Lower Control Arm Variations: Different Manufacturers or Body Style Differences?

[Yennes]

Hi everyone

while working on my lower control arms I noticed something interesting and I’d like to get your opinions. In the pictures you can see two arms side by side. The one on the left has already been glass bead blasted while the one on the right is still in unrestored condition.

What caught my attention is that the plate where the shock absorber mounts is made differently. On the right arm which has not yet been blasted the plate is noticeably wider and looks like some kind of pressed-in construction without welds. On the left arm which has been blasted the plate is narrower and clearly welded to the control arm.

Since I have already found pictures of both versions on the internet I don’t think anyone has messed with these parts. My question now is whether there were different manufacturers for these control arms or if this might be an A B and C Body difference that shows up in this plate design.

Maybe someone here has some experience or background info on this.

Thanks
Yannik

 

[origcharger]

What you have circled is the mounting surface for the rubber bump stop.

 

[j-c-c-62]

What you have circled is the mounting surface for the rubber bump stop.

And its also the last item to resist the two LCA halves from separating longitudinally as they encircle the TB adjuster pivot point. The needed resistance is minor based on proven millions of cars driving billions? of miles without an issue. However, that does prevent the OC crowd from adding LCA bottom reinforcement plates with only being able to share their strongest reason for the added plate being "it can't hurt"

 

[Yennes]

Do I miss something?

I am asking if different pairs of LCAs existing. The two I am showing have different plates installed and I wonder if there were two manufacturers or something. This thread isn’t about to ask how to reinforce these LCAs.

 

[j-c-c-62]

What you missed in my response was your original question has no real structural significance even if you mislabeled it if there was any doubt, and I supported by example, and now you can focus on whatever else you might find important, as it is a free country. Different pairs can exist because of evolving structural/manufacturing improvements due to better designs or shortcomings discovered thru use, and those aspects can be removed from your concern of why the pair does not match, IMO.

 

[R/T Boy 67]

They could have had more than one supplier, and or, small changes were made in the manufacturing process. A B and C bodies all had different lower control arms, so it is not that.