Adjustable Control Arms
03-19-2003, 11:29 AM
#1
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Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 646
Adjustable Control Arms
I went ahead and started this thread now that Steve and the ZF car is with us.
Tom Asked this question :
Steve , Correct me if I am wrong , but Mike Kelley ( ZF Racing ) quit making the
control arms and Ross from Modern Motorsports is now working on them.
Tom,
Randy Ayers the guy who has the old Red Frog GT2 car makes custom fully adjustable lower control arms as well . I am going to be over in Seattle over Spring break and will try to get some photos and more information on them as well.
Mike
Tom Asked this question :
Okay... I'll bite... Where does one get a look at ZF Racing adjustable control arms? How much do they cost, etc... Judginf by the big ZF on the hood, I assume you guys are affiliated with them?
control arms and Ross from Modern Motorsports is now working on them.
Tom,
Randy Ayers the guy who has the old Red Frog GT2 car makes custom fully adjustable lower control arms as well . I am going to be over in Seattle over Spring break and will try to get some photos and more information on them as well.
Mike
03-19-2003, 06:53 PM
#3
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Fresno
Posts: 54
adjustable control arms
The only problem with the Arizona Z car design (unless they changed it from a couple years ago) is they need to be taken off to adjust them. The heim joint threads into the A-arm tube so the inner bolt through the crossmember must be removed.
Mike's design has a female heim joint so nothing is taken apart during the alignment.
It's very quick and easy.
Mike's design has a female heim joint so nothing is taken apart during the alignment.
It's very quick and easy.
03-19-2003, 08:33 PM
#4
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Some pictures of Randy's design would be nice. He tried to explain them to me when I talked to him but pictures would be better. Also, anything else he's going to make and sell should be posted here too.
And... Since your going over there with your camera, get a bunch of pictures of his car too. Don't forget the detail shots!
And... Since your going over there with your camera, get a bunch of pictures of his car too. Don't forget the detail shots!
03-19-2003, 09:01 PM
#5
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 100
I think I have a picture of the ZF rear arms on my work computer I will try and post that tomorrow. I agree with Steve on the Arizona arms... I couldn't get into the "disassemble to adjust" design. If I'm thinking of the right parts, the ZF arms look a lot better in that respect , but look like they weigh a ton... Do they?
I went so far as to build a jig, buy tubing, reverse thread taps and heims to build my own arms based on Simon Zed's design shown in the attached photo. I was planning to put heims on the outer links and use the solid eccentric bushings I currently run on the inside. I was working on it pretty good before my Ground Control shocks showed up last year and I switched projects... I still haven't gotten back to it. All I have left to do is finish machining the "jack bolts" and then cut the tubing and weld it up.
Maybe I get back to it before too many more months pass! (That's that lazy side I mentioned earlier...)
Tom
I went so far as to build a jig, buy tubing, reverse thread taps and heims to build my own arms based on Simon Zed's design shown in the attached photo. I was planning to put heims on the outer links and use the solid eccentric bushings I currently run on the inside. I was working on it pretty good before my Ground Control shocks showed up last year and I switched projects... I still haven't gotten back to it. All I have left to do is finish machining the "jack bolts" and then cut the tubing and weld it up.
Maybe I get back to it before too many more months pass! (That's that lazy side I mentioned earlier...)
Tom
03-19-2003, 11:11 PM
#6
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Rickreall, OR
Posts: 116
This is what I built for the back of my car. It is very simple and fully adjustable on the car and about half the weight of the stock piece. While this is going on a tubeframe car I had similar pices that worked with a regular unibody with modified mounts.
03-20-2003, 08:09 AM
#7
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Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Waukesha, WI
Posts: 236
Actually Arizona Zcar's are "on the car" adjustable. He redesigned them within the last year or so. Only one side (rod end) can be adjusted on the car. Its a similar design to the triangular ones on the tube frame car pictured in tube80z's post, which by the way looks like an intersting project. Any more pics available? I see the EMOD, but was wondering it you plan on road racing it in the future? I'm pretty sure that GT2 requires a live axle.
Phil
Phil
Last edited by preith; 03-20-2003 at 09:15 AM.
03-20-2003, 09:16 AM
#8
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Join Date: Nov 2002
Posts: 100
I did find a picture of the ZF kit... (I'm the guy that was wondering what they looked like and it turns out I'm the one with a picture!) It's not evident from the picture that they allow for much more than camber adjustment. Can you tweak the toe alignment very much?
Tom
Tom
03-20-2003, 10:08 AM
#9
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Rickreall, OR
Posts: 116
Originally posted by preith
Any more pics available? I see the EMOD, but was wondering it you plan on road racing it in the future? I'm pretty sure that GT2 requires a live axle.
Phil
Any more pics available? I see the EMOD, but was wondering it you plan on road racing it in the future? I'm pretty sure that GT2 requires a live axle.
Phil
The car is intended for autox and hillclimb and track play days. As far as GT-2 goes the car would never be legal but not because of susension. You are allowed to retain the original suspension in a tube-frame design. The other option is double a-arms and a live axle, which is what most people do.
03-22-2003, 08:04 PM
#11
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Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Fresno
Posts: 54
Adj. Control Arms
Hey guys,
We have both front and rear ZF Adj. Control Arms - They're no heavier than stock - perhaps slightly lighter but not by a significant amount. Ours are the frist generation so the rear arm is alittle different than the photo posted.
Our car was drastically under weight (1950 with a cage and two seats in it) so we weren't worried about the weight of the arms - but we did want strength. We think we have it.
The rears do allow toe adjustment (in addition to camber of course). We run alot of toe in at the rear to get the rear end to behave.
Steve
We have both front and rear ZF Adj. Control Arms - They're no heavier than stock - perhaps slightly lighter but not by a significant amount. Ours are the frist generation so the rear arm is alittle different than the photo posted.
Our car was drastically under weight (1950 with a cage and two seats in it) so we weren't worried about the weight of the arms - but we did want strength. We think we have it.
The rears do allow toe adjustment (in addition to camber of course). We run alot of toe in at the rear to get the rear end to behave.
Steve
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