of members would take 'em off your hands for ya Might be able to make a tidy little profit.

The panhard wouldn't really lead to a rough ride, except when you hit potholes while going around corners, that's when you'd notice it most. Is it also solid bushings?
I think solid bushings on rear suspension like in that picture, would lead to a serious bind issue. haha, maybe why the car was in the JY....

 

Thanks Sonix, you could be right..Well I will count my blessings on the headers then, and lay the other stuff to rest...Live and learn.....HMMMM...I wonder about that huge sway bar....

 

ahh i see your pic posting worked congrats. neat looking piece

 

Yes, im so smart now....I can post a picture.........LOL.............

 

Are the ends solid aluminum with a bronze bushing? If so they will not let the axle rotate without twisting the lca's themselves, they are a terrible design and are an accident waiting to happen.

 

Yes, bronze bushings.....Guess I will wait for something better to come along.....These would be good on a pure drag care I pressume???????????..How would they twist the lca's any different than the stock units??? The only difference I can see is the fact that there would be no cushion..I can see the binding problem, but not the twist difference....Any local (Galveston, TX.) drag guys interested???

 

That's why i wanted them is for profit. See if i get them for lets say $50 i can sell them to one of my idiot friends for like $75 and tell them they will get more traction for drag racing.

 

Definetly straight line only driving with those aluminum arms.

You know what, throw those on ebay. You might be surprised on how much some people will pay for certain things.

 

Id take em to a machine shop and see if they can mill out the ends so you could put poly or stock rubber bushings in them. Just a thought.

 

if you mill the ends out to a stock size bushing the aluminum left over will be so weak it would probably distort and break. i like the ebay idea. through them out there, polish'em up real good make they nice and shiny and some idiot will probably ****** them up for a nice price. "BUY IT NOW" for like 100$? or something like that

 

Put them on ebay like 86ta but put the bin at $250 and call them custom made aluminum panhard bar and control arm.

 

Hey, I'm local, and interested in the car you pulled the stuff off of. I'd like to check that out.

No interest in the control arms though, put them on e-bay and make some money back.

Shoot me a PM about the car you found the stuff on.

Dave

 

Dave, be glad to hit you with a PM, but it is stripped to the bone.....I just got lucky to get what I got off of it...The rear end is gone, no motor, not much but a shell, but if ya still wanna know, let me know, Tom.....BTW, what town are you in...Texas City here....

 

Yep, Texas City, one block off Bay Street and just North of the Dike. You on the Island? Planning to attend the local Fall Brawl?

Back to topic, what car was it? I could stil be interested in the front springs, and the beefed up front end parts.

 

No, im in Texas City also, White Camaro, with ISP on the back glass....The car is at pick a part on northville road in Houston...Like I said, it was pretty well picked over, i am going to try to get the sway bar, if it is still there...Stuff doesnt stay long up there tho....i just got lucky to have a few dollars with me when I was there..I was looking for a new mirror with a digital compass in it, when I saw the headers...Tom

 

Ok Tom,

Thanks for the info. Will send you a PM.