I asked BMR about their control arms with rod ends and they said only get them if you will be racing, they will wear out in 3-6 months--get sloppy. I told them that's not what Global West says and they sent me this email:


I can't count how many times this subject has been brought up. Global West has done more to confuse the online community about this subject than anything else. I don't mean to sound like I am bashing Global West(they make excellent products) but it seems that they assume that everybody drives race cars. I will try to explain this as simple as possible but if something doesn't make sense, please feel free to give us a call. In a perfect world where a car is to be used for autocross or road race only and never sees street duty, spherical bearings are the number one choice. The fact that they provide angularity allows full articulation so you get a completely bind free suspension. In racing, this is the one thing that is always sought after to ensure the fastest suspension reaction times. Unfortunately, spherical bearings have a street life of only 4-6 months before they become annoyingly loud. Spherical bearings are not true bearings, they are made from a hardened steel ball with a swedged outer shell. This ball pivots in the outer shell with no bearings whatsoever. Of course metal on metal causes wear and ultimately excess clearance. This is where the noise comes from. Companies produce Teflon raced spherical bearings but this only delays the inevitable and after a few months of useage, the Teflon liner comes out and creates even more clearance than the standard sperical bearing has.
The F-Body suspension by nature was never designed to be a "bind free" suspension. In a typical suspension movement, if one side of the axle needs to go up and the other side stays put, the only way this is possible is for the bushings in the control arms and torque arm mount to deflect. Rubber bushings deflect easily allowing almost "bind-free" movement. When polyurethane bushings are used to replace the rubber, the deflection is lessened, making the suspension bind a little more than stock. If you were a profesional road racer, I would say don't go this route but 98% of the customers out there don't have the experience to physically "feel" this difference. If anything, I would probably recommend the poly/rubber setup that we offer on the control arms. The front bushing is rubber and allows more articulation than polyurethane.


Thanks,
Brett Rockey
www.bmrfabrication.com
813-655-3983


----- Original Message -----
From: >Cort351w@aol.com
To: >brockey@tampabay.rr.com
Sent: Monday, October 22, 2001 5:55 PM
Subject: Re: 82-92 parts


First off, thank you very much for the information.

The following information is straight from the Global West web page for F-Body products (http://www.globalwest.net/camaro93.htm#Rear%20tubular%20control%20arms):
They have a chart set up (which copied over only as words), but for each set up (poly/poly, poly/rodend, rodend/rodend) there is a rating of use on street, then road race, then drag race. Like the first part below, where it says Polyurethane bushings on frame attachment and polyurethane on the rear end housing... it then goes on to say bad choice (street), bad choice (road race), good for Drag ONLY (drag race). You would figure it out after looking for a minute, no doubt, just trying to making it easier.


Camaro/Firebird Rear tubular control arms (1982-2001):

Rear tubular control arms are the most misunderstood performance product available for the third
and fourth generation F cars. The following chart should help clear things up.

Type of lower control arm Street Road race Drag Strip Comments
Polyurethane bushings on frame attachment and polyurethane on the rear end housing. (not good for street use)Kit Part # TBC-3

Bad Choice Bad Choice Good for Drag ONLY When this type of a control arm is used on the street or road racing applications, the car's suspension is put into a bind condition during cornering and hard bumps. If you use this type of a control arm you will notice a harsher ride. This is bind .Consequences: High speed oversteer and possible over stressing the suspension mount.


Spherical aircraft bearing on the frame and a lube-type polyurethane bushing on the rear end housing

Kit Part # TBC-11

Good Choice Good Choice Good Choice This control arm will work in all applications. However polyurethane is the weak link in this equation. Poly will eventually distort and cold flow. This will in turn produce play in the system (fore and aft). Consequences: Although polyurethane will cold flow over time. It can still do a job for a period of time before it needs to be replaced. Replacement is simple.


Spherical aircraft bearings on the frame side and on the rear-end housing. (double bearing)

Kit Part # TBC-1

Superior Choice Superior Choice Superior Choice This control arm will work in all applications. It is the best design to use in a third and fourth generation F car. They allow the suspension to pivot without bind and provide zero fore and aft defection. Consequences: Rear end control you never had before.

1982-2001 polyurethane both sides: (DRAG ONLY)
Part# TBC-3 ----- Price $189.00

1982-2001 Bearing on frame side, poly on rear end side: (Good Overall)
Part# TBC-11 ----- Price $285.25

1982-2001 Double Bearing both sides, Superior over any other rear control arm .
(Best for all applications)
Part# TBC-1 -- -- Price $319.95

This does not fit with what you told me about rod ends wearing out and not being designed for the street. I am not saying you are wrong, but could you please explain the discrepancy. I have heard from other companies that rod ends are the best overall choice for any application, but I will also ask them if they can explain your advice to me.

 

For what it's worth, I've always heard not to go with spherical rod ends for the street. I kinda categorize it with solid motor mounts...99% of us don't need it. I've ridden in a vehicle with spherical ends, solid mounts, etc., and all the shock and vibration transmitted to body and interior sucks. Stick with poly.

------------------
1990 IROC 350
Mods: Too busy trying to make it run right to mod it.
Airfoil, Dynomax cat-back, MSD coil, 180 t-stat, Bald Eagle tires,
Hypertech fan switch, Accel 23# injectors, Holley module, ported plenum,
Ported Daytona Yellow stock base, Moroso valve covers, other stuff,
Streetdampr, Ruger P95DC, hot wife, new oil filter, !cats, !TBC, !AIR.
18.0 @ 85MPH since I'm one big-a$$ MF
"It's better to have and not need than to need and not have."

 

Sounds 100% legit to me.

------------------
85 2.8L Sport Coupe 5-speed.
Mods: Hpertech chip and powerstat, MSD 6A-L, Crane fireball coil, Accel Cap and Rotor, Dynomax hi-flow cat and catback system with a dynomax magnum race bullet muffler on the i-pipe, K&N filterchargers, Gutted Air Boxes, 8mm Wires, Eibach Sportlines and Tokiko springs/shocks setup, Global west sub frames, Suspension techniqs front and rear sway bars, and good ole 88 IROC wheels with Kumo Ecstas on em!
"It's not the ricers, it's those damn V8's!"

Wins: 2000 V6 Accord, 69 302 Mustang, 2000 Auto VR6 Jetta, 89 Toyota MR2, 90 Civic Si, 76 350 Camaro, 2000 3.8 5-speed Camaro, ~68 Chevelle 350, 92 CRX Si, 94 MR2 non-turbo.

My Car

 

I agree ...but.... I test drove a 1LE firehawk car over in NC .. it came with the SLP rod end LCA's ... it had 160k miles on it !!! they were a little noisy but sounded just like my friends car with brand new LCA's in it ...so I couldn't tell if they had any wear and tear on them :\ ... but I could tell the rear end seemed to hook much better !!

 

I've been happy with my rod end panhard bar for years. An I drive it everyday. Noisy?-Yes. Bind free?-Yes. Will wear out just like a stock front end tie rod?-Yes.

------------------
-Justin-

T-Top '86 5.0L LG4 700R4 WS6
T-Top '92 5.0L TBI 700R4
My '86 Firebird Homepage
The F-body Model Kit Pictoral Archive (updated 5/30/01)

There can be only one!!