Front Suspension Upgrade

[Phax]

Guys,

The time is coming to upgrade the front suspension. I've been looking around at the various offerings from SPL, Battle Version, Tien, etc. From what I can tell, no one makes a heim jointed LCA. I've seen tie rods and tension rods. It's possible that I don't know what I'm looking at. Can someone give me some education as to what I need to replace in the front suspension?

Right now the front end is shaking a bit, and definitely shifting under braking because of worn bushings. I want to remove as many of the bushings as possible. I am concerned with using poly bushings on the LCA because I have experienced LCA failure, and it is not an okay thing to have happen. I see that SPL makes a complete lower arm replacement, but that thing runs close to $600, and then I still need to buy tie rods, tension rods, and bushings for the rest of the assembly (power steering rack, etc). What are my other LCA options?

[egan]

JIC usa welded triangular reinforcements into the lca on their white s13 hatch. you could do that and run nismo bushings at the same time. i think that should be plenty, and save you money compared to the spl LCA

[Ceptos]

spl does make a front lca for the s13, called a front lower arm on their site. this type of hardware is expensive and somewhat unnecessary unless you are serious about racing. i just did a few upgrades to the front end of my 95 240. spl tension rods, and whiteline lca bushings, along with replacing stock balljoints and tie rod assembly. that is pretty much everything unless its connected to the steering, and i would recommend something similar. urethane lca bushings are fine, some suggest you avoid urethane tension rod bushings. the spl tension rods have a heim joint to allow for play. the tension rods and lca bushings will give you the feel you want in your front end for a good price.

i will have to assume the s13 is the same as the s14 in the front, that is what i am familiar with. between the frame and the hub and wheel assembly there are three main arms coming off (one being steering) connecting to it. the LCA, lower control arm, connects from the front frame (subframe) to the hub by a rubber bushing at the frame end and a ball joint at the hub end. the tension rod is connected from the subframe farther towards the front of the car, to the LCA, with a large rubber bushing (filled with gew!) at the frame end, and two bolts into the LCA. the steering appears first as an inner tie rod, then connecting this to the hub is an outer tie rod (tie rod end).

[eddiec]

egan: have any closeup pix of the jic lca? just curious where reinforcement was added.

[Racingswh]

I just had alot of success with PDM-Racing. New tension rods and lca's with the Whiteline urethane bushings, sway bar bushings along with inner and outer tie rod ends. The end result was great. The car also has H&R springs, KYB AGX adjustables and front strut tower connector. Their stuff was fairly priced, shipped quick and was what they said when it arrived. I drove the car the first weekend in August at Watkins Glen during a rain session and laid waste to a number of cars that you would never have thought possible. Turn in was great and straight line stability was also good.