To make a super LONG story short, I got a set of lower control arms with rod ends at each end and relocation brackets for dirt cheap.

http://www.spohn.net/shop/1982-1992-...-Rod-Ends.html

Now I heard from a reliable source that if I have these on my car, the rear end will slightly dog track after hitting a bump in the road. Is that true? I have an adjustable torque arm with the rod end and the panhard rod is a poly/rod end combo, and haven't got to these control arms yet cause I needed a guy that could weld.

Will my car's rear end shift slightly after hitting a bump? Do these control arms last a while because I heard the ends wear out quick? Are these things worth the $75 I paid for them (they are brand new, still in the box) and if not, what should I get instead?

 

If you put the control arms in the wrong hole compared to your ride height it causes improper suspension geometry and can cause some bump/roll steer from the rear end. - Basically saying, don't use the bottom hole unless your ride height is very low.

 

Just realized, you didn't mention relocation brackets, only the arms themselves. Changing control arms does not alter the geometry in any way, and thus does not create any issues that aren't already there.

 

Unless you get 2 different length arms, like severely mis-adjusted length LCAs.

My daily driver now has UMI Performance, On Car, double rod ended LCAs (much like what is in your link) & honestly? The rough ride isn't anywhere NEAR what I expected, despite sitting on 315/35 series tires!

 

Um, I did mention relocation brackets in the original post. It is in the first sentence. I guess that means that they won't make my car dog track and that they will last quite a while despite the fact that many people tell me that the rod ends wear out every six months. Is that correct?

 

i have had my rod/ panhard on for 2-3 years, it's still like new control arms with rod ends for 2 years, still nice and tight,

 

Did you ever experience any dog tracking at all? I was a bit worried about that but it doesn't seem to be an issue.

 

you can have problem with dog tracking, thats why you get adjustable control arms as long as the rear is centered/square you won't have any problems, after my install i had tracking problems, then i spent a few hours aligning the rear. Now even in bad rain i can roast the tires from 0-50mph and the car goes straight,

 

All I did was use the stock LCAs to get the length of my adjustable ones to the same length as the stock bolts. By aligning them alongside each other & using the stock bolts & "pins". Once both bolts slid in & out FREELY, zero binding, I bolted them in & was done.

0-50mph must be common. My speedo read 60mph until I got traction, dropped to 50mph & went! So the 50mph was the true reading.

 

selective reading/thinking yesterday I guess....



Dog tracking would only occur with miss-adjusted control arms. Roll steer would only occur with miss-adjusted(improper control arm angle) relocation brackets.

If adjusted properly, both will only help your suspension(handling and traction), not hurt.

 

I chirp going from first to second, the car kicks a bit sideways, will these LCA's with brackets stop that? If not, what will? I have street tires on the car and didn't have so much torque before the cam and fuel pump. What do I do?

 

Do they hop or just spin?


If they start to spin & hop real bad, LCA Relocation brackets are the first step. Changing the geometry (angle) of the LCAs is the first step. That & better tires, better foot control.

On lowered cars, it only gets worse.

 

I think it is more of a spin but there is a slight jerking to it so I must be getting a tiny bit of wheel hop. I thought that between the torque arm, panhard rod, and subframe connectors, I was on the right track but I guess I got a ton more to do.

Is swaybars and lower control arms the last of the recommended suspension mods not including struts and springs?