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Tubular upper A arms

cbodybob

cbodybob

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Thinking about putting a pair of these on the satellite. Wondering how safe they are particularly the kind with the heim joints. Anybody running these
 
cbodybob said:
Thinking about putting a pair of these on the satellite. Wondering how safe they are particularly the kind with the heim joints. Anybody running these
Click to expand...

I have installed some QA-1s on my Charger but not near drivable yet. No heim joints just the same stock type bushings and ball joint. They say they are stronger than stock. The main reason I went with them is that it was a lot easier to just install these than rebuild my old stock ones and re-install them.
 

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RMS ones you can get heim joints with it at no extra cost I believe, it put these ones on my 67 dart I'm currently working on.
 
The last pair I got, was for my own car from PST. I like them the best.
 
I would buy them from Firm feel they have a gusset around the Ball joint for added strength. I wonder how Heim Joints are on a street car? Do you think dirt will get to them??
 
Yea that's what I am worried about. Dirt, moister & being able to handle the load of a fairly heavy B body
 
look into Fat Man control arms. we just put them on a 50 Cheby coupe and they are an 1 1/2" shorter to get a better profile tire on the car.
 
If you have power steering, the ones from Firm Feel have some positive caster built into them. I believe they told me 6 degrees. Have not driven the car yet, so can't comment on how effective they are.
 
It's a dedicated drag car. Mainly just looking to loosen the front end up. That's what the heim joint one are supposed to do
 
I would look into local laws and insurance rules and regulations. I know for instance that heim joints on commercial vehicles per FMVSS are not permitted for street use. If like you say it's a dedicated racing vehicle no street use) you shouldn't have any issues except for class rules. Heim joints do allow for ease of movement versus bushings with a sacrifice of service life. Most heim joints do not have a serviceable grease fitting. Also look closely at the seal area for the joint if it has the nylon seal exposed without an external backing they have a tendency to fail prematurely due to the elements. Once again may be a non issue for you in racing application. I personally have a lot of experience with heim joint useage from being in Afghanistan. Weather primarily water and then cold temperatures caused the seals to fail and in turn the joint failed prematurely causing severe suspension issues as it relates to all angles. Hope this helps.
 
heim joints are perfectly fine, have magnumforce unit in my car front and back is all heim joint and had no problems at all
 
I have heims from Hotchkis with over a year of daily driving (50 miles a day maybe 8,000 miles on the suspension) with no issues. The car was taken off of the road for "Winter upgrades" over a year ago or the miles would be much higher.
 
Same here....Hotchkis upper A arms with heim joints on for 3 years street and strip and they show no noticeable wear. Car rides well and maintains it's alignment. Quality A arms and quality heim joints are stronger than stock and are much more precise. My experience......

Splicer
 
We have both the Poly or Hiem joint style if you are interested.

Thanks

James
 
I prefer the heim joint design for its adjustability. I am running Magnum Force uppers and we have drove our Coronet HARD with no problems. Nice upgrade and not a budget killer.
 
cbodybob said:
It's a dedicated drag car. Mainly just looking to loosen the front end up. That's what the heim joint one are supposed to do
Click to expand...

if it's a dedicated drag car,
I wouldn't worry too much about wear & tear,
I'd just keep the area around the heim joints clean

I've run both the poly bushing & heim joint type of tubular upper & lower control arms
on the street even up in the sticks/country Sierra mountain roads....

{there are many different levels of quality in heim joints out there, bargain brands Hardware store cheapo stuff is weak}

Mainly at the track, but some street use too, I never had a failure "yet", I've had a few heavy B-Bodies RR's & Charger's...

Yes the heim joint will free up suspension travel,
slightly more than the poly/rubber bushing style tubular A-Arm will,
but the bushing style will last longer absorb more rough roads,
with the heim joints you just need to stay on-top of the maintenance,
just check them every once in a while...

If your serious about racing, a dedicated racecar,
there should be a nut & bolting process,
checking everything/every nut & bolt, before every race anyway...

good luck have fun, that's what it's all about
 
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