Will shorter custom A-arms adversely affect handling and suspension geometry?

My car was slammed when i bought it (no name, super stiff springs). I've had it for about five months. The camber has been way out of wack the whole time...
(-3.5 deg. on front). So i ordered the ingalls camber kit... and installed it... the car was too low for the a-arms to clear the inside of the fender wells when the camber was corrected... so i ordered a ground control adj. coilover kit (which i should have done in the first place) with the idea that i would raise the car an inch or so and be able to adjust the camber that way... but i've come to realize that it is going to take a lot more that an inch or so to come out to 0 deg. (optimum for off the line traction)... plus i'm afraid that if the ball joint on the end of the A-arm is right under the edge of the fender well, the first really hard bump i hit is going to send it up through the fender... and i'm not really up for the 4x4 stance...

so here is my solution... i have access to free professional machinist services... and i've decided to machine new shorter A-arms out of aluminum and put a new polyurethane ball joint in it...

This is the only way that i can think of (outside of altering the fender wells) to keep the car lowered for aesthetic appeal, and save tires at the same time...

Will shorter A-arms adversely affect handling? will it screw up my suspension geometry? is aluminum a bad idea (even if it is anodized) because of the stress that part of the suspension is under...

Please, any one with this kind of experience... i need help

 

http://www.spcperformance.com/PerfPa...67320_360.html
check those out,,i had the same prob,,,,got those prob solved

 

Well, i've got the Ingalls kit just like that already... it didn't help...

 

I just got my friend to notch the inside of my fender wells to allow for the extra clearance that the ingals camber kit needs. this will probably be a lot easier for you to do.
all he used to do it was the compressor gun and a chisel bit. it took him about 5 mins to do one side.
p.s. my car is lowered about 2 1/2 inches.

 

how much did these cost?

 

I have done the same thing works great.

 

seems to me that a shorter upper control arm will bring the top of the wheel in further than it already is creating even more negative camber. no?

 

$150 a side for the front and about $90 a side for the rear.

 

eh.......unfortunatly, yes. LOL
You need longer arms or atleast something which would locate the ball joint out further on the arm. I would also look into those SPC ball joints...from what I have seen they are good.

And just so you know, my stock car with new springs and shocks (but not bushings) does have some negative camber. (less than a degree)

 

umm.......ok, well, I'm not sure where you got those prices, but I have those exact AUBJ's and mine were $180 for the front two. My car is dropped about 2 3/4 inches and the SPC's had more than enough adjustment for my camber without notching out my upper frame. Everyone else says you have to notch but I guess you don't.

 

http://www.groupbuycenter.com/buy.aspx?id=8018

 

Those are SPC prices. I konw you can get them cheaper. At your local dealer.


[Modified by Bryant, 12:21 AM 3/26/2003]

 

i got my front 2 balljoints for 80 each side,,,spc,,,

 

i got just got the sprint camber kit .. no a-arms fool with and its adjustable 3 degrees.

 

allright... well thanks guys, i'll look at notching it...
(i just thought that si blue anodized A-arms would be cool anyway)
thx

 

Where's the cheapest place to get those adjustable ball joints?

 

as far as i know, your best bet is to look on ebay... i found my ingall's front kit on there, brand new in the box on a "buy it now" auction for, i think, about $150... just look up +crx +camber or something and you should find something...

(i would be extremely wary about dirt cheap "camber kits"... i have read reviews on some of these saying that all you get is a box with a couple of nuts, bolts and washers and no instructions... if you are unsure just read the sellers feedback, chances are, they have sold more than one of those kits)

 

careful with notching the inside fender rail, Thats an important part of the frame.

 

yeah, i finished working on the fender wells about a week ago... we used an air grinder and cutting tool on it... i think that it will be ok, there was still plenty of reinforcement left in there to be safe...

thanks though...