[DeTomaso] Adjustable Rear upper a-arms

[David & Marilyn Bell]

There are only minor functional differences between adjustable upper a-arms
and the extra length versions if your rear suspension is perfectly
symmetrical.  If not, as is mine and I suspect many others, then adjustable
upper a-arms offer the advantage of allowing you to tweak your
non-symmetrical suspension into alignment without loading up with an
inch-thick pack of shims on one side and none on the other.  And yes, the
car was slightly non-symmetrical even before I drove it off the track at
high speed 8 or 10 times.

Whether the extra adjustability is worth twice the cost - well, I have to
admit that I haven't sprung for either solution and just use the relatively
cheap inch-thick pack of shims on one side.  That gives me a minimum of
1-3/4 degrees negative camber, which I'm OK with.  Someday though I'm going
for the more elegant adjustable a-arm setup.

Really.

How much were they again?


Dave Bell

-----Original Message-----
From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com
[mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com]On Behalf Of MikeLDrew at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2010 1:20 AM
To: tborcich at msn.com; detomaso at realbig.com
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Adjustable Rear upper a-arms



In a message dated 5/31/10 9 32 39, tborcich at msn.com writes:


> This thread got me thinking about adding the adjustable rod end joint to
> my upper rear a-arms while their off.
>

What is the point of making both the upper and lower A-arms adjustable?
It's true that on some cars, it would be advantageous to have the upper
A-arm
be a bit longer.   The adjustable ones were designed to accomodate that
desire, but nobody really adjusts them on a routine basis.   They just set
them
to a length slightly longer than stock, while the car is being aligned, and
then that's it.   $600 (or whatever) gets flushed down the tubes to provide
adjustment you don't need.

On the other hand, fixed-length A-arms that are longer than stock are
available.   This actually solves the problem in a simple, elegant fashion.
You
just unbolt your stock A-arm, swap the ball joint over to your new, longer
one, then have the wheels aligned normally.   It's just that simple, and
half the cost of the adjustable versions.   Both get you to exactly the same
place; one does so with much greater simplicity for half the cost.

Mike
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