i know, this topic has been covered millions of times and i've been waiting patiently for 2 weeks waiting for the archives to be available for searching. it's getting close to crunch time now though, so i have a few questions.

1) are there any clearance issues with the c/a hitting the fender well? (i have shortened koni's and i won't be flipping the arms left to right)

2) what kind of life can i expect out of the ball joint and is it easy/cheap to replace the ball joint?

3) i've heard of slipping problems being corrected by scraping off the paint. has anybody done anything to prevent rust after doing this? is it an issue? (i live in ma, so winter driving isn't out of the question)

4) is there a cheaper alternative to getting -3* out of a 5th gen civic? (i'm already low enough that the tires are rubbing all over. +38 offset wheels. replacing them isn't really an option)

5) any other issues i should know about if i go with the skunk's?

tia, and sorry for the post.

nate

 

1) If you don't have the flipped, there will be more clearance. Check after the first session to make sure it's not bottoming out. If it bottoms out, the camber will slip.

2) 1-2 years of tracking, if you do not bottom out.

3) Just scrape, use star washers, and bolts from the top.

4) Not really. You can only get so much camber from lowering.

Warren

 

you mean bottom out, as in hit the uca on the strut tower, right?

how much are the replacement ball joints from skunk?

nate

 

Yeah, "bottom out" = smack the wheel well.

Warren

 

after more digging (guess what, archive search is functioning again ) i'm still kinda leary of going with the skunk arms. i think i might look into the bfh method, or a more refined approach and take it to a chassis shop. i'm not going to screw around with it much once i get the setting i want, so adjustability isn't really a major concern. i'll have to look into how much room i have between the upright and my tires and how far i have to bend the upright to get 1 degree.

thanks for your help warren. i think you and scott are the forum experts on these control arms now. the other threads were very helpful too.

nate-who likes ease of replacement and simplicity.