Ok, while some terms used may be foreign to you, Google it.
These are the suspension arms that are sold either aftermarket, or OEM (Nismo arms).
1. LCA (lower control arm)-connects the knuckle, where your hub is bolted to the front end of your car.
2. Tension rod- Connects your LCA to the tension rod bracket. Affects lateral movement of the LCA.
3. Rear upper control arm (ruca)-affects camber
4. Rear toe arm- affects toe
5. rear traction rod-like a tension rod….moves your wheel forward or back.

There are other pieces but don’t worry, you can’t afford them. (Or I for that matter)

Ok, on to why you need it.
Front-
The only real reason to get tension rods in the front is to stiffen up your response on turning and other aspects. Also moving the wheel forward and rear affect the handling characteristics of your car. Google it to find out how, this isn’t an article for that.

This article WILL however focus on the rear of your S chassis/Z32/Y33/and any other Nissan with a multilink rear.
With your car at OEM static height, everything is all kosher
BUT, add a 2 inch drop to that. What is affected?
Mainly what you will notice offhand is the camber. Pretty much that fact that you have more of it. While camber looks cool, and has its functions, there is also a horrible byproduct for performance (in some instances) as well as tire wear. Now, with a mild drop, you may not need any arms at all, of course depending on your wheel fitment.
Your factory adjustments have PLENTY of adjusting for most people. Note on my Y33 I run the rear arms MAXED OUT for camber, and its extremely menacing, but not near enough. So again, for most of you, don’t even worry about this thread.
Add more than 3 inches or so. What is affected THEN?
Well, its complicated. Everything you adjust in the rear end at that height affects one another. If you add more camber at a super low height, the toe gets all jacked up, then when you fix the toe, the wheel position in the wheel well gets jacked up (caster).
I mean, you CAN just fix the toe, but your handling might be a little weird in some instances than before.
What arms are right for you
Well, it all depends. MOST people can get away with ONLY Rucas, and most get tension in the front. While other get all of it for the hell of it.

IMO if your going to run 10j be it 17/18/19 your going to need all 3 rods in the rear. Mainly, because if your running that large of a wheel, your going to need to be able to adjust it adequately, because you KNOW your going to want it slammed. This doesn’t apply to every, but 80% of the people that are running super large wheels, or want to, are going to be driving low. And driving low means your entire geometry is messed up. So yeah, get yourself some arms, from a quality company. No ebay stuff here guys, unless its used good stuff, Tein, Kazama, SPL, JIC, etc.

If you have any questions, please feel free to post or email me
Tsispyder97@aol.com.

After I got RUCAS and Toe Arms and an alignment, the *** end of my car felt much more solid and responsive. They were having a little trouble with the rear alignment, trying to get it to the specs I gave them, is that because...if I understand correctly, I skipped the traction rods so when they adjust toe...is that what's throwing everything off? Should I get the traction rods? I got SPL RUCAS and Toe Arms, and I'm about to order their tension rods, should I throw the traction rods on?

If your unable to adjust within limits with the toe rod, then its becuase your traction rod needs to be longer normally.

i have no aftermarket/adjustable links/arms what so ever
my suspension geometry is all jacked up
i doubt running under +3 camber
have no idea what my toe angle is
never had my car aligned after lowering(i have my reasons)..

I'm just in a heap a trouble huh..

guess I need to get things together
just a few more susp. parts to go.. then arms/links..

but yeah.
+1 for the thread

http://www.socal-drift.com

its like a front tension rod.

After market steering wheel clan! >>> Click In <<<

High mileage OG 240s ONLY >>> Click in <<<

1991-1994 240sx TUTORIALS

prolly my leon hardiritt ordens.

wanna buy a set?
3gs.

us price is 3600.00

ill sell you new set for 3gs lol

I have a 2.5 hour drive coming up most likely before I can get another alignment. Kinda worried about it, but I thought about it and I had to adjust the new rods to the same length as the old to get the bolts to line up with the LCA...so how far out of whack could I have thrown my alignment? Car slightly pulls to the left now though. :/

adjust tension rods as needed

Ive NEVER had an alignment, and my entire suspension is changed

i do everything by measuring and eyeballing
and i dont pull, or abnormally wear tires

If you really wanted to write about suspension arms, why not write something that has a large amount of information that ANYBODY could find useful. You failed to even touch on the benefits of heim joints, and you seem to think that having all suspension arms is mandated at a 3" drop.

My car is lowered at least 3 inches front and rear and all I have is front tension rods and rear upper control arms. My rear toe is just fine.

Also, your advice for alignments is terrible. I guarantee that if you actually put your car on a rack you would find that none of your settings are very accurate. You just can't notice it because you don't care about handling, and your car is not set up to handle.

You say that this is an "alignment aid" article, yet you don't even properly align your car.

Alignments are CRUCIAL, and "eyeballing it" will not cut it if you are at all interested in keeping tire wear down and having a car that drives well.

I recommend that anybody interested in anything other than a cool looking vip car go elsewhere for good information on this subject.

Apologies if I misread but are you ****ing retarded? Your writing a thread about suspension?

but no i dont pay someone to do an alignment
i do it old school.

it waswnt bias, it was saying the funtion of the rods

if you want bias
i can say this

DMAX is the best ever!!!
everything else sucks

there, now thers bias in the poslt

Looks pretty "built to handle".

Also, I'm hoping that that last post was written when drunk. Nice spelling.

Modified by naed240sx at 10:26 AM 12/16/2007

Quote, originally posted by naed240sx »

Looks pretty "built to handle".

Quote, originally posted by rcabrita »

The GT3 looks WAY better the the GTR, that plus when women recognize a Porsche symbol their panties drop... When she recognizes a Nissan symbol, her panties turn into a chastity belt...

and its not spelling, its typing, which i suck at, and dont care to edit

Quote, originally posted by naed240sx »

Looks pretty "built to handle". Also, I'm hoping that that last post was written when drunk. Nice spelling. Modified by naed240sx at 10:26 AM 12/16/2007

but since you dont know what your talking about, maybe i dont either?

But if you took it to a track I guarantee you would get raped by cars with much less power that have better tire and wheel choices and actual alignments. Stop kidding yourself and just admit that it wasn't built for performance.

One, if i did go to the track, do you really thing these wheels will stay on?
Two. When i go to the track, do you REALLY think that much camber is going ot be ran?

Come on man, this car is built for performance. Maybe not an all out track car like my 180 was, but its built with performance right up there at the top when needed. In a few hours, it can be ready for the track no problem. i guarantee it

and next year, when it warms up, you guys will see it!

suspension Guru. no
can i fit wheels...yes.

As far as records. it was a drift car
it went to two events, i got 2nd place at one, the other was a practice day.
so tahts all i got. alot of mountain runs o tune the car, but nothing else bro.

as far as cornerweighting...GL finding somewhere to do it that wont cost an arm and a leg. alignments are almost 160 bucks for a ghetto *** one. i can use string,and crap to do it myself.
I drifted on 18s....with both of them tucking damn near at fullweight distribution front and rear in turns.

i bought parts as i needed them..and had a full suspension when i was done

regardless, what does me pointing out FACTS about the nissan multilink have to do with my cars?

there wasnt any followup

it was a statement of facts that the nissan suspension does

so STFU, or contribute to it. i see no reason for your animosity in this post...others maybe. but not this one

Anyone and their mother can sit on the interwebbernets and read what a lower control arm or a tension rod blah blah blah can do... you're contributing nothing. Have a good day, raising your car whenever you see a pothole.

dont try and pull the you dont know **** card. regardless, i dont have to prove anything to you reallly.

Thats called a race car and I am not a post whore repeating easily found information about the purpose of a RUCA or tension rods.

A lot of people read these forums and take advice from people who know (or sound like the know) more as fact. Just because your willing to miss inform people doesn't mean your doing more for the community...If anything is more of a service to let people learn from real sources instead of trying to play teacher on a subject that you yourself are shaky at best about.

Quote, originally posted by RBbugBITme »

Its spent in a dirty lab leading a team for 16 hours a day over xmas break building this. Thats called a race car

Do you really think you're the only one here with any knowledge on design and fabrication?? Are you really that bold and brazen? Think about it, don't just be a prick for the sake of...well, being a prick. That's the way it came off...

Read his post again..he didn't say he was an expert...he didn't say there were no other sources...he was trying to help people. Not everyone is into the style he's speaking of..obviously you aren't so don't respond since you truly don't understand why he's doing it. It was basic information that obviously some members didn't know. Not all suspension arms are used for racing purposes. So please..next time you want to bash someone for something trivial...go to that "other" forum and do it there...I did say please.

TBH if you designed a go kart from the ground up that is competitive on the level of the FSAE cars I would LOVE to hear it...

Modified by Red coupe at 7:32 PM 12/22/2007

oh yeah

but mine is wayyyyy cooler

if your retarded enough, to come in and hate on ana rticle, explaining to people who have NO CLUE what this **** is, then go for it
its not for you, its not for me, its for hte newbs.