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Start by cutting off the bushing holders as shown. I used a recipro saw, and belt belt sander to shape the angle.

a arm with bushings

Then.......... I would suggest tack welding these on first to make sure everything lines up cleanly, if you get the angle wrong the rod ends won't fit right in the bushing holders and you may need to knock them off and sharpen or lessen the angle. Again, belt sander works well for this.

a arm bushings cut off

Get these or equivalent. Must be HIGH MISALIGNMENT

rod ends

Now you need spacers to fit between the bushing holders and rod ends. Because the hole in the rod end is 5/8, and the bolt is 12mm you're going to need these, that reduce the hole size. I got them on E-Bay. You need (8) total, and a variety. I would get (3) of the 1.75" (3) of the 1.50" and (2) of the 1.25" thick, but you won't use them all, explained below.

spacers

You also need (4) 5/8 x 18 jam nuts. The finished but not painted unit....

finished a arm

I was able to get a good tight fit on the passenger side using the spacer variety. I was not lucky on the drivers side and had to use one or two washers/shims, and internal bushings. I got these from ACE Hardware. The internal bushing on one side was needed to keep the 12mm bolt centered in the 5/8" hole. Which is what you'll need to do if you can't fit a spacer in there. I was really not pleased about this, and the only thing that kept the whole thing perfect.

The mocked up installation....

installed

I will say this is not cheap, over $300.00 just in parts, but it's cheaper than over a thousand, and getting a product that you will still need to fiddle with spacers and possible machining to make fit.

Thanks to the members that chimed in over my frustration about this. Made me think, and take action. Also found an older picture of a modified set that helped.

Attachments

Images (6)
  • a arm with bushings
  • a arm bushings cut off
  • rod ends
  • spacers
  • finished a arm
  • installed
Last edited by rrs1
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You adjust them by simply threading the rod in or out of the welded nut. To start, I adjusted the holes in the rods to about where the holes in the bushings were. Bolts, and ball joint in place, and snug everything up. Put wheel on, just snug will do, lower car, push it back and forth a few times. In my case, I couldn't get back to neutral or positive camber.

I use the Fas Trax alignment tool. https://www.amazon.com/Special...asTrax/dp/B000PG6OW2

Took a reading, still too much negative, remove the bolt through the rod end on the straight tube only, it will swivel down. Turn the rod out a few turns, repeat. It may take 4-5 tries to get where you want it. Do the same to the other side. Once I got zero camber, the toe setting just happen to be perfect, but If that's needed, just adjust the rod end on the curved tube same way.

Last edited by rrs1

It's a fair question. There is little lateral movement available. With the rods installed you'd have to lift the ball joint to see where it landed beforehand. I would think if it wasn't stressed to the sides you'd be good since that's not where the main movement is when driving?

If needing more toe you could just add shims underneath.

I know you were frustrated, but it does look like you spent a bunch of time and money to end up with almost the same as you were frustrated about! Those a-arms now have too many degrees of freedom, the angled rod end will change caster and camber at the same time. I think you would have been better cutting more off and bending a new tubular section that kept the rod end perpendicular to the mount, or welding on a straight piece of open tube like below (Ultima a-arms)

Ultima a-arm

You can also get rod end linkage adjusters that are RH/LH male/female tube nut that will allow adjustment on the car.

The alternate way to approach this is swap the ball joint for a rod end.

Adjustable A-arms

Attachments

Images (2)
  • Adjustable A-arms
  • Ultima a-arm

Yes, very nice, I would have rather manipulated the ball joint end, but tube fabrication is a skill I, and most don't have. This is something a person with average mig welding skills can do. I don't think rear caster adjustment is importand for the street, besides I don't think it changes since the bottom of the upright is ridged does it? 

@rrs1 posted:

I don't think rear caster adjustment is important for the street, besides I don't think it changes since the bottom of the upright is ridged does it?

Yes, you are correct the rear caster is fixed by the hub/lower a-arm shaft, wasn't thinking when I typed that last night.

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