which upper control arms?

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1969dodgedartgt

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what do you guys recommend for tubular upper control arms? brand?

drum breaks still..
 
Get the offset bushings for the stock ones and use them. It works just as well and is a ton cheaper and you don't have to worry about the welds. They don't make any difference!!! Use the stock and get a good alignment. I have CAP and they're OK but I was expecting more. I have my stock ones sitting ready to replace them.
 
I used the PST uca's. They come loaded w/ball joint and bushings. I liked their ball joint support better than the CAP's.
I also used the non bushed adjustable strut rods and lca reinforcement plates. Very happy with the improved handling. Going to be adding .890 torsion bars over the winter to completed the upgrade... Should have did that when everything was apart!!!! Hindsights always 20/20!!!!

Bob
64 Dart 2dr sdn
360/904/391
12.75/106 best time
 
Robbie2734 said:
Get the offset bushings for the stock ones and use them. It works just as well and is a ton cheaper and you don't have to worry about the welds. They don't make any difference!!! Use the stock and get a good alignment. I have CAP and they're OK but I was expecting more. I have my stock ones sitting ready to replace them.
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Just because you didn't notice a difference doesn't mean that they don't make a difference. The stock uppers will flex. Maybe not enough under normal driving conditions for the average person to notice, but they can, and do flex under under more aggressive driving.

As far as the welds, I wouldn't worry at all about the welds on the vast majority of tubular arms. With Hotchkis, Magnumforce and RMS it wouldn't even cross my mind to worry about the welds or the construction of the arms. The CAP arms have been documented to have had problems in the past, and suffered from bad welding. But they're also the only outfit that MIG welds their control arms. I ran a set of CAP UCA's on my Challenger for close to 30k miles and had no problems with them at all, but there are cases of failure out there for the CAP arms.

Now, what are your plans for the car? If you're just planning a street driver, than Robbie's suggestion is right on, the stock uppers will work fine, and an offset bushing set up will help you set up the right alignment.

If you're planning a disk brake swap and need new control arms anyway, then upgrading to tubular control arms might not be a bad way to go. The newly reproduced stock arms cost as much as a good set of tubulars, and even used ones command a decent price.

I currently run Hotchkis upper control arms on my Challenger. They're absolutely beautiful pieces. Very well engineered, very well constructed. And for the e-body they're the only UCA's that relocate a suspension point to take out the dreaded anti-dive. But on A-bodies this isn't needed, so they're more like the arms offered by the other outfits. RMS and Magnumforce both offer options that still use bushings (instead of heim joints). This would be a plus for a street car, the bushings make things a little easier to deal with as far as wear and ride quality.

I will say, having set up my car twice now, that magnumforce's "double adjustable" uca's would be really nice to have. Both times I've set up my car with the adjustable control arms I've had to make a few trips back and forth to the alignment shop to get the arms adjusted correctly. They still adjust with the camber bolts, but you have to get the arms set up properly first, and unless you've got all the suspension alignment equipment at home it takes a little trial and error, which with everything but the double adjustable arms requires pulling the UCA at least partially off the car.
 
1969dodgedartgt said:
what do you guys recommend for tubular upper control arms? brand?

drum breaks still..
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Is it still small bolt pattern. If so, then it has the small upper ball joint.

IIRC, Hotchkis is the only company that makes tubular upper control arms for the small 72 and down 10" drum and disk upper ball joints.

IMHO, if you are planning to go large bolt pattern (larger UBJ) wait to buy the UCA's.
 
or you can go with RMS upper arms and send bill the spindles. he will ream them out to fit the large upper ball joint for free ..:) best of both worlds.
 
firm feel makes upa's for the small ball joints...

but i like rms the best with the heim joint ends
 
mmm thanks for the advice guys, I think I'll stick with my stock arms until i up grade breaks. I'll also try to use the bushings that cam with my FFI kit instead of buying the offsets TOO! I have lifetime adjustment on my tires from Americas tires maybe I can take advantage of that....
 
hello, sorry for jumping in, i am in the same market looking to replace mine,already converted to disk from 73 dart so be looking for the larger ball joint are the double adjustable ones worth getting over the normal and its a toss up between magnum force and hotchkis are the hotchkis worth the difference in price <and we are talking a difference lol> car a 440 manual,used for street maainly but who knows what else.many thanks again, nathan.
 
abodyjoe said:
or you can go with RMS upper arms and send bill the spindles. he will ream them out to fit the large upper ball joint for free ..:) best of both worlds.
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Just wondering how much weaker it will make the knuckle by reaming it out?
 
Purple Haze said:
Just wondering how much weaker it will make the knuckle by reaming it out?
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To enough to worry about. Not significant. And the ball joint stud will bend/break first from what I have seen in years of circle track cars (same ball joint)
 
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