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by **JohnP** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 7:09 pm

I started removing my old rear control arms to install the new ones from Spohn.

I have these installed on my car, not sure what they are meant to do, but it seems maybe they are like subframe conectors that stabalize the front mount of the lower control arm?

Anyone know what these are?

by **spyder_xlch** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:24 pm

Hard to tell in the pics but is the factory mount rusting away? Maybe that was someone's idea of a quick fix? On an other wise good mount it should add strength.

by **JohnP** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 8:29 pm

Mount is solid, its just surface rust.
Makes sense that it strengthens and takes some load stress off that mounting point for the control arms, a bit easier install then welding some metal plates to reinfore that mounting area.

by **chevyart** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:10 pm

someone had a real good idea with that mod. I definitely would leave it when putting in the new control arms. make sure your new bolt is a grade 8. that bolt is acting like a single shear for strength. a better way would be to have it on both sides, but there is no room with that round tube. I am making subframe connectors for my 75 vega and i will connect the to both sides of the lower control arm with flat stock steel for maximum strenght Chevy Art

by **res0o7eb** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:18 pm

Never seen that before.
Yeah, John, that's what I was thinking. It seems like it would relieve some of the stress on the forward LCA mounting bracket. But, the forward mount of this auxiliary rod looks like it needs some reinforcement or at least a washer under the head of the bolt.

by **heinz057** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 10:26 pm

lakewood use to make a traction bar called jenkins bars for these car's i think thats what they are

by **v8astregt** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 1:46 am

Interesting.

Just my thoughts, but that really wouldn't help that much unless the other side had a brace as well? Also, the forward mount doesn't look the strongest, and I'd think it would be strongest if there was a way to pre-load it? If you just bolt it on with no real load, it would still be able to move around a little bit, and that's what causes failure. It did in my case. Didn't take much movement to shear my bolt.

by **spyder_xlch** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 1:49 am

That rod does look adjustable so it can be preloaded. One of the ends is probably left hand threads and the other is right hand.

by **Astre-mutt** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 1:18 pm

This support won't stop the control arm from ripping out of the mount, but it will take some load off the mount to the chassis.

by **BillPappy** » Mon Mar 24, 2008 8:33 pm

It might be to save your A$$ if the mount did rip
out

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