FFR discontinued narrow width front LCA for pin drive wheels

[Zach Bohn]

I placed my order for 289 FIA kit this week, FFR calls to tell me they are no longer offering the narrow width lower control arm (13"). I can get wheels from Trigo, but not the required P/N 12508 - 1987-1998 PIN DRIVE WIDTH FRONT LOWER CONTROL ARMS. Anybody have a set of the narrow LCA or a source to have narrow LCA manufactured?

[CraigS]

Do you know how much shorter the LCAs are? I ask because I have a jig to replace the inner ends w/ rod ends. I can make it shorter when I do that but am not sure how much shorter. 1/2 inch is easy and I 'think' 3/4 would be also.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51035795427_2186a26091_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kKRMVn)IMG_20160720_093924361 (https://flic.kr/p/2kKRMVn) by craig stuard (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152454123@N04/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51035697136_b2178c3058_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kKRhGG)IMG_20160720_115849599_HDR (https://flic.kr/p/2kKRhGG) by craig stuard (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152454123@N04/), on Flickr

[Jeff Kleiner]

News flash; FFR is making a run of them. Problem solved!

Jeff

[J R Jones]

Do you know how much shorter the LCAs are? I ask because I have a jig to replace the inner ends w/ rod ends. I can make it shorter when I do that but am not sure how much shorter. 1/2 inch is easy and I 'think' 3/4 would be also.
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51035795427_2186a26091_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kKRMVn)IMG_20160720_093924361 (https://flic.kr/p/2kKRMVn) by craig stuard (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152454123@N04/), on Flickr
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51035697136_b2178c3058_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kKRhGG)IMG_20160720_115849599_HDR (https://flic.kr/p/2kKRhGG) by craig stuard (https://www.flickr.com/photos/152454123@N04/), on Flickr

Craig, I understand the objective of rod ends in control arms. It has been my observation that there have been numerous comments on this forum of loosening fasteners, specifically suspension and often clevis fasteners.
My decision for control arms was rod ends for adjustment and urethane bushings to dampen shock loads. This results in improved NVH and fewer fastener issues.
I fabricated pivot bushing housings to mount the control arm struts.
jim

153948

[Zach Bohn]

2" shorter

[CraigS]

I think 2 inches is too much for this technique.
JR the rod ends is an easy way to get race car level friction free movement. All the pieces are off the shelf stuff even including the steel tube. NVH may go up some but the several people that have done these report that the ride is actually better because of no friction. A good friend, who has since moved on to other cars, built this jig originally and he built arms for several hard core autocrossers all of whom raved about them. I bought the jig for little $ thinking I might make a little side business out of it. But, talking to some other friends, there is a concern about liability and law suits so I decided not to do it. Also it is not cheap. The rod ends are 3/4 and good ones can easily be >$50 each. And maybe 2 years ago FFR came out w/ their kit to install spherical bearings into their arms so the rod end idea really isn't very worthwhile any more.

[J R Jones]

I think 2 inches is too much for this technique.
JR the rod ends is an easy way to get race car level friction free movement. All the pieces are off the shelf stuff even including the steel tube. NVH may go up some but the several people that have done these report that the ride is actually better because of no friction. A good friend, who has since moved on to other cars, built this jig originally and he built arms for several hard core autocrossers all of whom raved about them. I bought the jig for little $ thinking I might make a little side business out of it. But, talking to some other friends, there is a concern about liability and law suits so I decided not to do it. Also it is not cheap. The rod ends are 3/4 and good ones can easily be >$50 each. And maybe 2 years ago FFR came out w/ their kit to install spherical bearings into their arms so the rod end idea really isn't very worthwhile any more.

Craig, Good decision on litigation. Hungry lawyers everywhere. Another concept to consider although it will seem counter intuitive:
Completely non-compliant suspension/steering joints can cause hunting and nervous behavior at speed. You told me about the Roadster high speed handling and extreen castor as a solution. Here is a lesson learned long ago:

I helped a local race equipment dealer build a 1973 Chevy Malibu USAC stock car. His former experience was short track, I was a novice road racer.
The format then was a Ford Torino frame stub with tube frame chassis. Modified control arm front suspension, coils and shocks and big spline-end anti-roll-bar. Live axle in back on pick-up truck track-arms, coils and shocks.

Maiden event was the Milwaukee Mile with former Ford pilot Jack Bowsher at the wheel. Jack did not like the handling, "it is nervous on the straights like is has no rubber joints". The crew chief Fast Eddie was indignant. "This is the way we have been building (short track) cars for years". Now we had a pizzing contest.
Jack made a proposal. "If you don't believe me, would you accept Foyt's opinion"? Jack found AJ's pit and made the request. AJ climbed in and made a couple warm-ups then threw down a serious lap.
Climbing out of the Chevy, our crew was at attention as AJ spit-out one sentence: "This F-in POS is set up like a short track car, no rubber in the suspension". Eddie shut up. We re-did the suspension.
jim