Hey I have a question and am looking for suggestions. My mechanics noticed on my '89 Formula that the right front control arm hole where the ball joint is mounted has worn out and is elongated, so it can't hold a new ball joint. I was wondering where I can get NOS control arms to replace it. Alternatively, is using a used one from say, Hawks3rdgen a bad idea, or do I save up a bit(I'm at school, its winter, so I won't be driving for a while) and go with tubular front control arms from Spohn? I was about to have Proline springs, KYB shocks/struts, Spohn front/rear sway bars, TDS wonderbar, and front end rebuild done (at TPP performance in NJ) when this was noticed. I am slowly building the car up to a solidly performing daily driver that I could taike cross country. Any ideas guys?
Also, one thing that worries me a bit, my mechanics at home, who are fairly good, said that the new control arm needed to be for a suspension with 16inch wheels. I have never heard of the wheel size affecting the control arm purchased. Well thanks for your help!

 

Why don't you just get some oversize balljoints. They make these specifically for your problem. McQuay-Norris makes them, part number FA3000. Look on Advance Auto's website (www.partsamerica.com)

 

The difference between the CAs listed for 16" wheel cars and 15" wheel ones, is a little steering stop riveted to the arm. All it does is limit the travel to a smaller angle in the 16" cars to keep the tires from rubbing at full lock. The driver can accomplish the same thing with a little bit of paying attention.

Other than that, they are the same.

Junkyard CAs are CHEEEEP. The same ones appear to fit other cars, although I don't know what ones; but they obviously do, as they have shock absorber mounts in them. A & G bodies maybe, or S trucks, or something. Whatever it is, they're PLENTIFUL and CHEEP. So just go get a junk pair and put your new BJs into those BEFORE you take your car apart, and just swap em out; that way you don't have to figure out how to carry around your old ruined ones to a shop somewhere to get it done while you have your car all disassembled.

 

The only thing is - getting front control arms off a car at the JY is a bit**.... You need to jack up the control arm to compress the spring so you can loosen the bolts, and I don't know about your neck of the woods, but my local pick a part doesn't allow you to bring a jack into the yard. (safety). So I really don't know how you'd accomplish removing one??
Then again, if anyone is parting out a 3rd gen in your STATE, grab them, nobody sells those for any kind of large dollar value. Or look for someone on this very board who's talking about tubular front control arms, and PM them if you can buy their old ones. Nobody buys them, so if you're lucky you could get one for the price of shipping. Never know, it might even come with a new/recent ball joint in it

 

Don't try to pull them yourself. Let the buzzards pull em for you... in fact, more than likely they have sets of them sitting there waiting on their shelf, it's a pretty commonly asked-for part. Last time I needed a pair, the boneyard I was at, had probably a dozen sets stacked up. They just walked back there, grabbed a couple, and took my $30 for the pair. I don't think I spent 2 whole minutes in the place.

 

Thanks a lot guys. Any thoughts on saving up for a pair of tubular control arms? I know there are overkill, but how much of a difference do that make?

 

I'm going to be autocrossing come spring and I was wondering if it would be a good investment. I have stock IROC control arms if that makes a differnace. Or should I just box them myself?