AJE lower control arms

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AJE lower control arms

Postby avewhtboy » Fri Feb 10, 2017 11:02 pm

I posted this in my journal but would like others opinions on this. AJE has been selling control arms for what looks like to be at least 8 years now.

So I bought a set of the coil over adjustable for my car to correct the caster mostly. I am using Ridetech shocks with QA1 first gen "Camaro" springs.

The other day when inspecting the car I notice the cross bar for both front shocks were broken. I believe I bottomed out both shocks hard during
a road trip and thats when they broke.

When I purchased a new set of these cross bar I notice the hole for the bolts to go through has been resized smaller making the mount stronger but
then requiring using a smaller bolt. The old bolt was 3/8 and the new one is 5/16. The load rating goes down from 840lbs to 370lbs sheer strength. Thats
the way the mounts are oriented on the AJE arms they put the bolts in SHEER, single SHEER.

To be honest I don't feel real comfortable having my complete front suspension riding on 4 5/16 bolts.

What say you????

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Re: AJE lower control arms

Postby Monza Harry » Fri Feb 10, 2017 11:36 pm

I would have to agree that wouldn't be my favourite choice either [5/16" in single shear]. When I read this in your Project Journal I thought these were bottom mounted like a regular H-Body, and then my thought was to put a "cap" over it to add two more screws (4 per side, think of something like a rod cap or a "pillow block" and a solid rod) that idea would still work but would be more work than just welding a stop under your current crossbar, it will mean a repaint/powder coat :cuss: but wolud be pretty low effort "Band-Aid" repair. I still think I would build some sort of arrangement to constrain that shaft which would be replaced with solid. You appear to have very little "Real Estate" to work with so this will be tight! Another option would be to find some larger Inner Diameter bushings so you can use a larger cross bar. Sorry that is all I have, please keep use posetd. Harry
Last edited by Monza Harry on Sun Feb 12, 2017 3:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: AJE lower control arms

Postby avewhtboy » Fri Feb 10, 2017 11:57 pm

Monza Harry wrote:I would have to agree that wouldn't be my favourite choice either [5/16" in single shear]. When I read this in your Project Journal I thought these were bottom mounted like a regular H-Body, and then my thought was to put a "cap" over it to add two more screws (4 per side, think of something like a rod cap or a "pillow block" and a solid rod) that idea would still work but would be more work than just welding a stop under your current crossbar, it will mean a repaint/powder coat :cuss: but wolud be pretty low effort "Band-Aid" repair. I still think I would build some sort of arrangement to constrain that shaft which would be replaced with solid. You appear to have very little "Real Estate" to work with so this will be tight! Another option would be to find some larger Ineer Diameter bushings so you can use a larger cross bar. Sorry that is all I have, please keep use posetd. Harry



Hello Harry and thanks for the reply and Ideas. I had not thought about doing it that way so I will add that to the solution bag. I hate to have to hack on these I paid $$$. But
I think something is going to have to be done for me to feel safe driving it. Two 5/16 bolts give 700lbs sheer force and the front corners are about 600lbs so I don't think the current set up will be safe.
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Re: AJE lower control arms

Postby 283vega » Sat Feb 11, 2017 7:26 am

How about a cross bar with more material at the ends where it broke.JUst the tip same diameter with 3/8 bolts.
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Re: AJE lower control arms

Postby cosvega76 » Sat Feb 11, 2017 8:01 am

Might be worth a call to ARP and see what they may have for strength in a 5/16" bolt.

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Re: AJE lower control arms

Postby hammerdown7 » Sat Feb 11, 2017 11:17 am

Personally I think the design of the a-arm is wrong. The mounting bolts should be vertical, not horizontal.

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Re: AJE lower control arms

Postby avewhtboy » Sat Feb 11, 2017 11:28 am

283vega wrote:How about a cross bar with more material at the ends where it broke.JUst the tip same diameter with 3/8 bolts.


The problem with any thicker crossbar is it will not fit though the hole on the shocks.
Last edited by avewhtboy on Mon Feb 27, 2017 12:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: AJE lower control arms

Postby avewhtboy » Sat Feb 11, 2017 11:30 am

cosvega76 wrote:Might be worth a call to ARP and see what they may have for strength in a 5/16" bolt.

Chuck



Thats an idea maybe they make some bolts twice as strong as grade 8?

I am more inclined to modify these arms I just never liked the way the shock mount was designed on these.
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Re: AJE lower control arms

Postby avewhtboy » Sat Feb 11, 2017 11:32 am

hammerdown7 wrote:Personally I think the design of the a-arm is wrong. The mounting bolts should be vertical, not horizontal.

Dick



I agree, that's what I thought when I first installed them. The plate they are mounted to should have been made horizontal not vertical.

Whats surprises me is I am the only one with this issue and I assure you my car will not pull the front wheels off the ground!!!
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Re: AJE lower control arms

Postby Monza Harry » Sun Feb 12, 2017 3:49 pm

avewhtboy wrote: I assure you my car will not pull the front wheels off the ground!!!
We can fix that, we have the technology! :nos: :lol: :lol: :haha: lmao :pook: :roll: :burnout: :dance: ! Harry
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Re: AJE lower control arms

Postby b_pappy » Sat Feb 18, 2017 6:45 pm

wow. I need to get by the shop and look at my setup before I comment. Basically just replying so I remember to come back. Sucks getting old.
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Re: AJE lower control arms

Postby avewhtboy » Sun Feb 19, 2017 4:30 pm

I did a test and tune at an SCCA Autocross Saturday. Drove the car to and from the event and about 15 passes.

Just put the car up on jack stands and checked everything out and didn't see any problems. One thing I hate is that I can't see my travel stops on my front
shocks to see if they have bottomed or not. Maybe an inspection hole would help here. The rear shocks had about an inch of travel left so that was good to see.

I am not sure what I will do but I saw where someone else with these cut out the mounts and made there own. A couple tabs welded to the tubes.
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Re: AJE lower control arms

Postby TurboKen » Mon Feb 27, 2017 11:33 am

does your car have the rubber bump stops on it? They should help keep the a arm travel from bottoming out. Also which shocks do you have, it sounds like maybe they're too long? Or the compressed side should be slightly shorter.

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Re: AJE lower control arms

Postby avewhtboy » Mon Feb 27, 2017 12:53 pm

TurboKen wrote:does your car have the rubber bump stops on it? They should help keep the a arm travel from bottoming out. Also which shocks do you have, it sounds like maybe they're too long? Or the compressed side should be slightly shorter.

Ken


I do still have the rubber bump stop but I don't know that it will actually come in contact with the AJE lower control arm before the
shock bottoms. I am using Ridetech coil overs that have 4 inches of travel. The upper mount had a long extension which reduced the amount of travel
in the shock so I redid the mount to gain about an inch of travel and I raised the ride height on the car about half an inch.

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Now the suspension feels more compliant than it was I am pretty sure I was riding on the shocks bump stops front and rear.
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Re: AJE lower control arms

Postby Diesel Dan » Thu Mar 16, 2017 5:40 pm

Here is an option if you haven't fixed it yet.

Bolt the crossbar into place(with out shock).
Get some square key stock.
Use the key stock as a support under the crossbar and weld to the control arm.
It will create a shelf to transfer some/all of the load to and off of the bolts.
Clean, paint, re-assemble.
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